Narrative:

I was on a IFR cross country training flight. My student filed the IFR flight plan under my name from gxy to gll, V220/ako. The opposite was filed for the return trip. We received the clearance on the ground at gxy. They gave us radar vectors to ako. We asked to fly the airways for training and that was approved. Our controller at ako from ZDV was busy with arriving den traffic. So he cleared us for the visual approach at ako. We asked for the VOR approach and our return clearance to gxy. He cleared us for the VOR approach and asked us to call FSS to get our return clearance to gxy. We called denver radio on 122.55 to get our clearance and they said they would be happy to help us, but it didn't make any sense to get our clearance from them because they would have to call ZDV to get the clearance. We said we would call center after we finished the approach. After flying the approach, we started back towards gxy instead of flying the missed approach procedure. We called center at about 7000 ft MSL, (missed approach altitude was 6000 ft MSL) and center advised us he expected us to fly the missed approach procedure and not fly back towards gxy. We thought he wanted us to call him after the approach and on our way back to gxy. Center told us that the airspace was protected for other possible traffic and he wanted to make sure we understood that. We thanked him and continued back to gxy on our IFR flight plan. The outside conditions were VFR and we should have canceled IFR before the approach and then gotten a new clearance on our way back to gxy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR PLT IN AN SMA MISUNDERSTOOD HIS IFR CLRNC. HEADING TRACK DEV. ALT DEV.

Narrative: I WAS ON A IFR XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT. MY STUDENT FILED THE IFR FLT PLAN UNDER MY NAME FROM GXY TO GLL, V220/AKO. THE OPPOSITE WAS FILED FOR THE RETURN TRIP. WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC ON THE GND AT GXY. THEY GAVE US RADAR VECTORS TO AKO. WE ASKED TO FLY THE AIRWAYS FOR TRAINING AND THAT WAS APPROVED. OUR CTLR AT AKO FROM ZDV WAS BUSY WITH ARRIVING DEN TFC. SO HE CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH AT AKO. WE ASKED FOR THE VOR APCH AND OUR RETURN CLRNC TO GXY. HE CLRED US FOR THE VOR APCH AND ASKED US TO CALL FSS TO GET OUR RETURN CLRNC TO GXY. WE CALLED DENVER RADIO ON 122.55 TO GET OUR CLRNC AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP US, BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO GET OUR CLRNC FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO CALL ZDV TO GET THE CLRNC. WE SAID WE WOULD CALL CTR AFTER WE FINISHED THE APCH. AFTER FLYING THE APCH, WE STARTED BACK TOWARDS GXY INSTEAD OF FLYING THE MISSED APCH PROC. WE CALLED CTR AT ABOUT 7000 FT MSL, (MISSED APCH ALT WAS 6000 FT MSL) AND CTR ADVISED US HE EXPECTED US TO FLY THE MISSED APCH PROC AND NOT FLY BACK TOWARDS GXY. WE THOUGHT HE WANTED US TO CALL HIM AFTER THE APCH AND ON OUR WAY BACK TO GXY. CTR TOLD US THAT THE AIRSPACE WAS PROTECTED FOR OTHER POSSIBLE TFC AND HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT. WE THANKED HIM AND CONTINUED BACK TO GXY ON OUR IFR FLT PLAN. THE OUTSIDE CONDITIONS WERE VFR AND WE SHOULD HAVE CANCELED IFR BEFORE THE APCH AND THEN GOTTEN A NEW CLRNC ON OUR WAY BACK TO GXY.

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.