Narrative:

On saturday morning I contacted the leesburg flight service station and filed the following: 1) at XA15 VFR ADIZ penetration for a flight from potomac airfield (vkx) to the chesapeake ranch airport (MD50) and, 2) an IFR flight plan for the return flight for XE30. The trip to MD50 was a little trying. After receiving a transponder code setting and TRACON departure frequency by land line, I experienced poor airborne communications contact with the potomac TRACON who advised me that I would not be allowed to re-enter the ADIZ without communications radio capability. Upon reaching MD50, I determined that changing the audio panel and intercom setting should alleviate the communications radio problem. However, as a backup, I secured the use of a portable aviation hand-held transceiver from an aviator residing at MD50. I telephoned the TRACON at XE30 and requested my IFR clearance, advising them that I had a workable communications capability. The controller informed me that they only had a VFR plan on file for me. I said that I had specifically requested an IFR plan (because of afternoon haze), but, ok. I was given a transponder code and told to contact patuxent river approach. I asked if the frequency 120.05 was appropriate and was told no, use 121.0. I climbed out from MD50 and contacted patuxent river using the aircraft radios with no problem. MD50 airport pilots had informed me of the normal departure procedure and I took up an initial heading toward nottingham VOR. I heard the controller at patuxent river talk to many other aircraft and was awaiting his release of me from his frequency to contact potomac approach control. I began to think that something was amiss so I asked him if he was going to hand me off to potomac approach control. There was utter silence! After a lengthy pause, I called again and asked if they had understood my request. The patuxent controller told me to contact potomac approach. Upon reaching the potomac TRACON controller I was informed that I may have created an airspace incursion. I copied the telephone number and after completing the refueling and putting the aircraft in the hangar, contacted the TRACON via the land line. The airspace surrounding washington dc is very unusual and highly political. There have been a number of airspace intrusions. Some were careless, others unknowing, and some a result of equipment malfunction/misunderstanding. Pilots and controllers attempt to do the best that they can under difficult conditions. Education on both sides is the only way we will be able to put a handle on this issue without eliminating pilots from the airspace altogether.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C182 ENCROACHES ON DC ADIZ WHEN DISTR BY AIR AND OR GND COM DIFFICULTIES.

Narrative: ON SATURDAY MORNING I CONTACTED THE LEESBURG FLT SVC STATION AND FILED THE FOLLOWING: 1) AT XA15 VFR ADIZ PENETRATION FOR A FLT FROM POTOMAC AIRFIELD (VKX) TO THE CHESAPEAKE RANCH ARPT (MD50) AND, 2) AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE RETURN FLT FOR XE30. THE TRIP TO MD50 WAS A LITTLE TRYING. AFTER RECEIVING A XPONDER CODE SETTING AND TRACON DEP FREQ BY LAND LINE, I EXPERIENCED POOR AIRBORNE COMS CONTACT WITH THE POTOMAC TRACON WHO ADVISED ME THAT I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RE-ENTER THE ADIZ WITHOUT COMS RADIO CAPABILITY. UPON REACHING MD50, I DETERMINED THAT CHANGING THE AUDIO PANEL AND INTERCOM SETTING SHOULD ALLEVIATE THE COMS RADIO PROB. HOWEVER, AS A BACKUP, I SECURED THE USE OF A PORTABLE AVIATION HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER FROM AN AVIATOR RESIDING AT MD50. I TELEPHONED THE TRACON AT XE30 AND REQUESTED MY IFR CLRNC, ADVISING THEM THAT I HAD A WORKABLE COMS CAPABILITY. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THEY ONLY HAD A VFR PLAN ON FILE FOR ME. I SAID THAT I HAD SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED AN IFR PLAN (BECAUSE OF AFTERNOON HAZE), BUT, OK. I WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE AND TOLD TO CONTACT PATUXENT RIVER APCH. I ASKED IF THE FREQ 120.05 WAS APPROPRIATE AND WAS TOLD NO, USE 121.0. I CLBED OUT FROM MD50 AND CONTACTED PATUXENT RIVER USING THE ACFT RADIOS WITH NO PROB. MD50 ARPT PLTS HAD INFORMED ME OF THE NORMAL DEP PROC AND I TOOK UP AN INITIAL HDG TOWARD NOTTINGHAM VOR. I HEARD THE CTLR AT PATUXENT RIVER TALK TO MANY OTHER ACFT AND WAS AWAITING HIS RELEASE OF ME FROM HIS FREQ TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH CTL. I BEGAN TO THINK THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS SO I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS GOING TO HAND ME OFF TO POTOMAC APCH CTL. THERE WAS UTTER SILENCE! AFTER A LENGTHY PAUSE, I CALLED AGAIN AND ASKED IF THEY HAD UNDERSTOOD MY REQUEST. THE PATUXENT CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH. UPON REACHING THE POTOMAC TRACON CTLR I WAS INFORMED THAT I MAY HAVE CREATED AN AIRSPACE INCURSION. I COPIED THE TELEPHONE NUMBER AND AFTER COMPLETING THE REFUELING AND PUTTING THE ACFT IN THE HANGAR, CONTACTED THE TRACON VIA THE LAND LINE. THE AIRSPACE SURROUNDING WASHINGTON DC IS VERY UNUSUAL AND HIGHLY POLITICAL. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF AIRSPACE INTRUSIONS. SOME WERE CARELESS, OTHERS UNKNOWING, AND SOME A RESULT OF EQUIP MALFUNCTION/MISUNDERSTANDING. PLTS AND CTLRS ATTEMPT TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN UNDER DIFFICULT CONDITIONS. EDUCATION ON BOTH SIDES IS THE ONLY WAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUT A HANDLE ON THIS ISSUE WITHOUT ELIMINATING PLTS FROM THE AIRSPACE ALTOGETHER.

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.