Strange aircraft on adsbexchange flying over Washington DC area

[radiojoedc]

I heard a low aircraft fly over, and I looked on adsbexchange and there was a strange aircraft, the type was listed as "BER2" and the tail number was "RF-31121" which seems to be an aircraft that belongs to what essentially seems to be the Russian version of FEMA based on a google search. But they seem to be flying around the beltway and then over DC itself, it's strange. It doesn't seem to have adsb, because on adsbexchange it says the source is MLAT. I didn't hear anything on the approach frequencies on liveatc (though I'm not too sure which frequency i'd even need to listen to). I suppose it must be something related to the coronavirus. Anyone have any idea what it might be doing?

 

[freqhopping]

The hex code is 000001 which is not a legit code. There are numerous aircraft that incorrectly have their transponders coded with 000001, the database ADSBx is using can only have the details for one aircraft entered. In this case the details for a Beriev Be-200ES are entered.

I've logged military helicopters in the DC area programmed with 000001 as the hex code. Based on the route and altitude in the image, that too is a helicopter. It would be communicating on 134.35.

 

[freqhopping]

Also the 4470 squawk says govt to me. Checking the track, it ends at Patuxent NAS. Could've been one of the new VH-92s.

What time was it in the area?

 

[radiojoedc]

It was around 7:30pm when I took the screenshot. I don't remember the time I heard it fly over though (I'm near Tysons Corner btw). I do hear/see a lot of military helicopters flying above 495, and I have noticed the transponders sometimes give out bogus info. This one just confused me because I hadn't seen one with registration that came back to an actual aircraft haha

 

[freqhopping]

Upon listening to the LiveATC archive for yesterday I'm fairly certain this was NIGHTHAWK70, hence the 4470 squawk. There were about a dozen helos operating in the area between 7-8pm yesterday.
The helos that frequent the area have a specific squawk code that they don't change.

Some examples:
0271 Fairfax1
0272 Fairfax2
5201 Aircare1
5202 Aircare2
5203 Aircare3
5204 Aircare4

Medstar and MD State Police also have fixed squawks.

 

[radiojoedc]

That's interesting, I never noticed they used fixed squawks. I suppose that makes it easier for them having to fly inside the DC SFRA. Is the 0271 squawk for N211FX and the 0272 for N212FX or is it just whichever one is operating as Fairfax 1 at the time is 0271?

Most evenings I'm listening to Fairfax County P25, I hear a lot of medevac helicopters (mostly aircare) on channel 49B when they're coming into Inova Fairfax and often I'll hear them fly over.

 

[freqhopping]

The squawk goes with the callsign. I've seen N212FX as Fairfax1 with 0271.
The Aircare helos get swapped out occasionally for maintenance or whatever, but the squawk will match the callsign.


This morning I saw ~2e8fd8 with squawk 7052, seemed to be NIGHTHAWK10.
000001 seemed to be NIGHTHAWK5

 

[ericcarlson]

The preassigned squawks are more than likely on a LOAs (Letter of Authorization) with Potomac TRACON and the respective helicopter operators. You can get the LOAs via FOIA request if you want.

You can see the same thing done in Houston: Houston Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Harris County (TX) - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[freqhopping]

This is what I have DC and Baltimore area squawks.
0261 SENTRY1 08-72057 UH-72
0262 08-72055 UH-72
0271 Fairfax1 (N211FX/N212FX)
0272 Fairfax2 (N211FX/N212FX)
4304 PAT04 UH-60 92-26455
4401 OMAHA1 N159CM DHS
4403 OMAHA3 N844LC DHS
4404 OMAHA4 DHS
4405 OMAHA5 DHS
4410 OMAHA7 DHS
4470 NIGHTHAWK5 USMC Hex 000001
4471 Hex 000123
4611 OMAHA11
5101 Trooper1 N386MD Maryland State Police
5102 Trooper2 N381MD Maryland State Police
5104 Trooper4 N382MD/N385MD
5106 Trooper6 N383MD Maryland State Police
5107 Trooper7 N389MD
5113 N661HD news
5117 Trooper17 N384MD Maryland State Police
5131 Eagle1 N412PP US Park Police
5132 Eagle2 N22PP US Park Police
5133 Eagle3 N33PP US Park Police
5141 Guardian1 N911PG PG Co PD
5142 Guardian2 (N520VP or N913PG) PG Co PD
5143 Guardian3 (N520VP or N913PG) PG Co PD
5144 Guardian4 N910PG PG Co PD
5151 Fox1 N451F Baltimore City PD
5152 Fox2 N454F Baltimore City PD
5153 Fox3 N453F Baltimore City PD
5154 Fox4 N454F Baltimore City PD
5161 CountyAir1 N803CP Baltimore Co PD
5162 CountyAir2 N804CP Baltimore Co PD
5163 CountyAir3 N808CP Baltimore Co PD
5165 Falcon N911AS DC Metro PD
5201 Aircare1
5202 Aircare2
5203 Aircare3
5204 Aircare4
5205 Aircare5 currently N385PH
5206 11-72212 UH-72
5210 N522ME STAT Medevac Johns Hopkins Lifeline
5213 N422ME
5214 STAT18 N87E
5216 N864CP CAP9964
5221 Medstar1?
5222 Medstar2 N138MH
5271 ExpressCare1? N329PH UMMC
5274 Healthnet8 N138LN
5277 News1 N98CL
7052 NIGHTHAWK10 USMC ~2e8fd8
7601 N135ED Air Methods
7603 Trooper3 N387MD Maryland State Police
7605 Trooper5 N390MD Maryland State Police

 

[radiojoedc]

Not sure if it's an issue with adsbexchange or there's a military helicopter that's using the 0271 squawk. But just a few minutes ago near KDAA there was a helicopter flying around with 0271 squawk at the same time N211FX was also squawking 0271 and flying over Centreville. Figured I'd post this in this thread since there's some discussion here about the DC-area pre-assigned squawks.

 

[radiojoedc]

I found out it's just an issue with tar1090. When I click on another aircraft, and then click on the military helicopters (I guess they have no transponder on, it's TIS-B not ADS-B anyhow), it displays the squawk as whatever was previously being displayed for the previous aircraft.

 

[wiedehopf]

I found out it's just an issue with tar1090.

That was a sneaky bug.
Fixed.

 

[WatnNY]

On 04/22/20 on ADS-B Exchange I had "NHAWK" (IACO AE0872) flying over Washington, DC with no registration number, no type of equipment, etc. I searched everywhere I could think of for AE0872 and could not come up with a registration number or type of aircraft. The image on ADS-b was for a helicopter. Some research shows "Nighthawk" is for US Marine unit HMX-1, and is used when the President id NOT on the helicopter...

Mike

 

[freqhopping]

On 04/22/20 on ADS-B Exchange I had "NHAWK" (IACO AE0872) flying over Washington, DC with no registration number, no type of equipment, etc. I searched everywhere I could think of for AE0872 and could not come up with a registration number or type of aircraft. The image on ADS-b was for a helicopter. Some research shows "Nighthawk" is for US Marine unit HMX-1, and is used when the President id NOT on the helicopter...

Mike

That was NIGHTHAWK12, I heard him with ATC. I think it was a VH-60N, they have eight.

 

[WatnNY]

Thanks, freqhopping. Do you happen to have the registration number for AE0872?