Narrative:

On dec/thu/03 at approximately XA30, I called leesburg FSS for a complete briefing on my proposed flight. I was advised to avoid P40 and that everything else was normal and that nothing special had been added (chicago area did have added restrs). I told FSS I would be going to the other side of the washington, dc, area. On dec/thu/03 at approximately XB30, I departed VFR at an airport in buckingham, va, towards the pxt VORTAC at 3000 ft MSL. I was intending to proceed to brandywine airport, PA (N99) by avoiding the metropolitan dc area (ADIZ and class B) to the south to pxt and then north and east of the area to my destination. The WX was cavu. When north of flatrock VOR (fak), I tried to reach the pxt approach on 120.05 with no response. I then contacted potomac approach (the old richmond approach) and asked if the restr areas R-6611, R-6612 and R-6613 were hot or cold. Potomac approach replied over several xmissions that they were cold and I would have to call pxt approach at 120.05 for information on other restr areas close to nhk airport (R-4005, R-4006, R-4007, etc). I told potomac approach I had already tried pxt with no response. Potomac approach said I was a little too far out and to try again in 10 mi. In about 10 mi at approximately XC30, I called pxt approach again several times. I finally received a reply from pxt approach which stated 'please be advised we are closed for today.' at that time, I thought it was odd that potomac approach did not know that pxt was closed. I immediately referred to the washington/baltimore tac for a nearby potomac approach frequency. The washington sectional #74 and the VFR tac baltimore-washington #67 both indicated that pxt approach (120.05) is the frequency to use in this area. At this time, I was approaching dahlgren, va (R-6612). I called potomac approach and they gave me a squawk for flight following and class B area. Sometime later, potomac told me that they had been notified that I had penetrated the ADIZ squawking 1200 and gave me a phone number to call as soon as I landed. When I landed at N99 westchester county, PA, they took all my pertinent pilot information. I told them the information as reported above and the supervisor in charge said he would get the tape of the potomac approach (richmond area) to verify my xmissions, and in passing stated that 'yes, quantico and dahlgren air facilities had shut down for the day' and I would hear from the FSDO later. During the entire flight early morning, there was very little flying activity and evidently low FAA manning level. I have never in my 40 yrs of flying found an approach control shut down for the day. The ADIZ does not show on any chart and it should. At that time, I did not think I had penetrated the ADIZ and I definitely was not in class B airspace.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT ENTERED DC ADIZ WITHOUT A CLRNC OR DISCRETE XPONDER CODE.

Narrative: ON DEC/THU/03 AT APPROX XA30, I CALLED LEESBURG FSS FOR A COMPLETE BRIEFING ON MY PROPOSED FLT. I WAS ADVISED TO AVOID P40 AND THAT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL AND THAT NOTHING SPECIAL HAD BEEN ADDED (CHICAGO AREA DID HAVE ADDED RESTRS). I TOLD FSS I WOULD BE GOING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WASHINGTON, DC, AREA. ON DEC/THU/03 AT APPROX XB30, I DEPARTED VFR AT AN ARPT IN BUCKINGHAM, VA, TOWARDS THE PXT VORTAC AT 3000 FT MSL. I WAS INTENDING TO PROCEED TO BRANDYWINE ARPT, PA (N99) BY AVOIDING THE METROPOLITAN DC AREA (ADIZ AND CLASS B) TO THE S TO PXT AND THEN N AND E OF THE AREA TO MY DEST. THE WX WAS CAVU. WHEN N OF FLATROCK VOR (FAK), I TRIED TO REACH THE PXT APCH ON 120.05 WITH NO RESPONSE. I THEN CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH (THE OLD RICHMOND APCH) AND ASKED IF THE RESTR AREAS R-6611, R-6612 AND R-6613 WERE HOT OR COLD. POTOMAC APCH REPLIED OVER SEVERAL XMISSIONS THAT THEY WERE COLD AND I WOULD HAVE TO CALL PXT APCH AT 120.05 FOR INFO ON OTHER RESTR AREAS CLOSE TO NHK ARPT (R-4005, R-4006, R-4007, ETC). I TOLD POTOMAC APCH I HAD ALREADY TRIED PXT WITH NO RESPONSE. POTOMAC APCH SAID I WAS A LITTLE TOO FAR OUT AND TO TRY AGAIN IN 10 MI. IN ABOUT 10 MI AT APPROX XC30, I CALLED PXT APCH AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES. I FINALLY RECEIVED A REPLY FROM PXT APCH WHICH STATED 'PLEASE BE ADVISED WE ARE CLOSED FOR TODAY.' AT THAT TIME, I THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THAT POTOMAC APCH DID NOT KNOW THAT PXT WAS CLOSED. I IMMEDIATELY REFERRED TO THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE TAC FOR A NEARBY POTOMAC APCH FREQ. THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL #74 AND THE VFR TAC BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON #67 BOTH INDICATED THAT PXT APCH (120.05) IS THE FREQ TO USE IN THIS AREA. AT THIS TIME, I WAS APCHING DAHLGREN, VA (R-6612). I CALLED POTOMAC APCH AND THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND CLASS B AREA. SOMETIME LATER, POTOMAC TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN NOTIFIED THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE ADIZ SQUAWKING 1200 AND GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AS SOON AS I LANDED. WHEN I LANDED AT N99 WESTCHESTER COUNTY, PA, THEY TOOK ALL MY PERTINENT PLT INFO. I TOLD THEM THE INFO AS RPTED ABOVE AND THE SUPVR IN CHARGE SAID HE WOULD GET THE TAPE OF THE POTOMAC APCH (RICHMOND AREA) TO VERIFY MY XMISSIONS, AND IN PASSING STATED THAT 'YES, QUANTICO AND DAHLGREN AIR FACILITIES HAD SHUT DOWN FOR THE DAY' AND I WOULD HEAR FROM THE FSDO LATER. DURING THE ENTIRE FLT EARLY MORNING, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FLYING ACTIVITY AND EVIDENTLY LOW FAA MANNING LEVEL. I HAVE NEVER IN MY 40 YRS OF FLYING FOUND AN APCH CTL SHUT DOWN FOR THE DAY. THE ADIZ DOES NOT SHOW ON ANY CHART AND IT SHOULD. AT THAT TIME, I DID NOT THINK I HAD PENETRATED THE ADIZ AND I DEFINITELY WAS NOT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE.

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.