Narrative:

I received a brief concerning a flight planned to swf from rmg. The flight was planned and briefed with my flight crew and WX, airspace and deviation procedures were discussed. During the information gathering process for the flight pan, I was advised of flight restrs 'around washington, dc.' I was advised by the FAA briefer to 'basically stay out of the metropolitan washington, dc, airspace.' the NOTAM was described as 'long and complicated' but if I stayed out of the metropolitan dc airspace I would be 'ok.' I consulted the current washington sectional chart (expiration 9/03) and noted special airspace surrounding dca and using the jagged lines of an ADIZ. Based upon the information presented, I concluded that the class B airspace around washington, dc, was off limits to a VFR flight and that the airspace depicted around dca was an ADIZ. I naved well to the west of washington, dc, and maintained an arc heading north under the outermost ring of the iad class B airspace. By its depiction on the chart, it appears as ordinary class B airspace. Subsequently, I learned that this airspace is defined as an ADIZ all the way to the surface. The factors involved are unclr communication and interpretation of NOTAMS. Rather than explain the boundaries of the airspace clearly, I was advised to 'stay out of the airspace.' aviation charts need to clearly define airspace boundaries and FAA briefers need a better understanding of the NOTAMS. I have received an enormous amount of conflicting information in the past yr concerning airspace. It is not a well understood subject to control by numerous agencies and subject to change based on information and reasons the users of the airspace do not have access to. This factor contributes to misinterp by the users and by those who communicate information because there is no factual basis to correlate the purpose of the change. Effectively blocking the airspace around washington will force VFR only capable airplanes to fly in mountainous areas or out over open water. This is unsafe and some provision should be made to create an 'ADIZ corridor' for north/south flts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised he learned of his deviation after landing at HSI destination, swf. An FAA 'person' had monitored his progress and landing and called. He re-emphasized the lackluster performance of his briefer and the use of the phrase 'keep out of washington airspace' and 'you'll be ok.' he had also misinterped the briefer's words by assessing the 'washington area' as being indicated on the washington sectional chart by the flight restr zone symbology surrounding dca VOR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER RECEIVING A LESS THAN COMPREHENSIVE BRIEFING FROM AN FSS, THE RPTR ENTERED THE DC ADIZ.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A BRIEF CONCERNING A FLT PLANNED TO SWF FROM RMG. THE FLT WAS PLANNED AND BRIEFED WITH MY FLT CREW AND WX, AIRSPACE AND DEV PROCS WERE DISCUSSED. DURING THE INFO GATHERING PROCESS FOR THE FLT PAN, I WAS ADVISED OF FLT RESTRS 'AROUND WASHINGTON, DC.' I WAS ADVISED BY THE FAA BRIEFER TO 'BASICALLY STAY OUT OF THE METRO WASHINGTON, DC, AIRSPACE.' THE NOTAM WAS DESCRIBED AS 'LONG AND COMPLICATED' BUT IF I STAYED OUT OF THE METRO DC AIRSPACE I WOULD BE 'OK.' I CONSULTED THE CURRENT WASHINGTON SECTIONAL CHART (EXPIRATION 9/03) AND NOTED SPECIAL AIRSPACE SURROUNDING DCA AND USING THE JAGGED LINES OF AN ADIZ. BASED UPON THE INFO PRESENTED, I CONCLUDED THAT THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AROUND WASHINGTON, DC, WAS OFF LIMITS TO A VFR FLT AND THAT THE AIRSPACE DEPICTED AROUND DCA WAS AN ADIZ. I NAVED WELL TO THE W OF WASHINGTON, DC, AND MAINTAINED AN ARC HEADING N UNDER THE OUTERMOST RING OF THE IAD CLASS B AIRSPACE. BY ITS DEPICTION ON THE CHART, IT APPEARS AS ORDINARY CLASS B AIRSPACE. SUBSEQUENTLY, I LEARNED THAT THIS AIRSPACE IS DEFINED AS AN ADIZ ALL THE WAY TO THE SURFACE. THE FACTORS INVOLVED ARE UNCLR COM AND INTERP OF NOTAMS. RATHER THAN EXPLAIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE AIRSPACE CLRLY, I WAS ADVISED TO 'STAY OUT OF THE AIRSPACE.' AVIATION CHARTS NEED TO CLRLY DEFINE AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES AND FAA BRIEFERS NEED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE NOTAMS. I HAVE RECEIVED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CONFLICTING INFO IN THE PAST YR CONCERNING AIRSPACE. IT IS NOT A WELL UNDERSTOOD SUBJECT TO CTL BY NUMEROUS AGENCIES AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON INFO AND REASONS THE USERS OF THE AIRSPACE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO. THIS FACTOR CONTRIBUTES TO MISINTERP BY THE USERS AND BY THOSE WHO COMMUNICATE INFO BECAUSE THERE IS NO FACTUAL BASIS TO CORRELATE THE PURPOSE OF THE CHANGE. EFFECTIVELY BLOCKING THE AIRSPACE AROUND WASHINGTON WILL FORCE VFR ONLY CAPABLE AIRPLANES TO FLY IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OR OUT OVER OPEN WATER. THIS IS UNSAFE AND SOME PROVISION SHOULD BE MADE TO CREATE AN 'ADIZ CORRIDOR' FOR N/S FLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED HE LEARNED OF HIS DEV AFTER LNDG AT HSI DEST, SWF. AN FAA 'PERSON' HAD MONITORED HIS PROGRESS AND LNDG AND CALLED. HE RE-EMPHASIZED THE LACKLUSTER PERFORMANCE OF HIS BRIEFER AND THE USE OF THE PHRASE 'KEEP OUT OF WASHINGTON AIRSPACE' AND 'YOU'LL BE OK.' HE HAD ALSO MISINTERPED THE BRIEFER'S WORDS BY ASSESSING THE 'WASHINGTON AREA' AS BEING INDICATED ON THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL CHART BY THE FLT RESTR ZONE SYMBOLOGY SURROUNDING DCA VOR.

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.