Narrative:

Filed two IFR flight plans round trip from leesburg (kjyo) to princeton (39N), on duats, departing jyo and 39N. Leaving kjyo, dulles (kiad) clearance delivery couldn't find my IFR flight plan, said it wasn't in the computer. I called FSS on my cell phone re-filed IFR. Then picked up clearance and flew IFR to 39N. On rtn leg, couldn't raise ny approach on the ground at 39N. Departed VFR, called ny approach to pickup IFR clearance in the air. They handed me off to philadelphia approach, said to get it from them. Philly approach couldn't find my clearance in the computer, instead cleared me thru the philly class B, VFR at 6500 ft, gave me a routing to my destination airport. My intent at that point was to stay VFR until I was in the baltimore/washington area, then air-file IFR to enter the dulles enhanced class B airspace (kjyo is inside that airspace, and an IFR clearance is currently required to enter the enhanced class B), as that would be simpler than negotiating an entire IFR route clearance with philly approach. Philly approach handed me off to baltimore approach, who handed me off to dulles approach. Nothing was said about my flight status. On handoff to dulles approach, I confirmed that I was cleared into the class B. Dulles approach did not inquire WX I was eligible to enter the airspace without an IFR clearance. Dulles approach vectored me toward kjyo, then when I saw the airport (4-5 mi out), I called, said, 'airport insight, cancel IFR.' dulles responded, 'you aren't IFR,' to which I replied, 'oh, yes, ok.' dulles then said, 'radar service terminated, squawk 1200, frequency change approved.' I landed at kjyo. During the drive home, I realized that I had forgotten to air-file IFR before entering the dulles enhanced class B airspace. I also later checked my logbook and found that I had not had three night landings within the past 90 days, as required since this flight began in daylight but ended at night. I had intended to get a 'pop-up' IFR clearance prior to entering the dulles enhanced class B airspace, but overlooked it because I was already talking to ATC, was on an assigned routing, altitude and squawk code, and it felt like I was already IFR, it simpy didn't occur to me at the time that I needed to get the IFR clearance. Regarding the night landing currency, I thought I was current and failed to check my logbook to verify that fact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20P PLT CONCERNED ABOUT LNDG JYO ARPT, WITHIN IAD CLASS B WITHOUT OBTAINING A PRIOR IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: FILED TWO IFR FLT PLANS ROUND TRIP FROM LEESBURG (KJYO) TO PRINCETON (39N), ON DUATS, DEPARTING JYO AND 39N. LEAVING KJYO, DULLES (KIAD) CLRNC DELIVERY COULDN'T FIND MY IFR FLT PLAN, SAID IT WASN'T IN THE COMPUTER. I CALLED FSS ON MY CELL PHONE RE-FILED IFR. THEN PICKED UP CLRNC AND FLEW IFR TO 39N. ON RTN LEG, COULDN'T RAISE NY APCH ON THE GND AT 39N. DEPARTED VFR, CALLED NY APCH TO PICKUP IFR CLRNC IN THE AIR. THEY HANDED ME OFF TO PHILADELPHIA APCH, SAID TO GET IT FROM THEM. PHILLY APCH COULDN'T FIND MY CLRNC IN THE COMPUTER, INSTEAD CLRED ME THRU THE PHILLY CLASS B, VFR AT 6500 FT, GAVE ME A ROUTING TO MY DEST ARPT. MY INTENT AT THAT POINT WAS TO STAY VFR UNTIL I WAS IN THE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON AREA, THEN AIR-FILE IFR TO ENTER THE DULLES ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE (KJYO IS INSIDE THAT AIRSPACE, AND AN IFR CLRNC IS CURRENTLY REQUIRED TO ENTER THE ENHANCED CLASS B), AS THAT WOULD BE SIMPLER THAN NEGOTIATING AN ENTIRE IFR ROUTE CLRNC WITH PHILLY APCH. PHILLY APCH HANDED ME OFF TO BALTIMORE APCH, WHO HANDED ME OFF TO DULLES APCH. NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT MY FLT STATUS. ON HANDOFF TO DULLES APCH, I CONFIRMED THAT I WAS CLRED INTO THE CLASS B. DULLES APCH DID NOT INQUIRE WX I WAS ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE WITHOUT AN IFR CLRNC. DULLES APCH VECTORED ME TOWARD KJYO, THEN WHEN I SAW THE ARPT (4-5 MI OUT), I CALLED, SAID, 'ARPT INSIGHT, CANCEL IFR.' DULLES RESPONDED, 'YOU AREN'T IFR,' TO WHICH I REPLIED, 'OH, YES, OK.' DULLES THEN SAID, 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED.' I LANDED AT KJYO. DURING THE DRIVE HOME, I REALIZED THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO AIR-FILE IFR BEFORE ENTERING THE DULLES ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE. I ALSO LATER CHECKED MY LOGBOOK AND FOUND THAT I HAD NOT HAD THREE NIGHT LANDINGS WITHIN THE PAST 90 DAYS, AS REQUIRED SINCE THIS FLT BEGAN IN DAYLIGHT BUT ENDED AT NIGHT. I HAD INTENDED TO GET A 'POP-UP' IFR CLRNC PRIOR TO ENTERING THE DULLES ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE, BUT OVERLOOKED IT BECAUSE I WAS ALREADY TALKING TO ATC, WAS ON AN ASSIGNED ROUTING, ALT AND SQUAWK CODE, AND IT FELT LIKE I WAS ALREADY IFR, IT SIMPY DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME AT THE TIME THAT I NEEDED TO GET THE IFR CLRNC. REGARDING THE NIGHT LANDING CURRENCY, I THOUGHT I WAS CURRENT AND FAILED TO CHECK MY LOGBOOK TO VERIFY THAT FACT.

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.