Narrative:

What happened: uneventful takeoff and climb thru a 200' thick layer of stratus clouds with a VFR ATC clearance to climb thru the TCA after takeoff from san diego lindbergh field. When on top and in VFR conditions we advised the controller we were cancelling IFR at that time and shortly thereafter it became apparent that we had not had an IFR clearance but a VFR TCA clearance. How we discovered it: when we called departure control after about 2 mins after takeoff to cancel IFR, the departure controller asked us what our clearance had been. We read back our clearance 'to climb via runway heading' to climb 'to eight thousand'. He advised us that the clearance we had read back to him was a VFR not an IFR clearance. No evasive action required, no traffic conflict, no safety compromise. What factors contributed to the problem? Nonstandard phraseology. When I called clearance delivery for clearance I asked for: 'a TCA clearance to climb IFR to VFR conditions on top wbound...eight thousand five hundred...destination navy san clemente island.' the clearance I got was not what I asked for. The original clearance I got was to 'maintain runway heading to climb to maintain VFR at four thousand.' I advised clearance delivery that FSS had reported cloud tops at thirty eight hundred feet and that we would need higher to get to VFR conditions. He advised that we 'could expect higher assigned altitude by departure' (we were in fact cleared to eight thousand by the tower before takeoff). A TCA clearance sounds so much like an IFR clearance! Since I had asked for an IFR clearance, I had expected to receive an IFR clearance. Suggestion: listen very carefully to your clearance and never assume that you are going to get the clearance you ask for.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT INTERPRETED A TCA DEP CLRNC FOR AN IFR CLRNC AND CLIMBED THROUGH CLOUDS.

Narrative: WHAT HAPPENED: UNEVENTFUL TKOF AND CLIMB THRU A 200' THICK LAYER OF STRATUS CLOUDS WITH A VFR ATC CLRNC TO CLIMB THRU THE TCA AFTER TKOF FROM SAN DIEGO LINDBERGH FIELD. WHEN ON TOP AND IN VFR CONDITIONS WE ADVISED THE CTLR WE WERE CANCELLING IFR AT THAT TIME AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE HAD NOT HAD AN IFR CLRNC BUT A VFR TCA CLRNC. HOW WE DISCOVERED IT: WHEN WE CALLED DEP CTL AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS AFTER TKOF TO CANCEL IFR, THE DEP CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN. WE READ BACK OUR CLRNC 'TO CLIMB VIA RWY HDG' TO CLIMB 'TO EIGHT THOUSAND'. HE ADVISED US THAT THE CLRNC WE HAD READ BACK TO HIM WAS A VFR NOT AN IFR CLRNC. NO EVASIVE ACTION REQUIRED, NO TFC CONFLICT, NO SAFETY COMPROMISE. WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM? NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY. WHEN I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY FOR CLRNC I ASKED FOR: 'A TCA CLRNC TO CLIMB IFR TO VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP WBOUND...EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED...DEST NAVY SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND.' THE CLRNC I GOT WAS NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR. THE ORIGINAL CLRNC I GOT WAS TO 'MAINTAIN RWY HDG TO CLIMB TO MAINTAIN VFR AT FOUR THOUSAND.' I ADVISED CLRNC DELIVERY THAT FSS HAD REPORTED CLOUD TOPS AT THIRTY EIGHT HUNDRED FEET AND THAT WE WOULD NEED HIGHER TO GET TO VFR CONDITIONS. HE ADVISED THAT WE 'COULD EXPECT HIGHER ASSIGNED ALT BY DEP' (WE WERE IN FACT CLRED TO EIGHT THOUSAND BY THE TWR BEFORE TKOF). A TCA CLRNC SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE AN IFR CLRNC! SINCE I HAD ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC, I HAD EXPECTED TO RECEIVE AN IFR CLRNC. SUGGESTION: LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY TO YOUR CLRNC AND NEVER ASSUME THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET THE CLRNC YOU ASK FOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.