Narrative:

I flew our mark ix spitfire to an airshow and fly-in at ZZZ. This was a VFR flight. I had notified the FSDO earlier that day by facsimile that I would be flying the experimental warbird to this airshow. It was to be a training flight and demonstration at an event. I expected to return the same way, with flight following along the return route. During the airshow, I asked the local FBO what the correct frequency was to contact either center or potomac approach. They told me 126.15. I made a note of this and reviewed the current VFR sectional map. At approximately XA30, I departed VFR with no flight plan on file and proceeded on a downwind departure as I tried to contact the air traffic controller on the suggested frequency. My transponder was set on 1200 and was reporting altitude. I called the controller 3 times and was told to standby, because he seemed to be having a problem with another pilot that he was providing a flight plan to. I took up what I thought was a heading of 170 degrees during the communications exchange. This is what I had calculated would keep me to the west of the ADIZ on my path to ZZZ2. The controller finally got around to me and I explained to him that I had just taken off from ZZZ and was looking for radar identify and flight following. He told me that I should have called him on the ground and gave me a different frequency. I called that frequency and reported myself off ZZZ. That controller assigned me a transponder code. He informed me to make an immediate turn to the west and asked me if I was familiar with the ADIZ around washington. I made the turn and told him that I had reviewed the map prior to the flight, but I was not from the local area. He told me that I had flown into the air defense zone and wanted me to telephone them after I had landed. He gave me heading instructions and I continued on to my destination. After I landed, I called the TRACON and talked with the operations manager. He informed me that I had flown into the ADIZ and would probably receive a violation as a result of this. He informed me that some military intercept aircraft had been alerted, but they had not taken off. He told me that I was idented as being 41 NM from dc. When he further explained that the 30 mi arc around the city is a protected zone, I asked him why was this a problem, if I was 11 mi further out. He was not sure, but would look into that further. A contributing factor is our erratic HSI navigation instrument. We have sent it off twice in the past several months to be svced. The last time it came back, it still was not operating correctly, but there seemed to be some confusion between another pilot and myself if it was not working properly. On the flight up to ZZZ, it was not working at first, but then seemed to correct itself. It aligned itself correctly on the runway at takeoff, so I thought that it was still ok, but since I flew heading 170 degrees based upon the instrument, it must not be correct, if I ended up in the ADIZ. After having already paid $4000 this yr to try and correct the problem, the solution continues to elude the technicians. I am not sure as to a possible solution to prevent other pilots from similar recurrences, but perhaps to have written handouts for visiting pilots that are not as familiar with the local area or the proper procedures for departing their airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 1943 SPITFIRE FLOWN BY A PVT PLT EXPERIENCES AN AIRSPACE INCURSION OF THE DC ADIZ WHEN CITED AS WITHIN THAT TFR WHILE 41 NM FROM DC.

Narrative: I FLEW OUR MARK IX SPITFIRE TO AN AIRSHOW AND FLY-IN AT ZZZ. THIS WAS A VFR FLT. I HAD NOTIFIED THE FSDO EARLIER THAT DAY BY FAX THAT I WOULD BE FLYING THE EXPERIMENTAL WARBIRD TO THIS AIRSHOW. IT WAS TO BE A TRAINING FLT AND DEMONSTRATION AT AN EVENT. I EXPECTED TO RETURN THE SAME WAY, WITH FLT FOLLOWING ALONG THE RETURN RTE. DURING THE AIRSHOW, I ASKED THE LCL FBO WHAT THE CORRECT FREQ WAS TO CONTACT EITHER CTR OR POTOMAC APCH. THEY TOLD ME 126.15. I MADE A NOTE OF THIS AND REVIEWED THE CURRENT VFR SECTIONAL MAP. AT APPROX XA30, I DEPARTED VFR WITH NO FLT PLAN ON FILE AND PROCEEDED ON A DOWNWIND DEP AS I TRIED TO CONTACT THE AIR TFC CTLR ON THE SUGGESTED FREQ. MY XPONDER WAS SET ON 1200 AND WAS RPTING ALT. I CALLED THE CTLR 3 TIMES AND WAS TOLD TO STANDBY, BECAUSE HE SEEMED TO BE HAVING A PROB WITH ANOTHER PLT THAT HE WAS PROVIDING A FLT PLAN TO. I TOOK UP WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A HEADING OF 170 DEGS DURING THE COMS EXCHANGE. THIS IS WHAT I HAD CALCULATED WOULD KEEP ME TO THE W OF THE ADIZ ON MY PATH TO ZZZ2. THE CTLR FINALLY GOT AROUND TO ME AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM ZZZ AND WAS LOOKING FOR RADAR IDENT AND FLT FOLLOWING. HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED HIM ON THE GND AND GAVE ME A DIFFERENT FREQ. I CALLED THAT FREQ AND RPTED MYSELF OFF ZZZ. THAT CTLR ASSIGNED ME A XPONDER CODE. HE INFORMED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE W AND ASKED ME IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ADIZ AROUND WASHINGTON. I MADE THE TURN AND TOLD HIM THAT I HAD REVIEWED THE MAP PRIOR TO THE FLT, BUT I WAS NOT FROM THE LCL AREA. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO THE AIR DEFENSE ZONE AND WANTED ME TO TELEPHONE THEM AFTER I HAD LANDED. HE GAVE ME HEADING INSTRUCTIONS AND I CONTINUED ON TO MY DEST. AFTER I LANDED, I CALLED THE TRACON AND TALKED WITH THE OPS MGR. HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO THE ADIZ AND WOULD PROBABLY RECEIVE A VIOLATION AS A RESULT OF THIS. HE INFORMED ME THAT SOME MIL INTERCEPT ACFT HAD BEEN ALERTED, BUT THEY HAD NOT TAKEN OFF. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS IDENTED AS BEING 41 NM FROM DC. WHEN HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE 30 MI ARC AROUND THE CITY IS A PROTECTED ZONE, I ASKED HIM WHY WAS THIS A PROB, IF I WAS 11 MI FURTHER OUT. HE WAS NOT SURE, BUT WOULD LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS OUR ERRATIC HSI NAV INST. WE HAVE SENT IT OFF TWICE IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO BE SVCED. THE LAST TIME IT CAME BACK, IT STILL WAS NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY, BUT THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION BTWN ANOTHER PLT AND MYSELF IF IT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ON THE FLT UP TO ZZZ, IT WAS NOT WORKING AT FIRST, BUT THEN SEEMED TO CORRECT ITSELF. IT ALIGNED ITSELF CORRECTLY ON THE RWY AT TKOF, SO I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS STILL OK, BUT SINCE I FLEW HEADING 170 DEGS BASED UPON THE INST, IT MUST NOT BE CORRECT, IF I ENDED UP IN THE ADIZ. AFTER HAVING ALREADY PAID $4000 THIS YR TO TRY AND CORRECT THE PROB, THE SOLUTION CONTINUES TO ELUDE THE TECHNICIANS. I AM NOT SURE AS TO A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO PREVENT OTHER PLTS FROM SIMILAR RECURRENCES, BUT PERHAPS TO HAVE WRITTEN HANDOUTS FOR VISITING PLTS THAT ARE NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL AREA OR THE PROPER PROCS FOR DEPARTING THEIR ARPTS.

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.