Narrative:

I filed an IFR flight plan from cottage grove, or, to bend, or, RNAV direct. WX at departure was unstable with low ceilings and rain. Takeoff runway was 33. Engine run up was normal but takeoff acceleration seemed sluggish. As I approached 500' AGL I initiated a 180 degree turn to return and land on 15. As I turned I received a call from cottage grove unicom that the aircraft was emitting a large trail of black smoke. Subsequent inspection revealed that the clamp which held the flexible duct hose from the nose inlet to the intake air filter had come loose and the duct hose had sucked into the passage, partially blocking airflow to the engine, causing it to run rich and loose power. I called mc minnville FSS and asked if my flight plan was still ok. They said it was still in the system and that I didn't need to refile. The WX at cottage grove appeared about the same. After takeoff I attempted to reach eugene approach on 119.6 and also ZSE on 125.8, but there was no reply after several attempts. FSS always advises to contact eugene approach on 119.6 on the ground for clearance. I have flown IFR out of cottage grove many times but have always had to depart VFR and reach eugene on 119.6 after being airborne. During the earlier aborted departure, the ceiling was about 1000' AGL to the north of cottage grove and I had good visibility to make the 180 degree turn and land. As I departed I was very concerned about the aircraft's performance and power and consequently was monitoring all gauges very carefully, but everything appeared normal. As I reached about 500-600' AGL I realized that the ceiling and visibility directly ahead was IFR and I knew I had no choice but to continue my climb. I contacted evg and told them it was aircraft identification IFR to bend and requested clearance. They came back and told me to maintain VFR and gave me a squawk. I informed them I was IFR, and they wanted to know who had given me a clearance and I told them I had tried several times to contact them, but I desired IFR climb direct to the eugene VOR. I was about 1000' AGL at the time. They cleared me to the eugene VOR at 4000', report leaving 3500'. I reported out of 3500' at which time the controller wanted to know if the name and address on my flight plan was correct and wanted to know if I wanted an approach to land at eugene, and what my intentions were. His attitude was that I was in trouble and that I should land at eugene for interrogation. I told him I wished to continue my IFR flight plan. He directed me to fly a heading of 030 degrees to 4000' and then proceed RNAV direct bend. I proceeded to do so and the rest of the flight was uneventful. I have not received any subsequent communications from the FAA or FSS, but I am greatly concerned about several aspects of the incident. There needs to be a relay for ground communication from cottage grove to eugene approach. You are told when filing to contact eugene approach on the ground on 119.6 but I haven't been successful with this procedure. If the airport is below takeoff minimums, you have to call back and get a clearance time over the phone from FSS which usually involves a lengthy delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FILED AN IFR CLRNC BUT DEP 61S VFR IN WX BELOW VFR MINIMUMS.

Narrative: I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM COTTAGE GROVE, OR, TO BEND, OR, RNAV DIRECT. WX AT DEP WAS UNSTABLE WITH LOW CEILINGS AND RAIN. TKOF RWY WAS 33. ENG RUN UP WAS NORMAL BUT TKOF ACCELERATION SEEMED SLUGGISH. AS I APCHED 500' AGL I INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN TO RETURN AND LAND ON 15. AS I TURNED I RECEIVED A CALL FROM COTTAGE GROVE UNICOM THAT THE ACFT WAS EMITTING A LARGE TRAIL OF BLACK SMOKE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE CLAMP WHICH HELD THE FLEXIBLE DUCT HOSE FROM THE NOSE INLET TO THE INTAKE AIR FILTER HAD COME LOOSE AND THE DUCT HOSE HAD SUCKED INTO THE PASSAGE, PARTIALLY BLOCKING AIRFLOW TO THE ENG, CAUSING IT TO RUN RICH AND LOOSE PWR. I CALLED MC MINNVILLE FSS AND ASKED IF MY FLT PLAN WAS STILL OK. THEY SAID IT WAS STILL IN THE SYS AND THAT I DIDN'T NEED TO REFILE. THE WX AT COTTAGE GROVE APPEARED ABOUT THE SAME. AFTER TKOF I ATTEMPTED TO REACH EUGENE APCH ON 119.6 AND ALSO ZSE ON 125.8, BUT THERE WAS NO REPLY AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. FSS ALWAYS ADVISES TO CONTACT EUGENE APCH ON 119.6 ON THE GND FOR CLRNC. I HAVE FLOWN IFR OUT OF COTTAGE GROVE MANY TIMES BUT HAVE ALWAYS HAD TO DEPART VFR AND REACH EUGENE ON 119.6 AFTER BEING AIRBORNE. DURING THE EARLIER ABORTED DEP, THE CEILING WAS ABOUT 1000' AGL TO THE N OF COTTAGE GROVE AND I HAD GOOD VISIBILITY TO MAKE THE 180 DEG TURN AND LAND. AS I DEPARTED I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACFT'S PERFORMANCE AND PWR AND CONSEQUENTLY WAS MONITORING ALL GAUGES VERY CAREFULLY, BUT EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. AS I REACHED ABOUT 500-600' AGL I REALIZED THAT THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY DIRECTLY AHEAD WAS IFR AND I KNEW I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE MY CLB. I CONTACTED EVG AND TOLD THEM IT WAS ACFT ID IFR TO BEND AND REQUESTED CLRNC. THEY CAME BACK AND TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN VFR AND GAVE ME A SQUAWK. I INFORMED THEM I WAS IFR, AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHO HAD GIVEN ME A CLRNC AND I TOLD THEM I HAD TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT THEM, BUT I DESIRED IFR CLB DIRECT TO THE EUGENE VOR. I WAS ABOUT 1000' AGL AT THE TIME. THEY CLRED ME TO THE EUGENE VOR AT 4000', RPT LEAVING 3500'. I REPORTED OUT OF 3500' AT WHICH TIME THE CTLR WANTED TO KNOW IF THE NAME AND ADDRESS ON MY FLT PLAN WAS CORRECT AND WANTED TO KNOW IF I WANTED AN APCH TO LAND AT EUGENE, AND WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE. HIS ATTITUDE WAS THAT I WAS IN TROUBLE AND THAT I SHOULD LAND AT EUGENE FOR INTERROGATION. I TOLD HIM I WISHED TO CONTINUE MY IFR FLT PLAN. HE DIRECTED ME TO FLY A HDG OF 030 DEGS TO 4000' AND THEN PROCEED RNAV DIRECT BEND. I PROCEEDED TO DO SO AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY SUBSEQUENT COMS FROM THE FAA OR FSS, BUT I AM GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE INCIDENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RELAY FOR GND COM FROM COTTAGE GROVE TO EUGENE APCH. YOU ARE TOLD WHEN FILING TO CONTACT EUGENE APCH ON THE GND ON 119.6 BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS PROC. IF THE ARPT IS BELOW TKOF MINIMUMS, YOU HAVE TO CALL BACK AND GET A CLRNC TIME OVER THE PHONE FROM FSS WHICH USUALLY INVOLVES A LENGTHY DELAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.