Narrative:

During a commuter flight between grand canyon, az, and las vegas, nv, crew filed IFR flight plan with prescott radio because of a line of clouds, rain, and snow showers approximately halfway to las vegas. Aircraft and crew were fully certified for IFR flight although flts are normally conducted single pilot VFR. Gcn ground controller issued clearance as follows: 'cleared to las vegas airport as filed, climb and maintain 10000, departure frequency la center on 124.2, squawk abcd.' crew understood as filed to be the direct routing used by nearly all IFR canyon operators and believed that was the routing requested of prescott FSS. After an uneventful takeoff in excellent VFR conditions, crew turned on course direct to las heading 265 degree. Radio contact with la center was established passing 9000 ft at approximately 3 DME west of gcn. La reported: 'standby for radar identify.' frequency was very busy. Continued climb to 10000 still in good VFR conditions. Approximately 5 mins later, still VFR, la center said, 'radar contact 15 mi west gcn, what are you showing as your route clearance?' 'we're showing direct las vegas.' 'we have you gcn, V210 peach springs crowe 6 arrival.' after requesting direct routing, la center approved. Shortly thereafter, we entered IMC. Crew apologized for communication error -- controller sounded very annoyed. Crew offered to accept 12000 ft in order to alleviate any potential traffic conflicts up ahead and was cleared to 12. Contributing factors: poor communication with FSS, frequency congestion on la center, poor radar and communication frequency coverage in sector in question. Corrective action: request full route clearance from clearance delivery instead of 'as filed' whenever in doubt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLC DID NOT FOLLOW THE NAV ROUTING TO WHICH CLRED BY ATC DUE TO A LACK OF COM WITH ATC.

Narrative: DURING A COMMUTER FLT BTWN GRAND CANYON, AZ, AND LAS VEGAS, NV, CREW FILED IFR FLT PLAN WITH PRESCOTT RADIO BECAUSE OF A LINE OF CLOUDS, RAIN, AND SNOW SHOWERS APPROX HALFWAY TO LAS VEGAS. ACFT AND CREW WERE FULLY CERTIFIED FOR IFR FLT ALTHOUGH FLTS ARE NORMALLY CONDUCTED SINGLE PLT VFR. GCN GND CTLR ISSUED CLRNC AS FOLLOWS: 'CLRED TO LAS VEGAS ARPT AS FILED, CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000, DEP FREQ LA CTR ON 124.2, SQUAWK ABCD.' CREW UNDERSTOOD AS FILED TO BE THE DIRECT ROUTING USED BY NEARLY ALL IFR CANYON OPERATORS AND BELIEVED THAT WAS THE ROUTING REQUESTED OF PRESCOTT FSS. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF IN EXCELLENT VFR CONDITIONS, CREW TURNED ON COURSE DIRECT TO LAS HDG 265 DEG. RADIO CONTACT WITH LA CTR WAS ESTABLISHED PASSING 9000 FT AT APPROX 3 DME W OF GCN. LA RPTED: 'STANDBY FOR RADAR IDENT.' FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. CONTINUED CLB TO 10000 STILL IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS. APPROX 5 MINS LATER, STILL VFR, LA CTR SAID, 'RADAR CONTACT 15 MI W GCN, WHAT ARE YOU SHOWING AS YOUR RTE CLRNC?' 'WE'RE SHOWING DIRECT LAS VEGAS.' 'WE HAVE YOU GCN, V210 PEACH SPRINGS CROWE 6 ARR.' AFTER REQUESTING DIRECT ROUTING, LA CTR APPROVED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE ENTERED IMC. CREW APOLOGIZED FOR COM ERROR -- CTLR SOUNDED VERY ANNOYED. CREW OFFERED TO ACCEPT 12000 FT IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE ANY POTENTIAL TFC CONFLICTS UP AHEAD AND WAS CLRED TO 12. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: POOR COM WITH FSS, FREQ CONGESTION ON LA CTR, POOR RADAR AND COM FREQ COVERAGE IN SECTOR IN QUESTION. CORRECTIVE ACTION: REQUEST FULL RTE CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY INSTEAD OF 'AS FILED' WHENEVER IN DOUBT.

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.