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Pilot of a cargo C208B leveled off at an odd IFR altitude instead of an appropriate VFR altitude to which he was cleared during departure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 459287 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : fim.vortac |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Caravan 1 208A |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 459287 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I filed an IFR clearance from smx to ont. I climbed up to and leveled off at 11000 ft. I was told a short time later that I was granted an IFR clearance with a VFR on top altitude. I was told the proper altitude was 9500 ft or 11500 ft, a misunderstanding. I've never seen a clearance where if you choose to go IFR and no VFR in the wording you are given VFR altitudes. My question is what is the difference between somebody that is VFR and level 11500 ft, and somebody that is on an IFR clearance with VFR on top and level 11500 ft. I planned to ask for hard IFR altitudes in the future to cut down on any misunderstandings. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was a relief pilot for this scheduled cargo flight and picked up his actual IFR clearance in the air after takeoff since the tower was closed and ZLA handled the flight plan which was stored with them. The first controller cleared him as filed. However, the second controller apparently did not know that he was on an IFR flight plan and believed him to be VFR on top. Therefore, the main problem was with the ZLA intrafac coordination. The matter was subsequently handled without delay or incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A CARGO C208B LEVELED OFF AT AN ODD IFR ALT INSTEAD OF AN APPROPRIATE VFR ALT TO WHICH HE WAS CLRED DURING DEP.
Narrative: I FILED AN IFR CLRNC FROM SMX TO ONT. I CLBED UP TO AND LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT. I WAS TOLD A SHORT TIME LATER THAT I WAS GRANTED AN IFR CLRNC WITH A VFR ON TOP ALT. I WAS TOLD THE PROPER ALT WAS 9500 FT OR 11500 FT, A MISUNDERSTANDING. I'VE NEVER SEEN A CLRNC WHERE IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO IFR AND NO VFR IN THE WORDING YOU ARE GIVEN VFR ALTS. MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BTWN SOMEBODY THAT IS VFR AND LEVEL 11500 FT, AND SOMEBODY THAT IS ON AN IFR CLRNC WITH VFR ON TOP AND LEVEL 11500 FT. I PLANNED TO ASK FOR HARD IFR ALTS IN THE FUTURE TO CUT DOWN ON ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS A RELIEF PLT FOR THIS SCHEDULED CARGO FLT AND PICKED UP HIS ACTUAL IFR CLRNC IN THE AIR AFTER TKOF SINCE THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND ZLA HANDLED THE FLT PLAN WHICH WAS STORED WITH THEM. THE FIRST CTLR CLRED HIM AS FILED. HOWEVER, THE SECOND CTLR APPARENTLY DID NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND BELIEVED HIM TO BE VFR ON TOP. THEREFORE, THE MAIN PROB WAS WITH THE ZLA INTRAFAC COORD. THE MATTER WAS SUBSEQUENTLY HANDLED WITHOUT DELAY OR INCIDENT.
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.