Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 48; Flight Crew Total 568; Flight Crew Type 144
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Airspace Violation All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Aircraft; Airspace Structure
Our flight to [an airport] north of Detroit; MI would have taken us directly over Chicago's Class B airspace; so I picked South Bend; ID; (SBN) airport as a waypoint that would keep us clear of the Class B airspace while providing a direct GPS routing to our home base. I am equipped with a Garmin 530 panel mounted GPS as well as a Garmin 696 portable GPS and I carry an iPad using WingX Pro 7 software and I have a SkyRadar ADS-B (in) receiver. I use the ADS-B for weather en route and found it helpful to show me the weather ahead and en route prior to Chicago. The ADS-B display overlay on the VFR sectional chart showed red rings around the Chicago airspace; so I tapped on them to see the significance. It showed two TFR's; both of which were labeled as expired. Therefore; I continued with my route as planned. When near Joliet airport prior to Chicago a fighter jet crossed our flight path approximately 500-1;000 FT above us. I was familiar with intercept procedures and began calling ATC facilities shown on the Garmin 696 under the nearest function button. I called Chicago and described the event and was told that I should call a different facility; I believe that it was Midway in Chicago. There I was told that I was too low for their radar; by this time we had had a second fly-by of the fighter jet; increasing my sense of urgency. The second Chicago facility advised me to contact South Bend which I did immediately. The Controller there suggested that I contact the Chicago facility. I told him that there had been no further fly-by's and while I was attempting to contact ATC to see if the fly-by was intended for me and since there was no knowledge of any such action by ATC I continued on course. Soon South Bend ATC contacted me and asked if I was still on their frequency and I replied affirmatively. I told him of the lack of contact with Chicago and while we were speaking a fighter jet crossed our flight path a third time. I interrupted our conversation; he had me hold. Upon his return to the frequency he gave me a squawk code and advised me to contact Chicago TRACON upon landing at my destination. He gave me a telephone number to contact them and I remained on his frequency until handed off to Kalamazoo; then Lansing; then Detroit approach. Upon landing I called Chicago TRACON immediately and gave them my name; pilot certificate number; type aircraft; origin and destination of flight. They advised me that a possible pilot deviation or violation could be recommended or no action may be taken. They advised that they had record of the track of my flight through the outer ring of the TFR which I had seen as expired. They could not answer how the ADS-B information which is updated in flight could show the TFR as expired when in fact only one of them had expired and the second one had not. I had depended on that information to be accurate and up to date; and I immediately attempted to contact ATC when I suspected that the intercept may be for me.
C182 pilot reports being intercepted by an F16 south of Chicago then informed after landing that he had flown through a TFR that was shown as expired on his GPS display.