Narrative:

After departing btt on the next leg of atx flight, I contacted btt FSS to file a VFR flight plan. I gave the same information I had submitted hundreds of times before. After a long pause the FSS specialist replied he needed additional information and asked for first pilot's name and # of passenger on board. My reply was that the requested information was on file at company. After a somewhat lengthy pause a nervous and stressful voice came back and again insisted on the requested information. Uncertain as to what was happening, but realizing that something was strangely different than the hundreds of conversations I have had with this FSS, I terminated the conversation by telling FSS to cancel the flight plan. I was, at that point, about to be out of range to continue radio contact with btt FSS. I could not supply the requested information for the other 2 legs of flight because I simply did not know how many passenger I would have on each leg. I continued the flight and returned to fai within 15 mins of my estimated arrival time of my company flight plan. I later was able to determine that the problem in btt was the result of 2 FSS observers from anc who were unwilling to accept the flight plan as filed and were insisting that the FSS specialist on duty obtain the additional information. Rules should be very clear. If an abbreviated flight plan is acceptable at any time,then it should be acceptable at all times. Within 2 hours after this incident I filed 2 more VFR flight plans with fai FSS and supplied only flight #, type aircraft, route, time and fuel. Something seems to be wrong somewhere.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT IS UNABLE TO COMPLETE FILING OF VFR FLT PLAN WITH BTT FSS BECAUSE FSS INSISTED ON KNOWING # OF PASSENGERS ABOARD AND PLT'S NAME. NEITHER OF THESE ITEMS ARE INCLUDED IN THE COMPANY'S CANNED FLT PLAN AND WERE NEVER REQUIRED BEFORE.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING BTT ON THE NEXT LEG OF ATX FLT, I CONTACTED BTT FSS TO FILE A VFR FLT PLAN. I GAVE THE SAME INFO I HAD SUBMITTED HUNDREDS OF TIMES BEFORE. AFTER A LONG PAUSE THE FSS SPECIALIST REPLIED HE NEEDED ADDITIONAL INFO AND ASKED FOR FIRST PLT'S NAME AND # OF PAX ON BOARD. MY REPLY WAS THAT THE REQUESTED INFO WAS ON FILE AT COMPANY. AFTER A SOMEWHAT LENGTHY PAUSE A NERVOUS AND STRESSFUL VOICE CAME BACK AND AGAIN INSISTED ON THE REQUESTED INFO. UNCERTAIN AS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BUT REALIZING THAT SOMETHING WAS STRANGELY DIFFERENT THAN THE HUNDREDS OF CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS FSS, I TERMINATED THE CONVERSATION BY TELLING FSS TO CANCEL THE FLT PLAN. I WAS, AT THAT POINT, ABOUT TO BE OUT OF RANGE TO CONTINUE RADIO CONTACT WITH BTT FSS. I COULD NOT SUPPLY THE REQUESTED INFO FOR THE OTHER 2 LEGS OF FLT BECAUSE I SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW HOW MANY PAX I WOULD HAVE ON EACH LEG. I CONTINUED THE FLT AND RETURNED TO FAI WITHIN 15 MINS OF MY ESTIMATED ARR TIME OF MY COMPANY FLT PLAN. I LATER WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROB IN BTT WAS THE RESULT OF 2 FSS OBSERVERS FROM ANC WHO WERE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THE FLT PLAN AS FILED AND WERE INSISTING THAT THE FSS SPECIALIST ON DUTY OBTAIN THE ADDITIONAL INFO. RULES SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR. IF AN ABBREVIATED FLT PLAN IS ACCEPTABLE AT ANY TIME,THEN IT SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE AT ALL TIMES. WITHIN 2 HRS AFTER THIS INCIDENT I FILED 2 MORE VFR FLT PLANS WITH FAI FSS AND SUPPLIED ONLY FLT #, TYPE ACFT, RTE, TIME AND FUEL. SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE WRONG SOMEWHERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.