Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 260; Flight Crew Total 6600; Flight Crew Type 132
Communication Breakdown; Training / Qualification
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Human Factors; Airspace Structure
I was on a VFR flight to False Pass (KFP) along the Alaskan Peninsula. I was on a company flight plan. I was flying southwest at 10;500 msl and passing Cold Bay (CDB) airport. While I was still 25 miles north east of Cold Bay; I contacted the Cold Bay FSS and gave my altitude; heading; and my route of flight. I was planning on going to False Pass airport to drop off a passenger; and then back to Cold Bay. The FSS gave me traffic and weather updates. I descended into KFP; which is about 15 miles southwest of CDB. As I entered the pattern at KFP; I was alerted by another pilot that I should be on a DVFR flight plan. When I landed I immediately called Kenai FSS because I was unaware that I was near an ADIZ. Upon further inspection; I found that KFP; which is a VFR-only airport on US soil in Alaska; is about 5 miles outside the ADIZ. My plan was to file a DVFR plan to the north while I was on the phone with Kenai FSS. Midway through my conversation with the FSS; the cell connection was lost. I tried multiple times to reach Kenai and each time was given a recording about a phone system error. Cell phone coverage in the remote villages is often very bad. I proceeded to depart KFP and immediately exit the ADIZ; and land the very first airport (CDB) about 15 miles away. Enroute I contacted the CDB FSS; and they informed me that I was being contacted on 121.5. I tried to reach someone multiple times on that frequency but received no answer. I landed at CDB 5 minutes after departing KFP.I believe that a lot can be done to change this situation. First; I should have done better homework. This was my first time at this airport; and I did a thorough check of weather; Notams; Alaska Supplement; etc. before the flight but I relied on my GPS and navaids rather than consulting the Sectional for navigation to the airport. Nothing about the ADIZ was noted in any of my prefight material.  Also; the airplane is equipped with dual Garmin GPSs; a moving map display; ADSB; and synthetic vision. NONE of these alerted me to the close proximity of the ADIZ. Also; when I spoke to the FSS well northeast of the ADIZ; and expressed my route of flight; absolutely nothing was mentioned to me about the ADIZ on my route of flight even though I did not have a flight plan in his system. It would have been extremely simple to land and file a DVFR flight plan at that moment. Also; why is a State-run; VFR only village airport in Alaska this close to an ADIZ? The ADIZ needs to be moved in my opinion. There is a lot of air traffic in that area; and not all of it is IFR. The cell phones are regularly a problem in the Alaskan villages; and any airplane that lands at KFP and cannot contact the FSS is stuck outside the ADIZ. This is a problem. Finally; I spoke with my Chief Pilot and Director of Operations. They are immediately issuing a company bulletin for all pilots about the location of the ADIZ in order to prevent future incursions.
An air taxi pilot was informed by another pilot in the traffic pattern at KFP that he should be on a DVFR flight plan since the airport is 10 NM into the Alaskan ADIZ.