Narrative:

We were at tofino, canada (cyaz) awaiting 8 passenger for a part 91 flight to boeing field, wa (bfi). While I was on the phone inside a nearby shop, trying to locate the release and flight plan for our next leg to bfi, the first officer called vancouver center on 132.9 for our IFR clearance. Vancouver center told the first officer to all nanaimo radio for clearance. The first officer then called radio and was given the IFR clearance. The first officer was not given any special instructions or a void time (and didn't request one). The first officer loaded the FMS and readied the aircraft approximately 30 mins prior to scheduled departure time as per company SOP. I returned from a mobile trailer (where I was able to locate a facsimile machine) near the ramp. I informed the first officer that the flight plan was being re-faxed (original was lost). The first officer responded that he had already called for and received the clearance. The passenger arrived at approximately XA00 pm. Our scheduled departure time. As the last passenger boarded, the shop owner walked up to me with a note that showed local frequency and was signed by ATC manager and asked me if we were a cessna citation. I took the note and boarded the aircraft. At approximately XA20 pm, engines were started. The first officer made a TA call on CTAF advising of our intention to taxi from the ramp. At that point, aircraft Y, which was inbound to tofino, responded to our traffic call and told us vancouver center was looking for us on 132.9. We called vancouver center on 132.9 and were told that the ATC manager wanted us to call him and that our flight clearance was canceled. Center then told us to contact him for clearance when we were ready for takeoff. Once we landed at bfi, I contacted my company about vancouver center's request to call them. Apparently, when nanaimo radio gave my first officer our clearance, center assumed we were ready to take off despite the fact radio never asked my first officer if that was the case and my first officer never indicated that was the case. We weren't scheduled to depart for another 30 mins. At approximately our departure time, canadian ATC apparently thought we were 30 mins late contacting them after takeoff, so they supposedly began a sar effort to locate us. There was no FBO at this airport or even a pay phone nearby. ATC called the shop hoping the owner would walk out to the ramp to see if we were there hence, the note I was handed just before our departure. The misunderstanding regarding our clearance was that we asked for our clearance 30 mins prior to departure in order to have the aircraft ready (in accordance with company SOP). ATC assumed we were asking for our clearance immediately before takeoff which was not the case. Aircraft experienced an identical miscom problem at cyaz later that day. From now on, for all flts originating in canada at uncontrolled airfields, our company will include in the 'leg briefing' notes and cautions a note directing the crew to call for clearance only when at the end of the runway and ready for takeoff since canadian ATC does not issue void time clrncs and assumes, in all cases, you are ready for takeoff when you call for your clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C560 FLT CREW IS CONFUSED REGARDING CANADIAN IFR CLRNC RELEASE PROCS AT CYAZ.

Narrative: WE WERE AT TOFINO, CANADA (CYAZ) AWAITING 8 PAX FOR A PART 91 FLT TO BOEING FIELD, WA (BFI). WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE INSIDE A NEARBY SHOP, TRYING TO LOCATE THE RELEASE AND FLT PLAN FOR OUR NEXT LEG TO BFI, THE FO CALLED VANCOUVER CTR ON 132.9 FOR OUR IFR CLRNC. VANCOUVER CTR TOLD THE FO TO ALL NANAIMO RADIO FOR CLRNC. THE FO THEN CALLED RADIO AND WAS GIVEN THE IFR CLRNC. THE FO WAS NOT GIVEN ANY SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR A VOID TIME (AND DIDN'T REQUEST ONE). THE FO LOADED THE FMS AND READIED THE ACFT APPROX 30 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP TIME AS PER COMPANY SOP. I RETURNED FROM A MOBILE TRAILER (WHERE I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A FAX MACHINE) NEAR THE RAMP. I INFORMED THE FO THAT THE FLT PLAN WAS BEING RE-FAXED (ORIGINAL WAS LOST). THE FO RESPONDED THAT HE HAD ALREADY CALLED FOR AND RECEIVED THE CLRNC. THE PAX ARRIVED AT APPROX XA00 PM. OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME. AS THE LAST PAX BOARDED, THE SHOP OWNER WALKED UP TO ME WITH A NOTE THAT SHOWED LCL FREQ AND WAS SIGNED BY ATC MGR AND ASKED ME IF WE WERE A CESSNA CITATION. I TOOK THE NOTE AND BOARDED THE ACFT. AT APPROX XA20 PM, ENGS WERE STARTED. THE FO MADE A TA CALL ON CTAF ADVISING OF OUR INTENTION TO TAXI FROM THE RAMP. AT THAT POINT, ACFT Y, WHICH WAS INBOUND TO TOFINO, RESPONDED TO OUR TFC CALL AND TOLD US VANCOUVER CTR WAS LOOKING FOR US ON 132.9. WE CALLED VANCOUVER CTR ON 132.9 AND WERE TOLD THAT THE ATC MGR WANTED US TO CALL HIM AND THAT OUR FLT CLRNC WAS CANCELED. CTR THEN TOLD US TO CONTACT HIM FOR CLRNC WHEN WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. ONCE WE LANDED AT BFI, I CONTACTED MY COMPANY ABOUT VANCOUVER CTR'S REQUEST TO CALL THEM. APPARENTLY, WHEN NANAIMO RADIO GAVE MY FO OUR CLRNC, CTR ASSUMED WE WERE READY TO TAKE OFF DESPITE THE FACT RADIO NEVER ASKED MY FO IF THAT WAS THE CASE AND MY FO NEVER INDICATED THAT WAS THE CASE. WE WEREN'T SCHEDULED TO DEPART FOR ANOTHER 30 MINS. AT APPROX OUR DEP TIME, CANADIAN ATC APPARENTLY THOUGHT WE WERE 30 MINS LATE CONTACTING THEM AFTER TKOF, SO THEY SUPPOSEDLY BEGAN A SAR EFFORT TO LOCATE US. THERE WAS NO FBO AT THIS ARPT OR EVEN A PAY PHONE NEARBY. ATC CALLED THE SHOP HOPING THE OWNER WOULD WALK OUT TO THE RAMP TO SEE IF WE WERE THERE HENCE, THE NOTE I WAS HANDED JUST BEFORE OUR DEP. THE MISUNDERSTANDING REGARDING OUR CLRNC WAS THAT WE ASKED FOR OUR CLRNC 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP IN ORDER TO HAVE THE ACFT READY (IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY SOP). ATC ASSUMED WE WERE ASKING FOR OUR CLRNC IMMEDIATELY BEFORE TKOF WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE. ACFT EXPERIENCED AN IDENTICAL MISCOM PROB AT CYAZ LATER THAT DAY. FROM NOW ON, FOR ALL FLTS ORIGINATING IN CANADA AT UNCTLED AIRFIELDS, OUR COMPANY WILL INCLUDE IN THE 'LEG BRIEFING' NOTES AND CAUTIONS A NOTE DIRECTING THE CREW TO CALL FOR CLRNC ONLY WHEN AT THE END OF THE RWY AND READY FOR TKOF SINCE CANADIAN ATC DOES NOT ISSUE VOID TIME CLRNCS AND ASSUMES, IN ALL CASES, YOU ARE READY FOR TKOF WHEN YOU CALL FOR YOUR CLRNC.

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.