Narrative:

In the evening we departed hayward (hwd) off runway 28 with what we believed to be an IFR clearance. I received this clearance from oakland clearance as hayward tower was closed. The clearance I copied, read back and oakland confirmed was as follows: 'aircraft X cleared to reno, enter controled airspace on a heading of 160 degrees, radar vectors to victor six, sacramento, direct,. Climb and maintain 2000 ft, expect FL210 in 10 mins, contact departure on 136.4, squawk XXXX.' mins later, we departed runway 28, turned to a heading of 160 degrees and contacted departure. It took a few moments to establish contact, as the frequency was busy. Once contact was established, ATC reported having 'no IFR flight plan' on us, to which I responded that we had been issued a clearance. Moments later, we were handed off to another controller who confirmed our destination (rno), gave us a new altitude and heading as well as a different squawk. Shortly after that, they (ATC) reissued our originally assigned transponder code and gave us further vectors to the arrival into reno. After this point, no further confusion ensued. It seems as though ATC's confusion is a major contributing factor in the events spelled out above. In hindsight, it would have been a good idea to contact oakland clearance immediately before departure, though we did not believe this necessary given the content of our clearance. In the future, a situation like this could be avoided by the crew double-checking with ATC, regardless of clearance, that it is ready for that aircraft when departing non-twred airports. A subsequent telephone call to the norcal facility and conversation with supervisor indicated that the confusion was due to a shift change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN HS125 CREW DEPARTING HWD ON IFR CLRNC RECEIVED FROM OAK TWR AND ON CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WAS ADVISED AS HAVING NO FLT PLAN.

Narrative: IN THE EVENING WE DEPARTED HAYWARD (HWD) OFF RWY 28 WITH WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE AN IFR CLRNC. I RECEIVED THIS CLRNC FROM OAKLAND CLRNC AS HAYWARD TWR WAS CLOSED. THE CLRNC I COPIED, READ BACK AND OAKLAND CONFIRMED WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'ACFT X CLRED TO RENO, ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HEADING OF 160 DEGS, RADAR VECTORS TO VICTOR SIX, SACRAMENTO, DIRECT,. CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT, EXPECT FL210 IN 10 MINS, CONTACT DEP ON 136.4, SQUAWK XXXX.' MINS LATER, WE DEPARTED RWY 28, TURNED TO A HEADING OF 160 DEGS AND CONTACTED DEP. IT TOOK A FEW MOMENTS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT, AS THE FREQ WAS BUSY. ONCE CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED, ATC RPTED HAVING 'NO IFR FLT PLAN' ON US, TO WHICH I RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A CLRNC. MOMENTS LATER, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO CONFIRMED OUR DEST (RNO), GAVE US A NEW ALT AND HEADING AS WELL AS A DIFFERENT SQUAWK. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THEY (ATC) REISSUED OUR ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE AND GAVE US FURTHER VECTORS TO THE ARR INTO RENO. AFTER THIS POINT, NO FURTHER CONFUSION ENSUED. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH ATC'S CONFUSION IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THE EVENTS SPELLED OUT ABOVE. IN HINDSIGHT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT OAKLAND CLRNC IMMEDIATELY BEFORE DEP, THOUGH WE DID NOT BELIEVE THIS NECESSARY GIVEN THE CONTENT OF OUR CLRNC. IN THE FUTURE, A SIT LIKE THIS COULD BE AVOIDED BY THE CREW DOUBLE-CHKING WITH ATC, REGARDLESS OF CLRNC, THAT IT IS READY FOR THAT ACFT WHEN DEPARTING NON-TWRED ARPTS. A SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CALL TO THE NORCAL FACILITY AND CONVERSATION WITH SUPVR INDICATED THAT THE CONFUSION WAS DUE TO A SHIFT CHANGE.

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.