Narrative:

On apr/xx/94, at xx PDT, I filed an IFR flight plan from san diego lindbergh to hermosillo, mexico with san diego flight service. At xx PDT, after having waited for 10 min plus from initial call to san diego clearance delivery and having no luck in obtaining my clearance, departed VFR planning on picking up my IFR clearance from tijuana approach. Upon contacting tij approach, after being handed over by san departure, I found out that tij had nothing on us. (Later I found out that san had never forwarded our flight plan to tij, usually done 30 min prior to filed takeoff time, this case to PDT.) consequently tij did not know that we were coming or of our needs. The tij controller stated that upon contacting all us agencies, he could not find anything on us. To compound matters further the co-pilot incorrectly reported our initial position, which I failed to correct. Having already penetrated his airspace 17500 ft without a clearance, the tij controller became very concerned above our location. After a 5 min delay while circling tij at 17,500 ft MSL, he obtained an IFR clearance to destination and, thanks to him, we were on our way. Supplemental information from acn 268396: started a new part time job as a first officer on a corp lear jet. I requested IFR clearance from san diego, as passenger and baggage were being loaded. While awaiting clearance, captain started engines. Clearance stated they were still trying to coordination with tijuana as we taxied out. After waiting about 5 min, captain directed me to request a VFR departure. San diego obliged and we departed. They handed us off to tijuana approach and the trouble began. They had no idea we were being handed off and could not find our IFR clearance. We pleaded with tij approach that we had indeed filed an IFR flight plan. They could not find it. Finally we were given a left turn, 180 degree, back to tij VOR, on course at 13500. IFR clearance and a climb were given after joining J-5 south of tij VOR. Controller stated we were in conflict with a 737 on their TCASII. We never saw any traffic. We then phoned tij approach and spoke to the controller. He stated they had to make several phone calls before finding our IFR flight plan. Lessons learned: departing busy airspace VFR on an IFR flight plan is not worth the hassle, the few min saved trying to please the boss can easily backfire. No more VFR departures from class B airspace. As in my part 135 experience, no engine starts until clearance has been received.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP LEAR JET DEP VFR AFTER A LONG WAIT FOR ITS IFR CLRNC TO NO AVAIL

Narrative: ON APR/XX/94, AT XX PDT, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM SAN DIEGO LINDBERGH TO HERMOSILLO, MEXICO WITH SAN DIEGO FLT SVC. AT XX PDT, AFTER HAVING WAITED FOR 10 MIN PLUS FROM INITIAL CALL TO SAN DIEGO CLRNC DELIVERY AND HAVING NO LUCK IN OBTAINING MY CLRNC, DEPARTED VFR PLANNING ON PICKING UP MY IFR CLRNC FROM TIJUANA APCH. UPON CONTACTING TIJ APCH, AFTER BEING HANDED OVER BY SAN DEP, I FOUND OUT THAT TIJ HAD NOTHING ON US. (LATER I FOUND OUT THAT SAN HAD NEVER FORWARDED OUR FLT PLAN TO TIJ, USUALLY DONE 30 MIN PRIOR TO FILED TKOF TIME, THIS CASE TO PDT.) CONSEQUENTLY TIJ DID NOT KNOW THAT WE WERE COMING OR OF OUR NEEDS. THE TIJ CTLR STATED THAT UPON CONTACTING ALL US AGENCIES, HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ON US. TO COMPOUND MATTERS FURTHER THE CO-PLT INCORRECTLY RPTED OUR INITIAL POS, WHICH I FAILED TO CORRECT. HAVING ALREADY PENETRATED HIS AIRSPACE 17500 FT WITHOUT A CLRNC, THE TIJ CTLR BECAME VERY CONCERNED ABOVE OUR LOCATION. AFTER A 5 MIN DELAY WHILE CIRCLING TIJ AT 17,500 FT MSL, HE OBTAINED AN IFR CLRNC TO DESTINATION AND, THANKS TO HIM, WE WERE ON OUR WAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 268396: STARTED A NEW PART TIME JOB AS A FO ON A CORP LEAR JET. I REQUESTED IFR CLRNC FROM SAN DIEGO, AS PAX AND BAGGAGE WERE BEING LOADED. WHILE AWAITING CLRNC, CAPT STARTED ENGS. CLRNC STATED THEY WERE STILL TRYING TO COORD WITH TIJUANA AS WE TAXIED OUT. AFTER WAITING ABOUT 5 MIN, CAPT DIRECTED ME TO REQUEST A VFR DEP. SAN DIEGO OBLIGED AND WE DEPARTED. THEY HANDED US OFF TO TIJUANA APCH AND THE TROUBLE BEGAN. THEY HAD NO IDEA WE WERE BEING HANDED OFF AND COULD NOT FIND OUR IFR CLRNC. WE PLEADED WITH TIJ APCH THAT WE HAD INDEED FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. THEY COULD NOT FIND IT. FINALLY WE WERE GIVEN A L TURN, 180 DEG, BACK TO TIJ VOR, ON COURSE AT 13500. IFR CLRNC AND A CLB WERE GIVEN AFTER JOINING J-5 S OF TIJ VOR. CTLR STATED WE WERE IN CONFLICT WITH A 737 ON THEIR TCASII. WE NEVER SAW ANY TFC. WE THEN PHONED TIJ APCH AND SPOKE TO THE CTLR. HE STATED THEY HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS BEFORE FINDING OUR IFR FLT PLAN. LESSONS LEARNED: DEPARTING BUSY AIRSPACE VFR ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IS NOT WORTH THE HASSLE, THE FEW MIN SAVED TRYING TO PLEASE THE BOSS CAN EASILY BACKFIRE. NO MORE VFR DEPS FROM CLASS B AIRSPACE. AS IN MY PART 135 EXPERIENCE, NO ENG STARTS UNTIL CLRNC HAS BEEN RECEIVED.

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.