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PA44 pilots take off without IFR clearance from uncontrolled airport and attempt to activate IFR clearance in IMC.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 620655 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200406 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ccb.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Weather Elements | Fog |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | departure : vfr |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : observer observation : passenger |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | controller radar : 3 flight time last 90 days : 137.1 flight time total : 276.4 flight time type : 119.2 |
| ASRS Report | 620655 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | controller radar : 1 flight time last 90 days : 137 flight time total : 211.3 flight time type : 113.2 |
| ASRS Report | 621039 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I met my partner at the airport at about XA20 am at the airplane where he was performing the preflight checklist. He had filed our IFR flight plan with FSS on the airport prior to my arrival. We were going to take the plane for a check ride. I put my bags in the airplane and we fired up and taxied to the active runway using the CTAF because of non-twred operation hours. After performing our run-up checklist, we tried contacting ATC several times from the run-up area to get a clearance. We were unsuccessful in doing so because we couldn't pick up a radio signal. Because of our lack of experience with non-twred operations in IFR conditions, my partner and I decided to take off and contact ATC immediately right after, knowing that we would be able to receive a signal. We have taken off non-twred operations before and contacted ATC, but the WX was VFR. At about XA50 at about 200 ft AGL, we successfully contacted ATC and tried to open our flight plan. ATC replied, 'clearance on request, maintain VFR.' we replied, 'unable to do so at this time.' ATC replied, 'then you must return to the departing airport.' at that point we knew that we had done something wrong and I knew it was impossible to return to the airport because it was below minimums. I just told my partner don't worry about it now and just focus on flying the airplane and get us out of these clouds. We broke out at around 1000 ft AGL and turned south of pdz VOR to stay clear of the ont class C airspace. We contacted ATC again and they cleared us to ccb and told us to call the controling agency's phone number once we had landed. Supplemental information from acn 621039: how this incredibly obvious error got past 2 instrument rated pilots is beyond me: lack of experience/recently IFR rated. In a hurry as we were already running late/get-there-itis. In similar sits having always obtained IFR clearance after departure if the tower was not yet in operation (but in all prior cases in VFR conditions). Perhaps thinking too far ahead in regards to the check ride/being anxious.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA44 PLTS TAKE OFF WITHOUT IFR CLRNC FROM UNCTLED ARPT AND ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE IFR CLRNC IN IMC.
Narrative: I MET MY PARTNER AT THE ARPT AT ABOUT XA20 AM AT THE AIRPLANE WHERE HE WAS PERFORMING THE PREFLT CHKLIST. HE HAD FILED OUR IFR FLT PLAN WITH FSS ON THE ARPT PRIOR TO MY ARR. WE WERE GOING TO TAKE THE PLANE FOR A CHK RIDE. I PUT MY BAGS IN THE AIRPLANE AND WE FIRED UP AND TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE RWY USING THE CTAF BECAUSE OF NON-TWRED OP HRS. AFTER PERFORMING OUR RUN-UP CHKLIST, WE TRIED CONTACTING ATC SEVERAL TIMES FROM THE RUN-UP AREA TO GET A CLRNC. WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN DOING SO BECAUSE WE COULDN'T PICK UP A RADIO SIGNAL. BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH NON-TWRED OPS IN IFR CONDITIONS, MY PARTNER AND I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF AND CONTACT ATC IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER, KNOWING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A SIGNAL. WE HAVE TAKEN OFF NON-TWRED OPS BEFORE AND CONTACTED ATC, BUT THE WX WAS VFR. AT ABOUT XA50 AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL, WE SUCCESSFULLY CONTACTED ATC AND TRIED TO OPEN OUR FLT PLAN. ATC REPLIED, 'CLRNC ON REQUEST, MAINTAIN VFR.' WE REPLIED, 'UNABLE TO DO SO AT THIS TIME.' ATC REPLIED, 'THEN YOU MUST RETURN TO THE DEPARTING ARPT.' AT THAT POINT WE KNEW THAT WE HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG AND I KNEW IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO RETURN TO THE ARPT BECAUSE IT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I JUST TOLD MY PARTNER DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT NOW AND JUST FOCUS ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND GET US OUT OF THESE CLOUDS. WE BROKE OUT AT AROUND 1000 FT AGL AND TURNED S OF PDZ VOR TO STAY CLR OF THE ONT CLASS C AIRSPACE. WE CONTACTED ATC AGAIN AND THEY CLRED US TO CCB AND TOLD US TO CALL THE CTLING AGENCY'S PHONE NUMBER ONCE WE HAD LANDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 621039: HOW THIS INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS ERROR GOT PAST 2 INST RATED PLTS IS BEYOND ME: LACK OF EXPERIENCE/RECENTLY IFR RATED. IN A HURRY AS WE WERE ALREADY RUNNING LATE/GET-THERE-ITIS. IN SIMILAR SITS HAVING ALWAYS OBTAINED IFR CLRNC AFTER DEP IF THE TWR WAS NOT YET IN OP (BUT IN ALL PRIOR CASES IN VFR CONDITIONS). PERHAPS THINKING TOO FAR AHEAD IN REGARDS TO THE CHK RIDE/BEING ANXIOUS.
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.