Narrative:

Xma X flight into 47N from south on previous day was given a toll free # to call ny TRACON to cancel flight plan. I did not need ot call at that time however because I cancelled in the air. The following morning I called the # to request information on the preferred routing to depart the area IFR southbound. I was given the route and requested a frequency to call TRACON to pick up my clearance airborne. I was issued a frequency. I departed 47N VFR, called TRACON on the correct frequency and was informed that the proper procedure was to call on the phone and receive clearance prior to departure. Consequently the controller refused to issue a clearance and I was left trying to navigation in hazy, unfamiliar congested airspace. I contacted the next facility down the line (atlantic city), but because they are in ZDC airspace not ZNY airspace, they had no record of my flight plan. I subsequently contacted millville FSS 2 or 3 times to refile, had a near midair collision over dover, de while still VFR and finally received my clearance from cover approach 1 1/2 hours after departure. This entire process could have been avoided if ny TRACON had not penalized me for not knowing the local unwritten rules (and especially after having specifically called the facility to try and get all the local procedures). The procedures they are using are a hazard to safe aircraft operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X FAILED TO FILE IFR FLT PLAN WITH FSS.

Narrative: XMA X FLT INTO 47N FROM S ON PREVIOUS DAY WAS GIVEN A TOLL FREE # TO CALL NY TRACON TO CANCEL FLT PLAN. I DID NOT NEED OT CALL AT THAT TIME HOWEVER BECAUSE I CANCELLED IN THE AIR. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I CALLED THE # TO REQUEST INFO ON THE PREFERRED RTING TO DEPART THE AREA IFR SBND. I WAS GIVEN THE RTE AND REQUESTED A FREQ TO CALL TRACON TO PICK UP MY CLRNC AIRBORNE. I WAS ISSUED A FREQ. I DEPARTED 47N VFR, CALLED TRACON ON THE CORRECT FREQ AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROPER PROC WAS TO CALL ON THE PHONE AND RECEIVE CLRNC PRIOR TO DEP. CONSEQUENTLY THE CTLR REFUSED TO ISSUE A CLRNC AND I WAS LEFT TRYING TO NAV IN HAZY, UNFAMILIAR CONGESTED AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED THE NEXT FAC DOWN THE LINE (ATLANTIC CITY), BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE IN ZDC AIRSPACE NOT ZNY AIRSPACE, THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY FLT PLAN. I SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED MILLVILLE FSS 2 OR 3 TIMES TO REFILE, HAD A NMAC OVER DOVER, DE WHILE STILL VFR AND FINALLY RECEIVED MY CLRNC FROM COVER APCH 1 1/2 HRS AFTER DEP. THIS ENTIRE PROCESS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF NY TRACON HAD NOT PENALIZED ME FOR NOT KNOWING THE LCL UNWRITTEN RULES (AND ESPECIALLY AFTER HAVING SPECIFICALLY CALLED THE FAC TO TRY AND GET ALL THE LCL PROCS). THE PROCS THEY ARE USING ARE A HAZARD TO SAFE ACFT OPS.

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.