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A PA284 pilot inadvertently failed to enter the correct transponder code before entering the washington, dc, ADIZ.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 609025 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200402 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | special use airspace : dcadiz.othersua |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pct.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 530 flight time type : 105 |
| ASRS Report | 609025 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I departed gai, an airport within the dc ADIZ, with the transponder on but having failed to enter my assigned beacon code. This is a violation of the procedures established for aviation operations within the ADIZ. I compounded the problem by -- after being informed by ATC that there was a problem with my beacon code -- reading from my knee board and entering the code I had been assigned the previous wkend. I had scribed my current clearance on the same piece of paper as the old one, separated by a line. Unfortunately, by the time I was notified that there was a problem, there was enough confusion in the conversation between ATC and me that I reacted too quickly in reading the beacon code information from the piece of paper and entering it into the transponder. This error became obvious while I was on the phone with ATC at my destination. We went over the events, and I noticed that the information I had read was not correct. To my recollection, I have never before failed to set my transponder to squawk the assigned beacon code prior to flight, whether on an ADIZ clearance or an instrument flight plan. I understand the significance to national security of an aircraft aloft within dc's airspace without proper identify. The obvious way to avoid repeating this problem is to: 1) doublechk that not only is the transponder on, but that it is set to the assigned code, and 2) use a new sheet of paper for each flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA284 PLT INADVERTENTLY FAILED TO ENTER THE CORRECT XPONDER CODE BEFORE ENTERING THE WASHINGTON, DC, ADIZ.
Narrative: I DEPARTED GAI, AN ARPT WITHIN THE DC ADIZ, WITH THE XPONDER ON BUT HAVING FAILED TO ENTER MY ASSIGNED BEACON CODE. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE PROCS ESTABLISHED FOR AVIATION OPS WITHIN THE ADIZ. I COMPOUNDED THE PROB BY -- AFTER BEING INFORMED BY ATC THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH MY BEACON CODE -- READING FROM MY KNEE BOARD AND ENTERING THE CODE I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED THE PREVIOUS WKEND. I HAD SCRIBED MY CURRENT CLRNC ON THE SAME PIECE OF PAPER AS THE OLD ONE, SEPARATED BY A LINE. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A PROB, THERE WAS ENOUGH CONFUSION IN THE CONVERSATION BTWN ATC AND ME THAT I REACTED TOO QUICKLY IN READING THE BEACON CODE INFO FROM THE PIECE OF PAPER AND ENTERING IT INTO THE XPONDER. THIS ERROR BECAME OBVIOUS WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH ATC AT MY DEST. WE WENT OVER THE EVENTS, AND I NOTICED THAT THE INFO I HAD READ WAS NOT CORRECT. TO MY RECOLLECTION, I HAVE NEVER BEFORE FAILED TO SET MY XPONDER TO SQUAWK THE ASSIGNED BEACON CODE PRIOR TO FLT, WHETHER ON AN ADIZ CLRNC OR AN INST FLT PLAN. I UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO NATIONAL SECURITY OF AN ACFT ALOFT WITHIN DC'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT PROPER IDENT. THE OBVIOUS WAY TO AVOID REPEATING THIS PROB IS TO: 1) DOUBLECHK THAT NOT ONLY IS THE XPONDER ON, BUT THAT IT IS SET TO THE ASSIGNED CODE, AND 2) USE A NEW SHEET OF PAPER FOR EACH FLT.
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.