Narrative:

I was on a filed VFR flight plan from lhz to gai. I landed at rmn for fuel and to rechk my flight plan with the leesburg flight service station before entering the national defense zone. Leesburg flight service station advised me that my flight plan was in the system and immediately after taking off from stafford to contact potomac approach and get my discreet squawk code before entering the airspace. I contacted potomac after clearing stafford and I was told to standby. At this time, I started a turn to the left and circled at approximately 700 ft AGL. I circled about 3 times when I was contacted by potomac approach and told to clear class B airspace on course and report bailey. I responded to this request and reported I was on a VFR flight plan to gai. No code was given and when I reported bailey in sight there was no reply. Rain had developed behind me and an instrument meteorological condition was closing in behind me. I established my own course heading for gai established my altitude as per the filed flight plan. I called potomac about a dozen times without reply. My last transmission did get a response to change frequency and resume my own navigation. I changed frequency and after about 5 calls with no reply I continued to hold course to the VFR flight plan. At this time I changed frequency to the original potomac frequency assigned. After 3 calls no reply. Approximately 3 mins later I was intercepted by a us customs service citation jet. He put a card in the window to contact 121.5. I changed to the 121.5 and spoke to the aircraft interceptor. He told me that I was in controled airspace and asked me if I was talking with approach control. I told him that I had tried to contact approach without reply and that I was on a VFR flight plan to gaithersburg. I was told to standby and I would be escorted to my destination. Before the change to 121.5, I did report the interception to potomac approach. The intercept jet then told me to reestablish contact with potomac approach. I complied and at this time a squawk code was assigned me. I was told to continue on course and again contact the interceptor jet. At this time, he confirmed to continue on course and once again to return to potomac approach. The jet departed and I continued on course. Approximately 8 mins later, the jet reappeared on my left side and potomac told me to contact them on 121.5. I was given 1 telephone to contact when I arrived at my destination. I was told to hold course and I would be escorted to my destination. Once on the ground, I telephoned the potomac supervisor. He explained that he'd reviewed the tape and confirmed that I had called the controller at least 11 times. He also informed me that he would file a report with the local FSDO and to expect a call. I was given 2 more telephone numbers. I contacted both telephone numbers and was told no further action would be taken. While I was speaking to leesburg service station briefer he apologized for not giving me an adequate briefing on the defense zone procedures. This was my first trip in the defense zone area since 9-11 and I was unfamiliar with the complexity of the system. Therefore, relying on the controllers and briefers within the system to guide me through the airspace. The decision to continue with my VFR flight plan, as filed, is in accordance with standard procedure when radio communication is lost. I felt I had limited choices due to the WX behind me and remaining VFR. A left turn would have brought me toward dulles international airport and a right turn would have brought me to downwind dc and regan international airport further complicating a tense situation. Given the situation described, my reactions and decisions to continue my VFR flight plan as filed, were the most appropriate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT OF R44 ENTERED DC ADIZ WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER MAKING REPEATED EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH SPECIAL OPS PROCS.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FILED VFR FLT PLAN FROM LHZ TO GAI. I LANDED AT RMN FOR FUEL AND TO RECHK MY FLT PLAN WITH THE LEESBURG FLT SVC STATION BEFORE ENTERING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE ZONE. LEESBURG FLT SVC STATION ADVISED ME THAT MY FLT PLAN WAS IN THE SYS AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM STAFFORD TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH AND GET MY DISCREET SQUAWK CODE BEFORE ENTERING THE AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED POTOMAC AFTER CLRING STAFFORD AND I WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. AT THIS TIME, I STARTED A TURN TO THE L AND CIRCLED AT APPROX 700 FT AGL. I CIRCLED ABOUT 3 TIMES WHEN I WAS CONTACTED BY POTOMAC APCH AND TOLD TO CLR CLASS B AIRSPACE ON COURSE AND RPT BAILEY. I RESPONDED TO THIS REQUEST AND RPTED I WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN TO GAI. NO CODE WAS GIVEN AND WHEN I RPTED BAILEY IN SIGHT THERE WAS NO REPLY. RAIN HAD DEVELOPED BEHIND ME AND AN INST METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION WAS CLOSING IN BEHIND ME. I ESTABLISHED MY OWN COURSE HEADING FOR GAI ESTABLISHED MY ALT AS PER THE FILED FLT PLAN. I CALLED POTOMAC ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES WITHOUT REPLY. MY LAST XMISSION DID GET A RESPONSE TO CHANGE FREQ AND RESUME MY OWN NAV. I CHANGED FREQ AND AFTER ABOUT 5 CALLS WITH NO REPLY I CONTINUED TO HOLD COURSE TO THE VFR FLT PLAN. AT THIS TIME I CHANGED FREQ TO THE ORIGINAL POTOMAC FREQ ASSIGNED. AFTER 3 CALLS NO REPLY. APPROX 3 MINS LATER I WAS INTERCEPTED BY A US CUSTOMS SVC CITATION JET. HE PUT A CARD IN THE WINDOW TO CONTACT 121.5. I CHANGED TO THE 121.5 AND SPOKE TO THE ACFT INTERCEPTOR. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS IN CTLED AIRSPACE AND ASKED ME IF I WAS TALKING WITH APCH CTL. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD TRIED TO CONTACT APCH WITHOUT REPLY AND THAT I WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN TO GAITHERSBURG. I WAS TOLD TO STANDBY AND I WOULD BE ESCORTED TO MY DEST. BEFORE THE CHANGE TO 121.5, I DID RPT THE INTERCEPTION TO POTOMAC APCH. THE INTERCEPT JET THEN TOLD ME TO REESTABLISH CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH. I COMPLIED AND AT THIS TIME A SQUAWK CODE WAS ASSIGNED ME. I WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE ON COURSE AND AGAIN CONTACT THE INTERCEPTOR JET. AT THIS TIME, HE CONFIRMED TO CONTINUE ON COURSE AND ONCE AGAIN TO RETURN TO POTOMAC APCH. THE JET DEPARTED AND I CONTINUED ON COURSE. APPROX 8 MINS LATER, THE JET REAPPEARED ON MY L SIDE AND POTOMAC TOLD ME TO CONTACT THEM ON 121.5. I WAS GIVEN 1 TELEPHONE TO CONTACT WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DEST. I WAS TOLD TO HOLD COURSE AND I WOULD BE ESCORTED TO MY DEST. ONCE ON THE GND, I TELEPHONED THE POTOMAC SUPVR. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE'D REVIEWED THE TAPE AND CONFIRMED THAT I HAD CALLED THE CTLR AT LEAST 11 TIMES. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD FILE A RPT WITH THE LCL FSDO AND TO EXPECT A CALL. I WAS GIVEN 2 MORE TELEPHONE NUMBERS. I CONTACTED BOTH TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND WAS TOLD NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. WHILE I WAS SPEAKING TO LEESBURG SVC STATION BRIEFER HE APOLOGIZED FOR NOT GIVING ME AN ADEQUATE BRIEFING ON THE DEFENSE ZONE PROCS. THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP IN THE DEFENSE ZONE AREA SINCE 9-11 AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SYS. THEREFORE, RELYING ON THE CTLRS AND BRIEFERS WITHIN THE SYS TO GUIDE ME THROUGH THE AIRSPACE. THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH MY VFR FLT PLAN, AS FILED, IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARD PROC WHEN RADIO COM IS LOST. I FELT I HAD LIMITED CHOICES DUE TO THE WX BEHIND ME AND REMAINING VFR. A L TURN WOULD HAVE BROUGHT ME TOWARD DULLES INTL ARPT AND A R TURN WOULD HAVE BROUGHT ME TO DOWNWIND DC AND REGAN INTL ARPT FURTHER COMPLICATING A TENSE SIT. GIVEN THE SIT DESCRIBED, MY REACTIONS AND DECISIONS TO CONTINUE MY VFR FLT PLAN AS FILED, WERE THE MOST APPROPRIATE.

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.