Saturday 8/30/25 ~12:34Z (8:34am local) a Rockwell Commander 112 c/s N1017T headed East from Martinsburg turns South towards Baltimore area, entering the Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) without communication with Potomac Approach. Multiple controllers attempt to contact N1017T and ask other planes to try also, including attempts on Guard frequency.
USCG 'Blackjack-1' MH-65 is scrambled from DCA towards College Park area at the boundary of the Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) around DCA. Departures are temporarily stopped, and 3 flights on approach (DAL926, AAL3185, AAL949) given go-arounds to expedite Blackjack departure, AAL949 is vectored to the North/East of DCA for spacing.
Potomac eventually makes contact with N1017T on BWI Final 119.0, asks if pilot got disoriented; phone number for possible pilot deviation is exchanged; handed off to Martin State Airport to land; not able to hear the pilot side conversations with possible explanation. There was no advisory transmission audible on the liveATC feed for Martinsburg CTAF around the time of N1017T's departure.
Attached combination of KDCA TWR/Heli/Departure/KRANT, KBWI BELAY/WOOLY/DC ADIZ/Final/Guard, KMTN Tower. Edited from 1234-1302Z for time and content and overlapping comms, not realtime. Blackjack scramble starts around 4mins, N1017T contact around 10mins into the clip.
Timeline (Z)
1205 N1017T departs Martinsburg headed East
1230 N1017T turns directly South towards Columbia MD
1234 N1017T enters SFRA (WOOLY Gate) South of Eldersburg MD. Multiple controllers on WOOLY, DC ADIZ, BWI Final start calling and ask other planes to try, also on Guard frequency
1237 DCA temporarily stops northbound departures
1240 Blackjack-1 cleared for departure at DCA. DAL926, AAL3185, AAL949 on Final for Rwy 1 given go-arounds (subsequent arrivals continue inbound)
1246 N1017T makes contact with Potomac on BWI Final (119.0)
1247 Blackjack-1 up with KRANT (125.65) and establishes orbit around College Park @ 2000ft "until TOI is activated" [Target of Interest]
1248 N1017T up with Martin State Airport Tower, cleared to land Runway 33
1250 N1017T landed Martin State Airport
1253 Blackjack-1 stands down from Active Air Defense, returns to DCA via normal Chain Bridge transition route to Glebe
