The pilot of a Cessna 172 who had flares deployed in front of him by an F-16 over Chicago on Sunday says he checked everywhere but one place for NOTAMs and TFRs before departing on a brief flight to a favorite dinner spot. “I will never leave the ground without dialing WXBrief to ask a human being if there any TFRs or NOTAMs in my path of flight,” said the pilot we’ll call Bob. (Bob has been on the receiving end of a lot of online flak after his encounter with the real stuff and we agreed to keep his identity hidden.) Bob said he’s become so used to doing his preflight briefing on the iPad that he’s fallen out of the habit of calling flight services. “Never again,” he said. He also forgot to time stamp his briefing on the iPad which may become a future issue.
Bob was among as many as 15 pilots caught violating an extension of presidential TFRs in Chicago on Sunday. President Donald Trump was at a golf course near Chicago for the President’s Cup finale and the resulting TFRs were supposed to be cleared by 4:45 p.m. The President wanted to stay longer and the TFRs were extended to 7 p.m. Bob said that none of his normal electronic preflight checks showed any TFRs He said he also had Foreflight toggled to flag TFRs and none appeared as he climbed out about 5 p.m. He also said that after being rocked by the F-16 his wife checked the FAA’s TFR website and there were no TFRs on it for the Chicago area.
Part of his departure routine is to contact Midway Approach and on Sunday he was told to stand by. He didn’t immediately switch to the Guard frequency on the first of three passes by the F-16 because he “wanted to respect the standby order” but after the flares were released he broke into the ATC frequency and was given vectors to get out of the TFR. He was also given the dreaded “number to call for a possible pilot deviation” and immediately returned to his home airport. He called the number twice after landing and was told to leave a message. He hadn’t heard back as of Tuesday evening.
[Full Video] F-16 intercepting and flaring what seems to be Cessna over Argonne National Lab
by u/deni_48 in aviation
According to an analysis by some Chicago pilots posted to Facebook after the incidents, there was a 27-minute period in which there was no TFR protecting the President and when the extension was established it wasn’t clear how long it took to get that information posted. The FAA didn’t want to talk about those details on Monday.
“The FAA investigates all TFR violations and takes appropriate action,” the agency said in a statement to AvBrief. “The FAA does not discuss open investigations. Generally speaking, pilots who violate TFRs can face sanctions ranging from warnings to license suspensions or revocations. The sanction depends on the circumstances of the violation.“
Here’s what Bob wrote in the comments section under our original story on the TFR incursions:
“I was the unfortunate pilot of the C-172H ‘Superhawk XP180′ that had checked for the TFR and found no mention of the end time of 3:45 p.m. being extended. Departed Indiana airport at approximately 5:00 p.m. and within minutes tried contacting MDW approach on two published frequencies. I was told to standby. Several minutes later still on standby the F16 appeared and im sure he tried to communicate. My radios were on the ‘standby’ frequencies as I was awaiting ATC commands. They knew my path of flight and never advised a breach of the TFR. Upon the flare encounter I broke into ATC communication and asked if they knew I was in restricted airspace. They responded ‘yes’ and gave me a squauwk code and a heading out of the TFR. There was no information about the TFR extension on the FAA’s own TFR info website page and neither on my ForeFlight flight plan briefing or on my efb TFR depiction!! The only place the TFR was known I’ve been told was via Flight Service briefing if you were lucky enough to catch it once it came up again but before you departed. THE FLARES EXPLODING ACROSS OUR NOSE WERE QUITE ”EXCITING” and scared the **** outta my wife ! We were on our way to dinner and were no threat to potus… I voted for the guy!“
The three passes by the F-16 were memorable to say the least. Bob said the fighter passed very close on all three passes and deployed the flares 100 yards or less in front of them. “We felt the shockwave from the things. We heard the explosions. It was pretty doggone close,” he said. The aircraft passed close enough for them to feel the jet wash. “We got a pretty healthy jet blast,” he said. “That Cessna got rocked.”
Now Bob is waiting to find out the impact on his flying. He’s been on pins and needles waiting for that return phone call but he said there is some solace in the fact that there may be another dozen or so like him waiting for the phone to ring. He’s promised to let us know what the FAA has to say.
Meanwhile, a group called Chicagoland Pilots did an analysis of the timelines involved in the TFR extensions and concluded there was a period in which no TFR actually existed. Here’s what they had to say in the Facebook post on the subject.
“NORAD is saying that 15 pilots violated the Chicago area VIP TFRs. Here’s what I have been able to piece together with the help of this group. On Thursday, Sep 24, The FAA issued FDC NOTAM 6/5191. It established an inner ring with a 10nm radius and an outer ring with a 30nm radius centered on O’Hare. It also established similar rings centered on the Medinah Country Club.The NOTAM established a VIP TFR corresponding with the O’Hare-centered rings that ran on Sunday, Sep 27, from 9:15 to 10:30 CDT and from 14:00 to 15:45 CDT. And it established a VIP TFR corresponding with the Medinah-centered rings that ran from 9:45 to 14:45 CDT.
“The purpose of the O’Hare-centered TFR was to protect the arrival and departure of Air Force One. The Medinah-centered TFR was to protect the President during his time in Medinah. GA flights were prohibited from entering the inner rings. Flights landing or departing airports in the outer rings were permitted under specific strictly-enforced rules. So, the Medinah-centered TFR expired at 14:45 and the O’Hare-centered TFR expired at 15:45.
“Then the President decided to stay in Medinah longer than originally planned. At 16:12, the FAA issued FDC NOTAM 6/5768. It immediately reinstated the Medinah-centered TFR through 19:00 CDT. And it re-established the O’Hare-centered TFR from 18:00 CDT through 20:00 CDT. So (check my math), from 14:45 – 16:12, there was no Medinah-centered TFR. And, from 15:45 – 18:00, there was no O’Hare-centered TFR. Therefore, from 15:45 – 16:12 (27 minutes), there was no TFR covering the President’s visit to the Chicago area. The official time of issue for NOTAM 6/5768 was 16:12 CDT. It’s unclear as to when it was posted to the FAA’s websites, broadcast via ADSB, and displayed in EFBs like Garmin and ForeFlight.
“So, in my opinion, any pilot who violated the TFRs, as they were originally published, is a knucklehead who deserves some sort of response from the FAA. Perhaps a reprimand and a license suspension until remedial training is completed. And the pilots who flew through the area after the TFRs expired and before they were reinstated or re-established (14:45 – 16:12 for the Medinah-centered rings and 15:45 – 16:12 for the O’Hare-centered rings) are clearly without fault.
“But, what about the pilots who violated the TFRs shortly after NOTAM 6/5768 was published and disseminated? We’re required to check NOTAMS before every flight. But does that mean one minute before departure? Five minutes? Can it be fifteen minutes before departure? One hour? Two hours? And what about those who were already in the air at 16:12? Not everyone has ADSB-IN.”
Good analysis of the ‘problem’ here, Russ. This issue showcases the conundrum of Presidential TFR’s popping up all over the place on short notice and with last minute changes causing confusion. This event highlights the importance of being able to ‘prove’ that one at least checked for TFR’s just before the flight and at least tried to comply with 91.103.
Additionally, I think pilots ought to occasionally review the procedures required when being intercepted. For myself, I carry a folder of flight info that I can grab quickly to remind myself of what to do under the duress of a fighter jet pilot waving or firing flares at me. SO far, I haven’t heard of anyone switching to 121.5 to try to establish comms. Hopefully, they did?
All’s well that ends well but … there’s some blame to go around here. I don’t know what more the FAA coulda done, either. I’d like to know more about how many violations of individual TFR’s occur if there’s even any analysis of same. IF it’s a lot, maybe it’s time to revisit them and their procedures? The TFR NOTAM was issued on Thursday. If I had wanted to fly in the Chicago area on that day, I’d darned sure be in contact with ATC the whole time, IF able? And maybe I’d have chosen not to immerse myself into the foray or fly well clear of it?
Sure do wish I’d planned to go elsewhere for dinner that evening…never in 27 yrs. before and I’ll make sure as hell never again !
I just completed a two-week trip from Manassas VA to Portland OR and return, so my procedures are fresh. I always have “TFRs” selected on Foreflight’s Map Settings. Knowing where firefighting and other restrictions are is key. Also, I popped for Starlink’s $200/month “Local High Velocity/General Aviation Terminal Access Charge” for the trip, so my iPad/iPhone were fully functional all the time. My hardwired ADS-B In took care of the picture on the GRT display.
Starlink is irritatingly expensive, but I can make phone calls, stream music, text updates, close my VFR flight plan when I have the arrival airport in sight — and be sure TFR updates are displayed. It may not be for everyone, but installing/carrying an ADS-B In device seems like a minimum capability in this day and age.
Nice scenario to use as inject for a major event planning exercise!
I realize ultimate outcomes would have been to scramble regardless… but it would force planners and executioners to ensure appropriate contingencies are known.
Good article btw!
Perhaps that’s a signal that these highly onerous and restrictive “VIP” TFRs need to be redesigned to be less so. 15 pilots were violated (including, apparently, at least one “friendly” pilot), and yet no harm came to anyone including within those 27 minutes without protected airspace.
I would even argue that there was actually more protection during those 27 minutes because no pilots (or people who know of the FAA’s TFR website) were aware that there was even a “target” available during then.
I’m not saying there shouldn’t be any protection, but there has to be a less onerous method available. Maybe get rid of the outer ring entirely and stop calling them “VIP” TFRs and just “Special Security” TFRs, at least when they are located within Class-B airspace.
I’ve always wondered why there isn’t a continuous ATIS-like broadcast on 121.5 for TFR’s. We are all supposed to monitor 121.5 on every flight anyways, so when in range of the area signal at least some would have a fighting change to hear real time changes to a TFR.
Good idea. Have a dedicated frequency for the TFR in case changes — as there were here — occur after one is in flight. The FAA is transmitting ADS-B ‘in’ data … maybe there’s an opportunity there to broadcast the TFR rings there, too? They’re threatening to require ‘in’ in a few years … then pilots would be able to see the boundaries when active.
No one has brought up the cost of flying an F-16 … ~$25K/hour. Two of ’em apparently were launched here so that cost is significant, too.
There is such a frequency — 121.5. And it works, nationwide for every security TFR, as I’ve heard more times than I can count.
Can’t jam 121.5 like that with a continuous broadcast,. If you look like you’re headed into those TFR’s they’ll start calling well before you enter it. So just listen up on 121.5 and you’ll be fine.
121.5 is a 2-way comm frequency for emergencies. I’m talking about a frequency like the voice on VOR frequencies or a dedicated to TFR 1-way (out) frequency whereby it is announced that a TFR is in place and support info.
If everyone starts yakking on 121.5, it won’t be useful for emergencies. Short comms … like an F-16 telling a C172 driver to ‘follow me’ or the like are fine but it won’t work if airplanes are talking.
Or… the Secret Service could have said, “Mr. President, your time is up. We cannot protect you in this location any longer. Besides, you’ve screwed up the entire Chicago airspace so much that it will take them days to straighten it out. You’ll just have to visit the Obama Library on another trip.”
I’ve heard of taking a real haircut in a TFR before, but it sounds like several people will be in on this one. On the other hand, the recordings should show if this pilot was really put on standby when he tried to ask ATC about the airspace. Since just about everyone uses ForeFlight these days, it Seems like the best way to deal with this would be to pick up your iPad and look at the pictures for those pilots who never learned to read or call 1-800-WxBrief. ForeFlight is always adding some new feature to their program you know.
I had TFR’s toggled on Foreflight with hardwired ADS-B in from the get go…only Soldier’s Field, Wrigley Field and Peoria, IL. had indicated TFR’s at various near future dates…during my short flight into the TFR there was NO depiction of an active (potus) TFR…
I’m willing to bet that the USAF broadcast numerous warnings on 121.5 before the intercepts occurred. Why don’t pilots with perfectly good radios monitor Guard? I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard pilots warned off that way. And that works even if you didn’t get a briefing or someone screwed up the notification system.
That would work if you have two radios, but the pilot mentioned above was on standby with ATC waiting for a reply. If he only had one radio you can’t monitor another frequency while waiting for ATC to reply.
If you have only one radio and it isn’t one of the newer ones that allows you to monitor a second frequency, that is true. But at the speeds most any plane with only one, 20th century comm radio flies, you start getting the warnings well before entry. And even at that, I’d rather be intercepted and shepherded off than fired on by the Avenger weapons system that follows the president around.
Why we don’t monitor guard? Could it be we’re tired of listening to constant meowing, “guaaard” and other nonsense blocking actual radio comms?
It drives me nearly to distraction, too, but where I live, you can’t afford not to monitor Guard. I look forward to the future where we have digital communications, and a “meow” elicits, “N12345, this is the FAA on Guard, I have a number for you to call when you land.”
The FAA’s own TFR website is riddled with disclaimers leading pilots to wonder where one could find an honest, up to date, accessible repository of information regarding TFRs. If they’re not going to invest in a way to disseminate this information in a manner that doesn’t overly burden pilots, might I suggest they point a few fingers their direction regarding these issues.
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When one pilot gets caught up in a TFR thats one thing. But when 10 or 15 pilots get caught in these TFRs something is wrong with communication. Monitoring 121.5 is not possible if you have only one com radio and you are on another frequency for unicom or ATC. This entire VIP TFR communication needs to be reviewed, something didn’t work this time. With the FAA trying to cut costs with outsourcing Flight Service or encouraging online services its no wonder something didn’t get put out in a timely manner.
Call FSS before every flt, get your N# on tape requesting TFRs…every other source is for “entertainment purposes only”…and I’ve had conversations w/FAA info folks on the “advisory”, not definitive natural of their emails, website and…ADS-B In.
Sound like a PITA? yes it is, especially as noted that FAA is reducing phone support without addressing “official source” TFR info. In the case of a TFR change after launch, nothing in flt short of ATC warning (and they apparently weren’t a help to “Bob”) or 121.5 (which may not happen until after busting), but at least if you’ve done your part and still get thumped or find yourself spread eagle on ramp, the “admin” cleanup may go better.
So, to go back to this summer’s NORAD interview…make it easy to comply and most will, make it difficult and it won’t go as well.
Are you listening NORAD?
Before iPads and ForeFlight came along, I briefed every single flight with 1-800-Wx-Brief via phone. Since Lockhead Martin took it over, it’s much more difficult to and time consuming to get a real phone brief these days. It used to be easy and pleasant.
The handling of the TFR notam by the FAA should probably be investigated rather than chalk this up to a bunch of FLIB pilots out joyriding on a nice fall afternoon.
Monitoring 121.5 is (or was) a requirement at one time, but in this case it wouldn’t seem to have prevented the TFR bust. It maybe would have saved the theatrics of the intercept.
Finally, Chicago TRACON is very accommodating to VFR flight following, so the fact that poor Bob here got an immediate standby message seems to indicate to me that even the folks there were a bit puzzled on what was going on at the time.
It seems that a short-notice pop-up TFR can never work as intended. Even Bob’s proposal of calling WXBrief wouldn’t work if he called at 15:55 CDT. The briefer would look, see no TFR, and tell Bob to have a nice flight. There’s no requirement to have live streamed TFR updates into the cockpit from either Starlink or ADS-B In, so when 17 minutes later a TFR suddenly appeared Bob couldn’t possibly know about it.
That’s why you monitor Guard. Even if you have only one comm radio, if you’re talking to ATC, they’ll warn you in plenty of time because ATC coordinates with the NORAD Regional Control Center.
Per FAA, ADS-B In has same advisory disclaimer as other non-FSS sources, regardless of what app you’re running.
…and really special is FSS is not responsible for tracking sporting/special events, that’s your problem to know every event start/stop, location etc…even if you are not local, tho FF now does a good job of highlighting “unofficially”.
TFR’s not being announced until minutes before effective time would tell me that someone is anticipating a serious threat that they don’t want to give any possible bad actors an opportunity to plan for and possibly even a state of war.
Took Secret Service a while to figure this out when TFRs first became a thing. You can either give notice and clear the air of compliant acft or you can keep VIP location secret, but you can’t do both…alternative in extremis is to ground everyone everywhere as done on 9-11.
Well, and then there’s the old standby. You could just file IFR. Wait a minute now!!! Seems like somebody not too long ago was trying to figure out how to lock down VFR, uncontrolled traffic. And as I recall, it was one Jay Rockefeller that wanted to track everyone with a system he introduced as ADS-B. Interesting, I think he referred to it as “Freeflight”. All automated and no live Air Traffic Controllers. As they say, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
RE: NOTAM requiring us to monitor 121.5 in flight apparently is still active. NOTAM 4/4386 issued 6/30/09 still comes up when I check active NOTAMS. Do NOT throw rocks at me … I think it’s silly, but the powers-that-be must think it’s fun — as near as I can tell.
What does “He also forgot to time stamp his briefing on the iPad which may become a future issue.” mean? My understanding is that if you do a briefing in ForeFlight, there’s a record created of that. I’m not aware of extra steps that need to be taken, so please let me know if there are!