A CESSNA'S IFR FLT STATUS WAS CONFUSED WHEN TRANSFERRING FROM ONE ATC FAC (NUW) TO ANOTHER (S46 TRACON) WITH TERRAIN BECOMING A FACTOR.

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LAST WEEK AT THE CONCLUSION OF A NIGHT MISSION WHILE ON A VFR FLT PLAN; WE HAD TO 'POP-UP' FOR AN INST CLRNC WITH NAVY WHIDBEY ATC TO REACH OUR DEST. THE CLRNC WAS GRANTED AND WE WERE VECTORED TO A HDG OF 130 DEGS AND A CLB TO 3000 FT. WE COMPLIED AND ENTERED IMC. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO SEATTLE APCH; STILL IMC; WE CHKED IN AND THE CTLR CONFIRMED HAVING US WITH HIM. AFTER A WHILE AT 3000 FT ON A HDG OF 130 DEGS WE BEGAN TO PASS IN AND OUT OF THE BASES OF THE CLOUD LAYER; BUT STILL MOSTLY IMC. I CONFIRMED VIA GPS AND GND DEAD RECOGNITION THAT WE WERE E OF BELLEVUE; STILL HDG 130 DEGS; I THEN NOTICED WE WERE PASSING I-90 STILL ON A HDG OF 130 DEGS AND ENTERED SOLID IMC AGAIN. I KNEW THAT THIS HDG WAS TAKING US TOWARDS HIGH TERRAIN. THIS MADE ME VERY NERVOUS AS THE CTLR HAD NOT TURNED US TO A MORE SOUTHERLY HDG AS I EXPECTED; AND I KNEW THAT THE TERRAIN WAS GOING TO START RAISING ABOVE OUR ALT VERY QUICKLY. I TOLD THE PIC TO CONTACT THE CTLR TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS SITUATION. HE DID; AND THE CTLR WAS APPARENTLY NOT AWARE THAT WE WERE IMC ON AN IFR CLRNC. HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE US NEW VECTOR OF 180 DEGS AND A DSCNT TO 2000 FT. WE COMPLIED; AND EVENTUALLY POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUD LAYER AT ABOUT 2000 FT INTO VMC; I LOOKED TO THE E AND SAW THAT WE WERE A BIT TOO CLOSE TO THE HIGH TERRAIN TO THE E FOR MY COMFORT. WE WERE VMC AT THIS POINT; HAD A VISUAL OF OUR DEST AND CANCELED OUR IFR CLRNC -- THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE PIC AND I DISCUSSED THIS AND COULD ONLY FIGURE THAT SINCE WE WERE ON A VFR FLT PLAN INITIALLY; AND HAD TO 'POP-UP' FOR AN INST CLRNC THAT THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE CONFUSION. IN MY NEARLY 20 YRS OF FLYING IFR AROUND THESE PARTS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUCH AN EVENT; AND IT MADE ME THINK -- UMMMMM -- WHAT IF? LOOKING BACK; THE SITUATION QUICKLY WAS TURNING INTO A FORMULA FOR DISASTER -- HAD WE JUST FLEW ALONG FAT AND HAPPY WAITING FOR THE CTLR TO VECTOR US; I BELIEVE THAT THE FLT WOULD HAVE MET WITH A MUCH LESS THAN DESIRABLE OUTCOME AND WE'D BECOME A STATISTIC; WHICH IS NOT MY IDEA OF FUN. OUR DECISION AS PLTS TO AVOID THIS SAME SITUATION AGAIN; BASED ON THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT IS; THAT WHILE IMC WHEN WE GET A HDOF TO A DIFFERENT CTLR; OUR INITIAL CONTACT WILL BE SOMETHING LIKE: 'APCH; THIS IS FLT XXXXX WITH YOU AT XXXXX (ALT) IFR TO XXXXX.' EMPHASIZE ON THE IFR FOR CLARIFICATION. THAT WAY EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE. I THINK THE BOTTOM-LINE IS THAT EVERYONE IS HUMAN; EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES AND AS PLTS WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF OUR POS AT ALL TIMES AND QUESTION THE SITUATION IF THERE IS ANY AMOUNT OF DOUBT -- COMPLACENCY KILLS. REMEMBER FAR PART 91.3 -- YOU HAVE AUTH IN THE COCKPIT.