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A PA28 pilot and instructor departed an airport VMC but entered IMC prior to receiving an IFR clearance. Later in the flight, they determined communication #1 was weak.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 634534 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200410 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : bil.vortac |
| State Reference | MT |
| Altitude | agl single value : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bil.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 36 flight time total : 130 flight time type : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 634534 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft ATC Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Filed an IFR flight plan through phone. Proceeded to taxi and hold short of active runway. Cfii tried to establish communications with great falls FSS and billings approach. Unable to establish communications with either facility. After takeoff, we contacted approach approximately 500 ft AGL asking for our clearance. Approach instructed us to stand by. Both the pilot and cfii believed that approach was getting our clearance. After waiting we entered IFR conditions. The cfii then contacted approach again asking for our clearance. Approach then instructed us to maintain VFR. We replied 'unable.' approach then asked if we had entered IFR conditions without an IFR clearance. We replied, 'yes we did, we were waiting for our clearance.' ATC replied that they had not received any communications from us. We then received our clearance and continued on our route. Further into the flight while in contact with center, we were experiencing some difficulty with our radios. After switching from communication #1 to communication #2, center advised that they could hear us much better. Factors: decreasing ceilings. Pilot having no actual IFR experience. Radio miscom. Possible radio problems. Poor judgement of both pilot and cfii to enter IFR conditions without an IFR clearance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA28 PLT AND INSTRUCTOR DEPARTED AN ARPT VMC BUT ENTERED IMC PRIOR TO RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC. LATER IN THE FLT, THEY DETERMINED COM #1 WAS WEAK.
Narrative: FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN THROUGH PHONE. PROCEEDED TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF ACTIVE RWY. CFII TRIED TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH GREAT FALLS FSS AND BILLINGS APCH. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH EITHER FACILITY. AFTER TKOF, WE CONTACTED APCH APPROX 500 FT AGL ASKING FOR OUR CLRNC. APCH INSTRUCTED US TO STAND BY. BOTH THE PLT AND CFII BELIEVED THAT APCH WAS GETTING OUR CLRNC. AFTER WAITING WE ENTERED IFR CONDITIONS. THE CFII THEN CONTACTED APCH AGAIN ASKING FOR OUR CLRNC. APCH THEN INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN VFR. WE REPLIED 'UNABLE.' APCH THEN ASKED IF WE HAD ENTERED IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN IFR CLRNC. WE REPLIED, 'YES WE DID, WE WERE WAITING FOR OUR CLRNC.' ATC REPLIED THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMS FROM US. WE THEN RECEIVED OUR CLRNC AND CONTINUED ON OUR RTE. FURTHER INTO THE FLT WHILE IN CONTACT WITH CTR, WE WERE EXPERIENCING SOME DIFFICULTY WITH OUR RADIOS. AFTER SWITCHING FROM COM #1 TO COM #2, CTR ADVISED THAT THEY COULD HEAR US MUCH BETTER. FACTORS: DECREASING CEILINGS. PLT HAVING NO ACTUAL IFR EXPERIENCE. RADIO MISCOM. POSSIBLE RADIO PROBS. POOR JUDGEMENT OF BOTH PLT AND CFII TO ENTER IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN IFR 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.