Narrative:

Outside the western portion of the washington, dc, ADIZ/class B airspace near front royal, va (frr), a custom's helicopter intercepted me at approximately 3000 ft and said to come up on its frequency. The crew ordered me to turn around and proceed to frr. While proceeding to frr, customs asked and I explained that I was on VFR ADIZ flight from jyo to hef via frr, outside the ADIZ, with re-entry into the ADIZ for hef from the usual point of csn VORTAC. Customs then freed me to resume on my own navigation. Told to call a number after landing which twice went to voice mail at potomac. I obtained and called an operations manager's number. Mr X appreciated my contact and explained that an aircraft left jyo squawking 1200 rather than a specific transponder code for ADIZ transit and not under potomac control. I replied, 'I arrived ADIZ VFR from hef at yro squawking special code and with potomac approach on 120.82. I filed in person with leesburg FSS my DVFR return to hef via frr, requesting 2000 ft outbound. Potomac clearance delivery (118.55), after I repositioned, said to squawk and contact departure on 125.8 when airborne. After calling when airborne, a busy potomac departure controller cleared me to 2000 ft into the class B's second ring for frr. (I didn't recall my transponder code being confirmed.) outside the ADIZ, by frr, and still monitoring potomac on 125.8, I noticed that my electronic fuel-flow was blank and that my transponder had reverted to 1200 ft, signs of possible electrical power fluctuation or interruption. North of scn at approximately 3000 ft and still monitoring 125.8, I called potomac and was cleared to hef on that frequency.' potomac maybe lost me due to its many dulles arrs and my low altitude and possible reversion to code 1200.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RALL 894 PLT IS INTERCEPTED BY UNITED STATES CUSTOM'S HELI WHEN IDENTED BY PCT AS INCORRECTLY OPERATING IN DC ADIZ SQUAWKING THE WRONG XPONDER CODE.

Narrative: OUTSIDE THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE WASHINGTON, DC, ADIZ/CLASS B AIRSPACE NEAR FRONT ROYAL, VA (FRR), A CUSTOM'S HELI INTERCEPTED ME AT APPROX 3000 FT AND SAID TO COME UP ON ITS FREQ. THE CREW ORDERED ME TO TURN AROUND AND PROCEED TO FRR. WHILE PROCEEDING TO FRR, CUSTOMS ASKED AND I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS ON VFR ADIZ FLT FROM JYO TO HEF VIA FRR, OUTSIDE THE ADIZ, WITH RE-ENTRY INTO THE ADIZ FOR HEF FROM THE USUAL POINT OF CSN VORTAC. CUSTOMS THEN FREED ME TO RESUME ON MY OWN NAV. TOLD TO CALL A NUMBER AFTER LNDG WHICH TWICE WENT TO VOICE MAIL AT POTOMAC. I OBTAINED AND CALLED AN OPS MGR'S NUMBER. MR X APPRECIATED MY CONTACT AND EXPLAINED THAT AN ACFT LEFT JYO SQUAWKING 1200 RATHER THAN A SPECIFIC XPONDER CODE FOR ADIZ TRANSIT AND NOT UNDER POTOMAC CTL. I REPLIED, 'I ARRIVED ADIZ VFR FROM HEF AT YRO SQUAWKING SPECIAL CODE AND WITH POTOMAC APCH ON 120.82. I FILED IN PERSON WITH LEESBURG FSS MY DVFR RETURN TO HEF VIA FRR, REQUESTING 2000 FT OUTBOUND. POTOMAC CLRNC DELIVERY (118.55), AFTER I REPOSITIONED, SAID TO SQUAWK AND CONTACT DEP ON 125.8 WHEN AIRBORNE. AFTER CALLING WHEN AIRBORNE, A BUSY POTOMAC DEP CTLR CLRED ME TO 2000 FT INTO THE CLASS B'S SECOND RING FOR FRR. (I DIDN'T RECALL MY XPONDER CODE BEING CONFIRMED.) OUTSIDE THE ADIZ, BY FRR, AND STILL MONITORING POTOMAC ON 125.8, I NOTICED THAT MY ELECTRONIC FUEL-FLOW WAS BLANK AND THAT MY XPONDER HAD REVERTED TO 1200 FT, SIGNS OF POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PWR FLUCTUATION OR INTERRUPTION. N OF SCN AT APPROX 3000 FT AND STILL MONITORING 125.8, I CALLED POTOMAC AND WAS CLRED TO HEF ON THAT FREQ.' POTOMAC MAYBE LOST ME DUE TO ITS MANY DULLES ARRS AND MY LOW ALT AND POSSIBLE REVERSION TO CODE 1200.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.