Narrative:

I was picking up a grumman AA1 from the gai airport in the dc area to deliver it to its new owner. I had been briefed on the alert area somewhat by the seller of the aircraft and on the procedures concerning the dc alert area, but mainly how to exit it VFR. When I am in an unfamiliar area, I usually file an instrument flight plan to help keep me safe with tfr's and alert areas, etc. This was the case on this occurrence. I had filed an instrument plan with leesburg FSS (with a briefer) and proceeded to depart runway 14 VFR and had planned on picking up my clearance as I turned downwind on the climb out. When I contacted potomac approach to pick up my clearance, (after some confusion on the controller's part as to which airport I was west of), I was informed by the controller that you may not depart the gai airport on a 1200 code. She gave me an immediate turn to a 360 degree heading and assigned me a squawk code. I did this immediately. I was then assigned a 090 degree heading, followed by a turn back to a 360 degree heading at which point I received and copied my clearance to my destination airport in the charleston, wv, area. Also during this time, I was instructed to copy down a phone number to call upon reaching my destination. Upon landing in charleston, I called the number and one of the supervisors at potomac approach took down all of my information and informed me that a pilot deviation report was being filed with the FSDO. In my opinion, and I'm not trying to shift blame here, I was ultimately in the wrong. However, being in an unfamiliar area, I think we can sometimes feel almost too safe when filing an instrument plan. The previous time I flew out of the dc area, it was out of a controled airport. That time I also filed an instrument plan, but this case was different because the gai airport is uncontrolled. I also feel that FSS's in areas such as this, where very specific procedures apply, should maybe have more of these restrs on their recorded greeting and not just 'numerous flight restrs apply.' I feel that leesburg FSS should say very directly in their recording 'you may not depart, and list the airports, on a 1200 code.' the briefer did not mention anything specific about departing gai on an instrument plan as I can recall. Yes, it is ultimately the PIC's responsibility to know this information, but several back-up layers of information can do nothing but help. As a flight instructor, I intend to make it very clear to my students to double- and triplechk procedures if they are ever operating in areas where there are many alert, restr, and prohibited areas in effect. Also, we may have some help from a controller in avoiding such areas while on an instrument clearance but only if that clearance starts on the ground. I also feel that the regulations concerning this alert area can be misleading to read. Part 3 of the flight restrs concerning the dc alert area say, 'aircraft operating in an airport traffic pattern at non twred airports are exempt from the ATC communication requirement, provided they monitor the airport CTAF.' I took this to mean that if I departed, turned downwind and then established contact with the controller before I left the pattern, this was within the regulations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA-1 PLT DEPARTED INTO DC ADIZ WITHOUT A CLRNC OR DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. THE PLT HAD FILED AN IFR CLRNC AND DEPARTED VFR.

Narrative: I WAS PICKING UP A GRUMMAN AA1 FROM THE GAI ARPT IN THE DC AREA TO DELIVER IT TO ITS NEW OWNER. I HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE ALERT AREA SOMEWHAT BY THE SELLER OF THE ACFT AND ON THE PROCS CONCERNING THE DC ALERT AREA, BUT MAINLY HOW TO EXIT IT VFR. WHEN I AM IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA, I USUALLY FILE AN INST FLT PLAN TO HELP KEEP ME SAFE WITH TFR'S AND ALERT AREAS, ETC. THIS WAS THE CASE ON THIS OCCURRENCE. I HAD FILED AN INST PLAN WITH LEESBURG FSS (WITH A BRIEFER) AND PROCEEDED TO DEPART RWY 14 VFR AND HAD PLANNED ON PICKING UP MY CLRNC AS I TURNED DOWNWIND ON THE CLBOUT. WHEN I CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH TO PICK UP MY CLRNC, (AFTER SOME CONFUSION ON THE CTLR'S PART AS TO WHICH ARPT I WAS W OF), I WAS INFORMED BY THE CTLR THAT YOU MAY NOT DEPART THE GAI ARPT ON A 1200 CODE. SHE GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO A 360 DEG HDG AND ASSIGNED ME A SQUAWK CODE. I DID THIS IMMEDIATELY. I WAS THEN ASSIGNED A 090 DEG HDG, FOLLOWED BY A TURN BACK TO A 360 DEG HDG AT WHICH POINT I RECEIVED AND COPIED MY CLRNC TO MY DEST ARPT IN THE CHARLESTON, WV, AREA. ALSO DURING THIS TIME, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO COPY DOWN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON REACHING MY DEST. UPON LNDG IN CHARLESTON, I CALLED THE NUMBER AND ONE OF THE SUPVRS AT POTOMAC APCH TOOK DOWN ALL OF MY INFO AND INFORMED ME THAT A PLTDEV RPT WAS BEING FILED WITH THE FSDO. IN MY OPINION, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SHIFT BLAME HERE, I WAS ULTIMATELY IN THE WRONG. HOWEVER, BEING IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA, I THINK WE CAN SOMETIMES FEEL ALMOST TOO SAFE WHEN FILING AN INST PLAN. THE PREVIOUS TIME I FLEW OUT OF THE DC AREA, IT WAS OUT OF A CTLED ARPT. THAT TIME I ALSO FILED AN INST PLAN, BUT THIS CASE WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE GAI ARPT IS UNCTLED. I ALSO FEEL THAT FSS'S IN AREAS SUCH AS THIS, WHERE VERY SPECIFIC PROCS APPLY, SHOULD MAYBE HAVE MORE OF THESE RESTRS ON THEIR RECORDED GREETING AND NOT JUST 'NUMEROUS FLT RESTRS APPLY.' I FEEL THAT LEESBURG FSS SHOULD SAY VERY DIRECTLY IN THEIR RECORDING 'YOU MAY NOT DEPART, AND LIST THE ARPTS, ON A 1200 CODE.' THE BRIEFER DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING SPECIFIC ABOUT DEPARTING GAI ON AN INST PLAN AS I CAN RECALL. YES, IT IS ULTIMATELY THE PIC'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THIS INFO, BUT SEVERAL BACK-UP LAYERS OF INFO CAN DO NOTHING BUT HELP. AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR, I INTEND TO MAKE IT VERY CLR TO MY STUDENTS TO DOUBLE- AND TRIPLECHK PROCS IF THEY ARE EVER OPERATING IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE MANY ALERT, RESTR, AND PROHIBITED AREAS IN EFFECT. ALSO, WE MAY HAVE SOME HELP FROM A CTLR IN AVOIDING SUCH AREAS WHILE ON AN INST CLRNC BUT ONLY IF THAT CLRNC STARTS ON THE GND. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE REGS CONCERNING THIS ALERT AREA CAN BE MISLEADING TO READ. PART 3 OF THE FLT RESTRS CONCERNING THE DC ALERT AREA SAY, 'ACFT OPERATING IN AN ARPT TFC PATTERN AT NON TWRED ARPTS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE ATC COM REQUIREMENT, PROVIDED THEY MONITOR THE ARPT CTAF.' I TOOK THIS TO MEAN THAT IF I DEPARTED, TURNED DOWNWIND AND THEN ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE CTLR BEFORE I LEFT THE PATTERN, THIS WAS WITHIN THE REGS.

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.