Narrative:

I departed from miv VFR traveling due west. I asked for and received permission to enter class D airspace at dover AFB and was given a discrete transponder code. As I was crossing the class D airspace (and listening to dfb) I filed an IFR flight plan with the FSS to my destination airport of cps (st louis, mo). After asking FSS what frequency I needed to contact to open up the flight plan, I was given a frequency to initiate contact. I made the contact immediately and was quickly handed off to another controller (new york control). At that point I was well east of the ADIZ. However, that frequency resulted in no response, so I recontacted the initial controller who then gave me yet another frequency to contact. I was successful in contacting that controller, but he quickly (within 20 seconds) passed me on to another controller. After about 30 mins with other changes of ATC controllers, I was told to contact FSS because I had violated the ADIZ (not camp david). I spoke with the operations manager at the center which was in control of that area and he indicated some first hand experience with this ADIZ. He suggested that I file this NASA form to alert the FAA of this problem. I do not know how that geographical area is divided, but it would appear that a fast moving aircraft under ATC control may have trouble avoiding in this area when there is a heavy workload on both ATC and the pilot. In a heavy workload environment and an irregular contour of the ADIZ area in which to navigation, an error in navigation is certainly possible and probable. While the PIC is always responsible for the control of their aircraft, I have come to rely on the ATC to help in aircraft separation and avoiding any active restr areas. I think also that the contours of the ADIZ could be made more 'user friendly' so that a pilot could easily recognize when they are approaching the ADIZ in a high workload environment that a single pilot operation usually entails. As it is now, I believe it takes a lot of calculations and xfering to avoid this area and, thus, unintentional navigational errors have a high possibility of occurring. Obviously at 16000 ft there is not a lot a pilot can see as they are usually above the clouds, thus, making even more important the presence of both clear and easily recognizable navaids in order to involve an inadvertent transgression.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C414 FLIES INTO DC ADIZ WITHOUT APPROPRIATE CLRNC AND DISCRETE CODE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FROM MIV VFR TRAVELING DUE W. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO ENTER CLASS D AIRSPACE AT DOVER AFB AND WAS GIVEN A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. AS I WAS XING THE CLASS D AIRSPACE (AND LISTENING TO DFB) I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH THE FSS TO MY DEST ARPT OF CPS (ST LOUIS, MO). AFTER ASKING FSS WHAT FREQ I NEEDED TO CONTACT TO OPEN UP THE FLT PLAN, I WAS GIVEN A FREQ TO INITIATE CONTACT. I MADE THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY AND WAS QUICKLY HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR (NEW YORK CTL). AT THAT POINT I WAS WELL E OF THE ADIZ. HOWEVER, THAT FREQ RESULTED IN NO RESPONSE, SO I RECONTACTED THE INITIAL CTLR WHO THEN GAVE ME YET ANOTHER FREQ TO CONTACT. I WAS SUCCESSFUL IN CONTACTING THAT CTLR, BUT HE QUICKLY (WITHIN 20 SECONDS) PASSED ME ON TO ANOTHER CTLR. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS WITH OTHER CHANGES OF ATC CTLRS, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT FSS BECAUSE I HAD VIOLATED THE ADIZ (NOT CAMP DAVID). I SPOKE WITH THE OPS MGR AT THE CTR WHICH WAS IN CTL OF THAT AREA AND HE INDICATED SOME FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ADIZ. HE SUGGESTED THAT I FILE THIS NASA FORM TO ALERT THE FAA OF THIS PROB. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA IS DIVIDED, BUT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT A FAST MOVING ACFT UNDER ATC CTL MAY HAVE TROUBLE AVOIDING IN THIS AREA WHEN THERE IS A HVY WORKLOAD ON BOTH ATC AND THE PLT. IN A HVY WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT AND AN IRREGULAR CONTOUR OF THE ADIZ AREA IN WHICH TO NAV, AN ERROR IN NAV IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE AND PROBABLE. WHILE THE PIC IS ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CTL OF THEIR ACFT, I HAVE COME TO RELY ON THE ATC TO HELP IN ACFT SEPARATION AND AVOIDING ANY ACTIVE RESTR AREAS. I THINK ALSO THAT THE CONTOURS OF THE ADIZ COULD BE MADE MORE 'USER FRIENDLY' SO THAT A PLT COULD EASILY RECOGNIZE WHEN THEY ARE APCHING THE ADIZ IN A HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT THAT A SINGLE PLT OP USUALLY ENTAILS. AS IT IS NOW, I BELIEVE IT TAKES A LOT OF CALCULATIONS AND XFERING TO AVOID THIS AREA AND, THUS, UNINTENTIONAL NAVIGATIONAL ERRORS HAVE A HIGH POSSIBILITY OF OCCURRING. OBVIOUSLY AT 16000 FT THERE IS NOT A LOT A PLT CAN SEE AS THEY ARE USUALLY ABOVE THE CLOUDS, THUS, MAKING EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THE PRESENCE OF BOTH CLR AND EASILY RECOGNIZABLE NAVAIDS IN ORDER TO INVOLVE AN INADVERTENT TRANSGRESSION.

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.