The NTSB this week released its preliminary report about the crash of a Cessna 172 that ran out of fuel while awaiting clearance into the Washington, D.C., ADIZ on June 29. According to the report, the pilot told the NTSB he filed two flight plans, for his outbound and return flights, but did not activate the second flight plan before heading back to Martin State Airport, which is inside the ADIZ. In early media reports of the incident, the pilot said he had filed a flight plan, but ATC couldn't find it. In the NTSB report, the pilot said he was instructed by Potomac Approach Control to contact the Leesburg FSS to file a flight plan, and made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the FSS. He then advised Approach Control that he was not able to contact the FSS, and was told to hold for clearance. The pilot said that during the next 45 to 50 minutes, he made repeated calls to Approach Control in an attempt to obtain a clearance into the ADIZ. Finally, the pilot informed the controller that he was "concerned" about the airplane's fuel status, and about five minutes later, was cleared to enter the ADIZ. The pilot did not declare an emergency or request priority handling. The 172 landed in a field three miles short of the runway, and collided with trees. The 75-hour private pilot and his two passengers suffered minor injuries.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/complete/newswire-complete-issue-13