Small aircraft GA pilot reports on difficulty in obtaining an IFR clearance while on VFR flight plan...

Attributes
ACN	201747
Time
Date	199202
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ptw
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl tower : dfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	201747
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Departed ptw aircraft VFR to pickup IFR clearance in air. Philadelphia departure refused to look for clearance because of work load. Yelled that I should have picked clearance up on the ground. So I looked on my chart and no philadelphia clearance was available. It was not listed. So eventually I was going to pick it up en route but still had no frequency to pick it up. I received the clearance from this guy. Called clearance and he gave me a clearance off the airport to maintain 3000, 8000 (10) after etc... My problem is when I called center I was at 8500 going VFR which hadn't met the 3000 ft altitude clearance. This may be a problem because I was not at my clearance altitude. Initially I should have called center and said that I was VFR and I cannot accept the clearance given and worked with center on an appropriate clearance and altitude. I should have told him I was in a VFR climb and I would work with him.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA GA PLT RPTS ON DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING AN IFR CLRNC WHILE ON VFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: DEPARTED PTW ACFT VFR TO PICKUP IFR CLRNC IN AIR. PHILADELPHIA DEP REFUSED TO LOOK FOR CLRNC BECAUSE OF WORK LOAD. YELLED THAT I SHOULD HAVE PICKED CLRNC UP ON THE GND. SO I LOOKED ON MY CHART AND NO PHILADELPHIA CLRNC WAS AVAILABLE. IT WAS NOT LISTED. SO EVENTUALLY I WAS GOING TO PICK IT UP ENRTE BUT STILL HAD NO FREQ TO PICK IT UP. I RECEIVED THE CLRNC FROM THIS GUY. CALLED CLRNC AND HE GAVE ME A CLRNC OFF THE ARPT TO MAINTAIN 3000, 8000 (10) AFTER ETC... MY PROBLEM IS WHEN I CALLED CTR I WAS AT 8500 GOING VFR WHICH HADN'T MET THE 3000 FT ALT CLRNC. THIS MAY BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE I WAS NOT AT MY CLRNC ALT. INITIALLY I SHOULD HAVE CALLED CTR AND SAID THAT I WAS VFR AND I CANNOT ACCEPT THE CLRNC GIVEN AND WORKED WITH CTR ON AN APPROPRIATE CLRNC AND ALT. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM I WAS IN A VFR CLB AND I WOULD WORK WITH HIM.

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.