C340 DEPARTS OMA THINKING HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; ATC THINKING HE WAS VFR.

Date: 2004-05 · Aircraft: Cessna 340/340A

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

C340 DEPARTS OMA THINKING HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; ATC THINKING HE WAS VFR.

Narrative

I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FROM COLUMBUS FSS. AT THAT TIME; I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN ORIGINATING AT OMA; DIRECT AMW AT 9000 FT WITH REQUESTED DEP TIME OF XA00. SHORTLY AFTER XA00; I RECEIVED ATIS AND CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY STATING 'TWIN CESSNA X; IFR AMES; IOWA.' I WAS REQUESTED TO STAND BY. WHEN RECONTACTED; THEY ASKED FOR MY REQUEST. I BELIEVE I AGAIN REQUESTED IFR AMES. THE CTLR SEEMED CONFUSED AND ASKED IF I WAS A SINGLE OR TWIN AND TYPE. I REPLIED; CESSNA 340. HE AGAIN REQUESTED SINGLE OR TWIN. I REPLIED 'TWIN.' HE THEN READ BACK A CLRNC I BELIEVE WAS 'C340 SQUAWK XXXX; MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 3500 FT; DEP 124.5.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTING THE ACFT IDENT. I RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC AND PROCEEDED TO DEP END RWY 14L WHERE I WAS ISSUED A POS AND HOLD. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR DEP; MAINTAIN RWY HDG. AT 1800 FT MSL; I WAS SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. I WAS GIVEN TA FOR A PREVIOUS DEPARTING ACFT AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS. I ADVISED ACFT IN SIGHT. I WAS THEN ASKED TO REMAIN CLR OF TFC AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE AMES. I THEN TURNED TO HDG OF 060 DEGS AND CLBED TO MY REQUESTED ALT OF 9000 FT. ONCE REACHING; I INFORMED DEP I WAS LEVEL 9000 FT AND WAS TOLD I WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN. I STATED NO; I WAS IFR. THEY THEN CHKED AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NO PLAN ON FILE. I WAS THEN ASKED TO CONTACT FT DODGE FSS AND FILE WITH THEM. UNABLE TO RAISE THEM; I FILED WITH ZMP. UPON LNDG IN AMES; I CONTACTED COLUMBUS FSS REQUESTING WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND INFORMING THEM OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THEY INFORMED ME THEY WOULD LISTEN TO THE TAPES AND WOULD CONTACT ME. LATER; THEY CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT INADVERTENTLY THEY HAD FAILED TO FILE THE PLAN. I ASKED WHAT I SHOULD DO AS I WAS VERY CONCERNED BY THE BREAKDOWN IN COMS AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT THEM FIRST TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND GIVE THEM A HEADS UP. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DEP CTL. AFTER CONTACTING DEP CTL; I WAS TOLD THEY HAD FILED AN INCIDENT RPT AND THAT I WOULD BE CONTACTED BY FSDO WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL AREAS WHEREIN COMS BROKE DOWN. 1) THE FAILURE OF COLUMBUS FSS TO FILE THE PLAN. 2) THE FAILURE OF CLRNC DELIVERY TO INFORM ME THERE WAS NO IFR ON FILE. 3) THE FAILURE OF ME TO ADEQUATELY INTERPRET THE CLRNC GIVEN. 4) AFTER RECEIVING THE CLRNC; PROCEEDED DIRECT AMES TO CLB TO WHAT I BELIEVED WAS MY REQUESTED ALT. IN THIS INSTANCE; THERE WAS NO DANGER TO ANY OTHER ACFT OR TO MYSELF BUT PROCS AND THE EXECUTION WERE POOR.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.