Narrative:

On jul/thu/89, I had a flight from (kalb) albany, ny to (mmn) marion, oh, in an small transport. I departed albany at XX35 (XY35 zulu) IFR for marion, oh. I flight planned for 6000' at 170 KTS, from kalb to rockdale direct bgm (binghamton) direct elm (elmira) RNAV direct to bfd (bradford) RNAV direct yng (youngstown) direct mmn (marion). Everything went fine until I got in the cleveland center area. The cleveland controller was ok but I think waited much too long handing me off. Result? I lost radio contact with him. I looked on my chart and found the cleveland frequency of 132.4 for the tidioute area. Calling this 132.4 frequency, the cle controller finally acknowledged my call and told me to stand by. This was understandable as I was an intruder on his frequency. This was sometime around xz zulu. As I had no direct communications with center and I could not get a reply, I felt I should call again and establish contact with cleveland center even if it was on a different frequency. He was very busy directing traffic into the greater pitt airport, or so it sounded to me. I called again after some time and finally established contact. He asked me for my position. I told him I was south of tidioute VOR and 72 mi northeast of yng IFR. He said he did not have radar contact with me. Now this could have been me misunderstanding, but he replied, 'I do not have you in radar contact. Are you squawking XXXX? Squawk identify.' radar contact was established and shortly thereafter, he called me and I thought he said, 'radar service has been terminated. Squawk VFR.' naturally, I said, 'no way! I'm in the clouds. I want to continue my IFR.' I was boiling mad and couldn't seem to get my message across to him. I repeated my message again saying, 'I do not want to cancel my IFR'. Finally he said, 'radar service terminated, contact erie approach on 121.0.' I called erie approach, but could barely read erie. I was acknowledged and then things got back down to normal. Erie's very next call to me within a minute or so, was for me to switch to yng approach control. Something was very wrong. I may be mistaken and maybe heard wrong but the system sure did not operate very well for me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LACK OF PLT AND CTLR COMS.

Narrative: ON JUL/THU/89, I HAD A FLT FROM (KALB) ALBANY, NY TO (MMN) MARION, OH, IN AN SMT. I DEPARTED ALBANY AT XX35 (XY35 ZULU) IFR FOR MARION, OH. I FLT PLANNED FOR 6000' AT 170 KTS, FROM KALB TO ROCKDALE DIRECT BGM (BINGHAMTON) DIRECT ELM (ELMIRA) RNAV DIRECT TO BFD (BRADFORD) RNAV DIRECT YNG (YOUNGSTOWN) DIRECT MMN (MARION). EVERYTHING WENT FINE UNTIL I GOT IN THE CLEVELAND CENTER AREA. THE CLEVELAND CTLR WAS OK BUT I THINK WAITED MUCH TOO LONG HANDING ME OFF. RESULT? I LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH HIM. I LOOKED ON MY CHART AND FOUND THE CLEVELAND FREQ OF 132.4 FOR THE TIDIOUTE AREA. CALLING THIS 132.4 FREQ, THE CLE CTLR FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL AND TOLD ME TO STAND BY. THIS WAS UNDERSTANDABLE AS I WAS AN INTRUDER ON HIS FREQ. THIS WAS SOMETIME AROUND XZ ZULU. AS I HAD NO DIRECT COMS WITH CENTER AND I COULD NOT GET A REPLY, I FELT I SHOULD CALL AGAIN AND ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH CLEVELAND CENTER EVEN IF IT WAS ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. HE WAS VERY BUSY DIRECTING TFC INTO THE GREATER PITT ARPT, OR SO IT SOUNDED TO ME. I CALLED AGAIN AFTER SOME TIME AND FINALLY ESTABLISHED CONTACT. HE ASKED ME FOR MY POSITION. I TOLD HIM I WAS SOUTH OF TIDIOUTE VOR AND 72 MI NE OF YNG IFR. HE SAID HE DID NOT HAVE RADAR CONTACT WITH ME. NOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ME MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT HE REPLIED, 'I DO NOT HAVE YOU IN RADAR CONTACT. ARE YOU SQUAWKING XXXX? SQUAWK IDENT.' RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE CALLED ME AND I THOUGHT HE SAID, 'RADAR SERVICE HAS BEEN TERMINATED. SQUAWK VFR.' NATURALLY, I SAID, 'NO WAY! I'M IN THE CLOUDS. I WANT TO CONTINUE MY IFR.' I WAS BOILING MAD AND COULDN'T SEEM TO GET MY MESSAGE ACROSS TO HIM. I REPEATED MY MESSAGE AGAIN SAYING, 'I DO NOT WANT TO CANCEL MY IFR'. FINALLY HE SAID, 'RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED, CONTACT ERIE APCH ON 121.0.' I CALLED ERIE APCH, BUT COULD BARELY READ ERIE. I WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN THINGS GOT BACK DOWN TO NORMAL. ERIE'S VERY NEXT CALL TO ME WITHIN A MINUTE OR SO, WAS FOR ME TO SWITCH TO YNG APCH CTL. SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG. I MAY BE MISTAKEN AND MAYBE HEARD WRONG BUT THE SYSTEM SURE DID NOT OPERATE VERY WELL FOR ME.

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.