Narrative:

Preparing to depart jyo for an IFR flight to uca, we attempted to obtain our IFR clearance from dulles approach/departure. After several unsuccessful attempts, we deplaned and went in to the leesburg FSS in person to get their assistance in obtaining the clearance. The helpful FSS specialist placed a telephone call to the dulles TRACON facility and obtained our clearance for us, writing it down on a blank flight plan form. After returning to the front desk, the specialist handed us the clearance and remarked that we were 'cleared as filed.' the routing the specialist had written down appeared to match our filed route and included all additional clearance items. After climbing through 400 ft, we turned direct EMI VOR (as filed), contacted dulles departure and waited about 2 mins before being told we were 'in radar contact.' shortly after that, the controller asked if we were proceeding direct EMI, to which we responded 'affirmative, as filed.' the controller then claimed we were not cleared direct EMI, but instead were cleared to some other VOR which I was not familiar with and certainly did not file. The controller gave us a north vector and shortly thereafter cleared us direct EMI without further incident. Lessons learned: 1) always obtain, copy and read back your own clearance and do not accept a hand-written clearance from someone else, even an FSS specialist. 2) this situation could have been easily avoided if the published frequency for clearance delivery was being monitored. We tried several times to reach dulles on the ground without success using the published clearance delivery frequencys. The FSS specialist also seemed aggravated that no one could be reached on the frequency 'again,' implying this may be a recurring issue at jyo.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT, AT A LCL ARPT AND UNABLE TO CONTACT IAD TRACON FOR A CLRNC, ENLISTED THE HELP OF AN FSS SPECIALIST WHO OBTAINED THE CLRNC FOR HIM, WITH THE REMARK CLRED AS FILED. ONCE AIRBORNE IT WAS REVEALED THE CLRNC AS COPIED WAS NOT 'AS FILED.'

Narrative: PREPARING TO DEPART JYO FOR AN IFR FLT TO UCA, WE ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN OUR IFR CLRNC FROM DULLES APCH/DEP. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS, WE DEPLANED AND WENT IN TO THE LEESBURG FSS IN PERSON TO GET THEIR ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING THE CLRNC. THE HELPFUL FSS SPECIALIST PLACED A TELEPHONE CALL TO THE DULLES TRACON FACILITY AND OBTAINED OUR CLRNC FOR US, WRITING IT DOWN ON A BLANK FLT PLAN FORM. AFTER RETURNING TO THE FRONT DESK, THE SPECIALIST HANDED US THE CLRNC AND REMARKED THAT WE WERE 'CLRED AS FILED.' THE ROUTING THE SPECIALIST HAD WRITTEN DOWN APPEARED TO MATCH OUR FILED RTE AND INCLUDED ALL ADDITIONAL CLRNC ITEMS. AFTER CLBING THROUGH 400 FT, WE TURNED DIRECT EMI VOR (AS FILED), CONTACTED DULLES DEP AND WAITED ABOUT 2 MINS BEFORE BEING TOLD WE WERE 'IN RADAR CONTACT.' SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT EMI, TO WHICH WE RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE, AS FILED.' THE CTLR THEN CLAIMED WE WERE NOT CLRED DIRECT EMI, BUT INSTEAD WERE CLRED TO SOME OTHER VOR WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH AND CERTAINLY DID NOT FILE. THE CTLR GAVE US A N VECTOR AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER CLRED US DIRECT EMI WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) ALWAYS OBTAIN, COPY AND READ BACK YOUR OWN CLRNC AND DO NOT ACCEPT A HAND-WRITTEN CLRNC FROM SOMEONE ELSE, EVEN AN FSS SPECIALIST. 2) THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY AVOIDED IF THE PUBLISHED FREQ FOR CLRNC DELIVERY WAS BEING MONITORED. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO REACH DULLES ON THE GND WITHOUT SUCCESS USING THE PUBLISHED CLRNC DELIVERY FREQS. THE FSS SPECIALIST ALSO SEEMED AGGRAVATED THAT NO ONE COULD BE REACHED ON THE FREQ 'AGAIN,' IMPLYING THIS MAY BE A RECURRING ISSUE AT JYO.

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.