Captain of a beech king air, BE200 on an air ambulance part 91 flight was holding at an altitude below class B airspace waiting for IFR clearance when ATC cleared the flight to higher altitude. Reporter responded by climbing and then the controller came back and said they were told to maintain their original altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	455940
Time
Date	199911
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Super King Air 200 HDC
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3750 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	455940
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We departed fws VFR to the east, climbed to 2500 ft MSL and contacted departure to pick up our IFR clearance. The controller told us to maintain 2500 ft and we were given a squawk code. Then we were told to climb to 3500 ft and expect 4000 ft. As we climbed through 3000 ft the controller called us and said we were told to maintain 3000 ft. It was clear to us that controller's workload was too high at that time. At the time we were not yet on an IFR clearance and I think we were still clear of class B airspace. We realize that obtaining an IFR clearance after takeoff places a higher workload on ATC but this is a standard procedure for us when departing our home field to go on a mission. It was not our idea to vacate 2500 ft, we were only doing what we were told to do by ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A BEECH KING AIR, BE200 ON AN AIR AMBULANCE PART 91 FLT WAS HOLDING AT AN ALT BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE WAITING FOR IFR CLRNC WHEN ATC CLRED THE FLT TO HIGHER ALT. RPTR RESPONDED BY CLBING AND THEN THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID THEY WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN THEIR ORIGINAL ALT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED FWS VFR TO THE E, CLBED TO 2500 FT MSL AND CONTACTED DEP TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC. THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT AND WE WERE GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. THEN WE WERE TOLD TO CLB TO 3500 FT AND EXPECT 4000 FT. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 3000 FT THE CTLR CALLED US AND SAID WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. IT WAS CLR TO US THAT CTLR'S WORKLOAD WAS TOO HIGH AT THAT TIME. AT THE TIME WE WERE NOT YET ON AN IFR CLRNC AND I THINK WE WERE STILL CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE REALIZE THAT OBTAINING AN IFR CLRNC AFTER TKOF PLACES A HIGHER WORKLOAD ON ATC BUT THIS IS A STANDARD PROC FOR US WHEN DEPARTING OUR HOME FIELD TO GO ON A MISSION. IT WAS NOT OUR IDEA TO VACATE 2500 FT, WE WERE ONLY DOING WHAT WE WERE TOLD TO DO BY ATC.

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.