Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Sea; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 22; Flight Crew Total 3260; Flight Crew Type 1111
Situational Awareness
Airspace Violation All Types
Human Factors; Airspace Structure
Day VFR flight. Checked Garmin app on telephone for incoming and route weather. At no previous time received typical notification of any TFR's involving route. Prior to entering Class Bravo perimeter checked ADS-B 'in' and noted no TFR airspace within Class B. Avoided Class B airspace and landed uncontrolled field without incident. Parked aircraft at fueling area. Walked to personal hangar to do some chores and returned to fueling area with tug. Fueled aircraft. Walked to hangar again for more chores and vehicle loading. Returned to fueling area and moved aircraft to wash area. Noted aircraft leaving upwind area of single runway in use (21) making 2 left turns toward T hangars. Also noted local police car pull into and remain in parking lot. Began to wash aircraft. Within a few minutes a 2nd police car arrived. After 2-5 minutes both entered the tarmac and one officer approached and asked several questions about flying and my travels for the day. Answered questions casually and completely. He said he was talking to Agents and asked that I remain with him while they came (40 miles [away]). I asked if I could continue to wash the aircraft and he allowed so long as I did not enter the aircraft. Agents arrived in 2 cars. During a 2 hour questioning period on the ramp all personal information including organization memberships; mental condition or history of treatment; anger toward authorities; route of flight; knowledge of other arriving aircraft; etc. Pointed out the hangar that the runway leaving aircraft had gone to - occupants had departed. One agent went to speak with another airport tenant and came back saying 'it was a new pilot; and we need to find out who it is and talk to them.' Agents said that an aircraft that landed at the airport had been tracked traversing a TFR in downtown. Agents were communicating with someone on the telephone and said that another aircraft had landed at the airport at a short time after the other. Agents took photographs on a cell phone of my full face and profile and of the aircraft. Agents said they were going to share this information with a pilot in their office and that they and/or the FAA may be contacting me for further information. Finished washing the aircraft. Put all things away in hangar and departed airport. Upon arrive home 1 hour later; checked FAA graphic TFR web page and noted no listing of said TFR on FAA Safety Team web page that indicated the typical 'check FAA.gov' for specifics 'once the NOTAM has been issued.' Called FSS and asked for details of said TFR and was told that it was expired and deleted from the FSS system and the specialist had no knowledge of specifics. Decisions in order to clarify TFR awareness and compliance: Do not rely on apps for accurate information. Do not rely on ADS-B 'IN' updates for TFR information. (Garmin indicates that ADS-B updates for TFRs may take as much as 20 minutes.) Install ADS-B 'OUT' equipment to prove your position to authorities and your compliance to airspace regulations. Radio FSS periodically in flight to check for unpublished; new; extended; modified; pop-up; rolling or un-broadcasted ADS-B TFR information.
Light twin pilot was interviewed after flight for possible TFR violation. No violation by the reporter was determined.