Narrative:

Upon landing at lfk, which is an uncontrolled airport, I tried to contact ZHU on the aircraft radio to close my IFR flight plan. I could not reach them, so I called on the phone (landline) and was put on hold for 20 mins. I found out it was due to outages on their end. Tornadoes and convective SIGMET was in effect at houston and angelina county. I finally got through to the FSS and cancelled the flight plan, and upon dropping off my passenger, immediately filed another plan to get out. They then told me to call clearance delivery who informed me I would have to wait about 15-20 mins for another aircraft coming in. I called clearance delivery back when the aircraft landed (on the landline) and they told me to contact ZHU on the aircraft's radio. ZHU said they hadn't received cancellation of the other aircraft's plan, so I gave them the north# (since the aircraft was parked next to me on the ramp) and ZHU then told me I was released. I took off immediately since the storm was moving my way at 20 KTS, but as I climbed out, talking ot ZHU, I realized I had never been read a clearance. I never heard 'cleared as filed,' and so on. However, clearance delivery had not asked me to call back, so I asked ZHU for a transponder code which they gave me and I never heard anything more. I believe I took off west/O an actual IFR clearance. I believe I should have called clearance delivery back on the landline and verified a clearance. But, with the outages from the storm I don't know if I would ever have gotten through again. I wish clearance delivery had told me who to contact for a clearance, or if I was supposed to call them back or what. There was some confusion on both ends.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAKES OFF FROM LFK WITHOUT HAVING RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AT LFK, WHICH IS AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT, I TRIED TO CONTACT ZHU ON THE ACFT RADIO TO CLOSE MY IFR FLT PLAN. I COULD NOT REACH THEM, SO I CALLED ON THE PHONE (LANDLINE) AND WAS PUT ON HOLD FOR 20 MINS. I FOUND OUT IT WAS DUE TO OUTAGES ON THEIR END. TORNADOES AND CONVECTIVE SIGMET WAS IN EFFECT AT HOUSTON AND ANGELINA COUNTY. I FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO THE FSS AND CANCELLED THE FLT PLAN, AND UPON DROPPING OFF MY PAX, IMMEDIATELY FILED ANOTHER PLAN TO GET OUT. THEY THEN TOLD ME TO CALL CLRNC DELIVERY WHO INFORMED ME I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT 15-20 MINS FOR ANOTHER ACFT COMING IN. I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY BACK WHEN THE ACFT LANDED (ON THE LANDLINE) AND THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZHU ON THE ACFT'S RADIO. ZHU SAID THEY HADN'T RECEIVED CANCELLATION OF THE OTHER ACFT'S PLAN, SO I GAVE THEM THE N# (SINCE THE ACFT WAS PARKED NEXT TO ME ON THE RAMP) AND ZHU THEN TOLD ME I WAS RELEASED. I TOOK OFF IMMEDIATELY SINCE THE STORM WAS MOVING MY WAY AT 20 KTS, BUT AS I CLBED OUT, TALKING OT ZHU, I REALIZED I HAD NEVER BEEN READ A CLRNC. I NEVER HEARD 'CLRED AS FILED,' AND SO ON. HOWEVER, CLRNC DELIVERY HAD NOT ASKED ME TO CALL BACK, SO I ASKED ZHU FOR A XPONDER CODE WHICH THEY GAVE ME AND I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING MORE. I BELIEVE I TOOK OFF W/O AN ACTUAL IFR CLRNC. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY BACK ON THE LANDLINE AND VERIFIED A CLRNC. BUT, WITH THE OUTAGES FROM THE STORM I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD EVER HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH AGAIN. I WISH CLRNC DELIVERY HAD TOLD ME WHO TO CONTACT FOR A CLRNC, OR IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL THEM BACK OR WHAT. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON BOTH ENDS.

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.