Narrative:

We had departed jfk for mdt on an IFR flight plan. We had already been handed over to lga departure control on 120.4 and had checked in with the controller. We were climbing through 6000' to our cleared altitude of 8000 on a heading of 320, when we decided to tell the lga controller of our intensions to climb to 8000' and cancel the IFR, then climb to 8500 and go direct etx V162 har direct. We stated the above message to the controller. He asked if we wanted to cancel IFR. We stated, 'yes with your permission we would cancel IFR'. We once again told controller we wanted to fly direct etx V162 har and he asked to confirm mdt as our destination. We confirmed mdt as destination. At that time we believed we were cleared out of the jfk TCA as we had requested and turned direct to etx. The controller did not question us any further and handed us off normally to the next controller. The problem arose because controller did not understand our original request and we let him cancel our IFR flight plan without a proper VFR clearance out of the ny TCA. We should have had better communication with the controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT ON IFR DEP REQUESTS CLIMB ABOVE TCA AND DIRECT DESTINATION, BUT CANCELS IFR CLRNC WITHOUT CONFIRMING CLRNC WITHIN TCA AS A VFR FLT.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED JFK FOR MDT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. WE HAD ALREADY BEEN HANDED OVER TO LGA DEP CTL ON 120.4 AND HAD CHECKED IN WITH THE CTLR. WE WERE CLIMBING THROUGH 6000' TO OUR CLRED ALT OF 8000 ON A HDG OF 320, WHEN WE DECIDED TO TELL THE LGA CTLR OF OUR INTENSIONS TO CLIMB TO 8000' AND CANCEL THE IFR, THEN CLIMB TO 8500 AND GO DIRECT ETX V162 HAR DIRECT. WE STATED THE ABOVE MESSAGE TO THE CTLR. HE ASKED IF WE WANTED TO CANCEL IFR. WE STATED, 'YES WITH YOUR PERMISSION WE WOULD CANCEL IFR'. WE ONCE AGAIN TOLD CTLR WE WANTED TO FLY DIRECT ETX V162 HAR AND HE ASKED TO CONFIRM MDT AS OUR DEST. WE CONFIRMED MDT AS DEST. AT THAT TIME WE BELIEVED WE WERE CLRED OUT OF THE JFK TCA AS WE HAD REQUESTED AND TURNED DIRECT TO ETX. THE CTLR DID NOT QUESTION US ANY FURTHER AND HANDED US OFF NORMALLY TO THE NEXT CTLR. THE PROBLEM AROSE BECAUSE CTLR DID NOT UNDERSTAND OUR ORIGINAL REQUEST AND WE LET HIM CANCEL OUR IFR FLT PLAN WITHOUT A PROPER VFR CLRNC OUT OF THE NY TCA. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD BETTER COM WITH THE CTLR.

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.