Narrative:

The flight was from willops island flight facility (wal) to martin state airport (mtn). NAS patuxent RVR approach issued a transponder code and the mission proceeded north up chesapeake bay at 500 ft MSL. Communication with patuxent approach was lost north of the chesapeake bay bridge. Check-in with mtn tower was required to enter their airspace. I switched the transponder to 1200 and called mtn tower for clearance into their airspace. The problem arose due to lost communications with chesapeake approach which is most likely due to the low altitude. The decision to squawk 1200 was a human performance factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOSS OF COM OCCURRED ON A LOW ALT MISSION IN THE DC ADIZ ENRTE TO MTN. XPONDER CODE WAS CHANGED TO VFR PRIOR TO CONTACTING MTN TWR IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH DC ADIZ PROCS.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM WILLOPS ISLAND FLT FACILITY (WAL) TO MARTIN STATE ARPT (MTN). NAS PATUXENT RVR APCH ISSUED A XPONDER CODE AND THE MISSION PROCEEDED N UP CHESAPEAKE BAY AT 500 FT MSL. COM WITH PATUXENT APCH WAS LOST N OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE. CHK-IN WITH MTN TWR WAS REQUIRED TO ENTER THEIR AIRSPACE. I SWITCHED THE XPONDER TO 1200 AND CALLED MTN TWR FOR CLRNC INTO THEIR AIRSPACE. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO LOST COMS WITH CHESAPEAKE APCH WHICH IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE LOW ALT. THE DECISION TO SQUAWK 1200 WAS A HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTOR.

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.