Someone is using my N Number!

[M20F-1968]

A couple nights ago I was killing time and logged on to flight aware and put in my number.   To my surprise I  saw about nine flights that my aircraft did not fly.

 I recently installed a GTX-345,  and the equipment was test flown on November 21.   Flightaware shows  that test flight properly displayed my aircrafts information and the flight was displayed accurately.

 However beginning on November 25,  there is one flight in Vero Beach FL and a string of flights in the Brazil area that were not flown by my my aircraft.   Flightaware shows these flights linked to my N number and shows the  registration information to be that of my actual airplane.   My mechanic described the process of  programming the flight ID,  which is the N number,  into the newly installed transponder.  Apparently, internally within the transponder apparently exists a protocol which translates the N number into a digital ICAO  code.   Since  an avionics shop or an individual can  enter  a new N number into the transponder,  is possible to have two aircraft with the same N number flying simultaneously.   I do not know whether this was a typo when entering an N number into the other  aircraft's transponder,  or whether this was deliberate act to camouflage a flight to make it look like it was done by a different airplane.   I made a report to the FAA of what I had discovered and they are doing some homework.    Can any of the Moneyspace gurus  give me a better explanation of how this may have occurred and possibly how a GTX-345 or similar transponder creates the ICAO code.   It would seem that if this was merely a typo,   it would be unlikely that the entered information would correspond to an active N-number,  which suggests that this was a more deliberate act.   The next part of the question is how does the FAA or other investigators determine what the aircraft is displaying the improper information?   I recently  learned that  the website Flightradar24.com can  display the Squawk code of a given flight.   Perhaps that can be used to trace back to the  airplane involved.    Is there any other information transmitted as ADSB-out  information  that would be unique to an aircraft such as a serial number?

 My mechanic checked the  information displayed by my aircraft as ADSB-out  and found that the information  displayed from my aircraft was accurate and proper.

John Breda

[neilpilot]

 

[ArtVandelay]

You can setup FlightAware to send you an email anytime it detects your plane is in the air or a flightplan is filed.


Tom

[Yetti]

It's hex. The ICAO code that is.  Which is different than binary and different than based in ten. Look up hex translators.  It would be really easy for a tech to screw up the conversion.   Not all ADSB boxes will convert for you.

[Marauder]

A couple nights ago I was killing time and logged on to flight aware and put in my number.   To my surprise I  saw about nine flights that my aircraft did not fly.
 I recently installed a GTX-345,  and the equipment was test flown on November 21.   Flightaware shows  that test flight properly displayed my aircrafts information and the flight was displayed accurately.
 However beginning on November 25,  there is one flight in Vero Beach FL and a string of flights in the Brazil area that were not flown by my my aircraft.   Flightaware shows these flights linked to my N number and shows the  registration information to be that of my actual airplane.   My mechanic described the process of  programming the flight ID,  which is the N number,  into the newly installed transponder.  Apparently, internally within the transponder apparently exists a protocol which translates the N number into a digital ICAO  code.   Since  an avionics shop or an individual can  enter  a new N number into the transponder,  is possible to have two aircraft with the same N number flying simultaneously.   I do not know whether this was a typo when entering an N number into the other  aircraft's transponder,  or whether this was deliberate act to camouflage a flight to make it look like it was done by a different airplane.   I made a report to the FAA of what I had discovered and they are doing some homework.    Can any of the Moneyspace gurus  give me a better explanation of how this may have occurred and possibly how a GTX-345 or similar transponder creates the ICAO code.   It would seem that if this was merely a typo,   it would be unlikely that the entered information would correspond to an active N-number,  which suggests that this was a more deliberate act.   The next part of the question is how does the FAA or other investigators determine what the aircraft is displaying the improper information?   I recently  learned that  the website Flightradar24.com can  display the Squawk code of a given flight.   Perhaps that can be used to trace back to the  airplane involved.    Is there any other information transmitted as ADSB-out  information  that would be unique to an aircraft such as a serial number?
 My mechanic checked the  information displayed by my aircraft as ADSB-out  and found that the information  displayed from my aircraft was accurate and proper.
John Breda

John, my plane periodically shows up on FlightAware in Texas. Not sure how it happens, but all of the flights I suspect are positioning flights.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[PT20J]

Actually, this is the tip of a large iceberg. Duplicates will happen, either by mistake or design, and hopefully the FAA has a plan to deal with it. In addition, this is another digital system designed without security in mind, and it is subject to malicious attack by bad actors. 

https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a545599.pdf

[Davidv]

I'm mentioned this before, but in my GNX-375 it's very easy to change the code in the setup module.  My shop used a Garmin altitude encoder out of another aircraft and it inadvertently changed my code which had me broadcasting the N number of another plane for a few flights.  I then went in and plugged in my Mode S code (which we all know is publicly available) and I was broadcasting my correct tail number again.

[Jerry 5TJ]

I saw my plane show up on FlightAware with a track over the Gulf moving at over Mach 1.   I doubt it was real.  

[takair]

Beyond what is described above, ATC routinely transcribes my N number when I call them. 25U often becomes 52U. On some occasions I have corrected it numerous times with numerous handoffs and it seems to not actually get corrected in the system. On some of those occasions, pre and post ADS-B, I can’t track my flight. I should look under the transcribed number. Would not be surprised if they are seeing New England flights they never did. 

[PaulM]

In flightaware you can tell if it is a bad ICAO ModeS/ADSB code or that ATC tagged a VFR flight following flight with your N#. 

Look at the track log and the Reporting Facitlity column.  If the source is all ATC centers and approach radars, then it was a wrong N# typed by a controller.    If it is flightaware ADSB and multiple different sources, then it is a duplicate ICAO address. 

So, the Vero Beach one is probably a ATC error.. but the multiple brazil entires might indicate an issue with a duplicate ICAO address. 

[PT20J]

3 hours ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

I saw my plane show up on FlightAware with a track over the Gulf moving at over Mach 1.   I doubt it was real.  

According to the doc I posted a link to, the military reserves the right to use pretty much whatever code they want to “increase operational security.” So, it could have been a F-15 or something using your ICAO code.  

[kerry]

I'm guessing we're going to be mandated by the FAA to buy another gizmo to put on our planes for $2000 or more to fix the problem. 

[0TreeLemur]

4 hours ago, PT20J said:

Actually, this is the tip of a large iceberg. Duplicates will happen, either by mistake or design, and hopefully the FAA has a plan to deal with it. In addition, this is another digital system designed without security in mind, and it is subject to malicious attack by bad actors. 

https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a545599.pdf

So, the FAA makes the manufacturers of certified engine monitors hide the redline limits from the user, but the manufacturers of NexGen ATC transponders don't have to do the same for HEX codes or use encryption.   Anyone with a Garmin gps must use proprietary software to set it up.  Why would ADS-B out transponders need to be any different?    This is really maddening.  It hints that the entire ADS-B system has a fundamental flaw and will require a complete redesign or remain vulnerable.   

Yippee!   Our units don't support encryption!  So we all get to suffer a new costly ADS-B related mandate!  I'll probably miss the free government money on that one too...

 

[0TreeLemur]

3 minutes ago, kerry said:

I'm guessing we're going to be mandated by the FAA to buy another gizmo to put on our planes for $2000 or more to fix the problem. 

^^^^^ this.

[Browncbr1]

Yep, pretty dang easy to lookup the tail number on a plane rotting on tiedown and get the HEX from FAA public record.   Even easier to program a transponder for just one flight, then reprogram it when back on the ground.   

[skydvrboy]

On 12/18/2019 at 1:38 PM, takair said:

Beyond what is described above, ATC routinely transcribes my N number when I call them. 25U often becomes 52U. On some occasions I have corrected it numerous times with numerous handoffs and it seems to not actually get corrected in the system. On some of those occasions, pre and post ADS-B, I can’t track my flight. I should look under the transcribed number. Would not be surprised if they are seeing New England flights they never did. 

I think this is what's going on most of the time.  My tower called me 411WS, so I corrected them and the called me by the right tail number from then on.  When handed off to KC Center, again, the wrong tail #.  I corrected them and they flat out told me, you'll be connected with Ft Riley GCA soon, ask them to fix it.  Went to Ft Riley GCA, "Well that's not what we show."  I informed them of my conversation with KC Center and they fixed it for me.  When looking at Flight Aware, no track until the tail number was fixed.  I didn't think to look up 411WS, but I bet they were flying in KS that day. 

[Skates97]

38 minutes ago, skydvrboy said:

I think this is what's going on most of the time.  My tower called me 411WS, so I corrected them and the called me by the right tail number from then on.  When handed off to KC Center, again, the wrong tail #.  I corrected them and they flat out told me, you'll be connected with Ft Riley GCA soon, ask them to fix it.  Went to Ft Riley GCA, "Well that's not what we show."  I informed them of my conversation with KC Center and they fixed it for me.  When looking at Flight Aware, no track until the tail number was fixed.  I didn't think to look up 411WS, but I bet they were flying in KS that day. 

ATC has trouble with mine all the time, 78878. Too many 7's and 8's. Prior to having ADSB out there were a couple of times where after the 3rd or 4th try to get it right with them including pausing "78...878" and saying "seven double eight seven eight" that I have given up and just taken the squawk code and moved on without further trying to correct the tail number.

[ArtVandelay]

ATC has trouble with mine all the time, 78878. Too many 7's and 8's. Prior to having ADSB out there were a couple of times where after the 3rd or 4th try to get it right with them including pausing "78...878" and saying "seven double eight seven eight" that I have given up and just taken the squawk code and moved on without further trying to correct the tail number.

Do you try grouping them :
Seventy eight eight seventy eight?



Tom

[Oldguy]

27 minutes ago, Skates97 said:

ATC has trouble with mine all the time, 78878. Too many 7's and 8's. Prior to having ADSB out there were a couple of times where after the 3rd or 4th try to get it right with them including pausing "78...878" and saying "seven double eight seven eight" that I have given up and just taken the squawk code and moved on without further trying to correct the tail number.

I have trouble with ATC catching my tail number on initial check-in - N5767Z. I get anything from numbers transposed to the wrong letter at the end!

When I flew the 20 minutes to Birmingham in September, they never got it right until I was on final. There were about 5 different calls where I had to ask if it was for me and then give them the correct tail number. Since this is my home Class C airport, I was able to speak with a controller I know and they had some new folks working the day I flew over. Still a bit frustrating.

[Skates97]

9 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

Do you try grouping them :
Seventy eight eight seventy eight?



Tom

I haven't tried that. The most consistent has been "seven eight (pause) eight seven eight" but sometimes it is just a struggle.

[ReconMax]

I have also had difficulty at times with clearly communicating my N number to ATC. You're situation is a pretty good argument for a more robust call-sign system. Currently, I think you can create a letter of agreement or LOA with your local ATC facility to agree on a call-sign for your aircraft. However, it is only good locally. It would be great if we could designate or request a call-sign on our VFR or IFR flight plan that would follow us through the various ATC geographies. Maybe even, there could be a way to associate a call-sign with your N number during a request for Flight Following.

I first looked into this because while flying over near Fredricksburg, I heard a plane talking with ATC and calling themselves Mooney 1. I wondered how that was possible and assumed it had something to do with being so close to the Mooney factory. Maybe it was the Mooney CEO's plane or maybe a Mooney test airplane or something.

Anyway, I think it would be fun but maybe there are good reasons to just confine us to our N number...

 

 

 

[0TreeLemur]

I too have thought about changing my tail number to something more easily intelligible.  But then again, she's had it since 1967 and it's worked for all these years.  It got better when I started saying it "Two Niner oh Tree Lemur", which occasionally still gets interpreted wrong.   Fast thinking controllers still often want to call me some variant of 2X02L.

In Australia they just use three letters.   The country prefix is VH and the little Cherokee I used to fly was VH-FLV.   I suppose in the US with so many more aircraft it would take up to four letters.

 

[PT20J]

3 hours ago, Skates97 said:

I haven't tried that. The most consistent has been "seven eight (pause) eight seven eight" but sometimes it is just a struggle.

I used to fly a club '64 M20C N78888. Used the radio call "seven-eight triple eight" and it always seemed to do the trick. Also flew an Archer N222XT and used the call sign "triple-two xray tango." I kind of liked the repeating triple digit numbers. I flew another plane that ended in echo whiskey and that was always a bit of a tongue twister for controllers. I often wonder how the controllers remember the Canadian ids as in: Charlie foxtrot golf india hotel. 

Skip

[EricJ]

8 minutes ago, PT20J said:

I used to fly a club '64 M20C N78888. Used the radio call "seven-eight triple eight" and it always seemed to do the trick. Also flew an Archer N222XT and used the call sign "triple-two xray tango." I kind of liked the repeating triple digit numbers. I flew another plane that ended in echo whiskey and that was always a bit of a tongue twister for controllers. I often wonder how the controllers remember the Canadian ids as in: Charlie foxtrot golf india hotel. 

Skip

I learned to fly in N-registered aircraft in Germany, where everything else is D-(four letters).   Even "foreign" aircraft from elsewhere in Europe are all letters.   So it was normal there, too.

One side effect of that is when I use my entire call sign for initial contact I almost always say the leading "November" as well, since that still seems normal to me.   Give me another ten years and I'll probably get rid of that. 

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, PT20J said:

I used to fly a club '64 M20C N78888. Used the radio call "seven-eight triple eight" and it always seemed to do the trick. Also flew an Archer N222XT and used the call sign "triple-two xray tango." I kind of liked the repeating triple digit numbers. I flew another plane that ended in echo whiskey and that was always a bit of a tongue twister for controllers. I often wonder how the controllers remember the Canadian ids as in: Charlie foxtrot golf india hotel. 

Skip

The further one travels from the border, the more confused ATC becomes with our registration, often they attempt to add your November as a prefix.

In Canada C-F and C-G prefixes are for certified aircraft, balloons and amateur built aircraft, C-I are for ultralight aircraft.  Some interesting combinations are possible, including ones initials.

Clarence