 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Local controller described a departure handled as a VFR when in fact the aircraft was IFR.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 991295 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201201 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Bonanza 36 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Local |
| Qualification | Air Traffic Control Fully Certified |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
Ground controller verbally coordinated a BE36 as 'runway 17L VFR to waco'; and a VFR NAS strip was posted on my position by ground controller. The BE36 called me on tower frequency ready for take off; I cleared the BE36 for take off on runway 17L and instructed to proceed on course and after ARTS data tagged instructed the BE36 to contact departure. It was brought to my attention the next morning that the BE36 had read a clearance of 'cleared direct waco; five thousand' to ground control; though ground issued no IFR clearance or altitude; only a VFR squawk and departure frequency; so pilot was assuming he was IFR. I have no recommendation; ground control was on headset so there was no way I could hear aircraft requesting IFR clearance or reading a clearance to ground control; perhaps if ground control had frequencies on loudspeaker I may have been able to question ground of status of aircraft as IFR or VFR or requested clarification myself from pilot prior to issuing take off clearance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Local Controller described a departure handled as a VFR when in fact the aircraft was IFR.
Narrative: Ground Controller verbally coordinated a BE36 as 'Runway 17L VFR to Waco'; and a VFR NAS strip was posted on my position by Ground Controller. The BE36 called me on Tower frequency ready for take off; I cleared the BE36 for take off on Runway 17L and instructed to proceed on course and after ARTS data tagged instructed the BE36 to contact Departure. It was brought to my attention the next morning that the BE36 had read a clearance of 'cleared direct Waco; five thousand' to Ground Control; though Ground issued no IFR clearance or altitude; only a VFR squawk and Departure frequency; so pilot was assuming he was IFR. I have no recommendation; Ground Control was on headset so there was no way I could hear aircraft requesting IFR clearance or reading a clearance to Ground Control; perhaps if Ground Control had frequencies on loudspeaker I may have been able to question Ground of status of aircraft as IFR or VFR or requested clarification myself from pilot prior to issuing take off clearance.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.