Reporter flight believed clearance for IFR. ATC clearance actually VFR.

Attributes
ACN	120545
Time
Date	198908
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ont
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ont tower : ont artcc : zob
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1650 flight time type : 420
ASRS Report	120545
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : clearance delivery
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Requested a clearance from ont clearance delivery to VFR on top prior to engine start. Upon departure turned to assigned heading of 150 degrees (runway 26L departure) and was turned over to departure control. Departure advised, 'resume own navigation to banning pass,' and cleared climb to 5500'. At 5500' conditions were no longer marginal VFR, so I cancelled IFR and asked for radar following. Controller advised me that ont tower stated I only had a VFR clearance at departure. Flight conditions were marginal VFR and I was not IMC at any time. Problem could have been prevented had clearance controller listened to actual request and been more specific than 'climb and maintain VFR.' since VFR was maintained, the actual problem came when I cancelled what I believed to be an IFR clearance. Departure controller stated that we 'had no problem' with the departure as performed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FLT BELIEVED CLRNC FOR IFR. ATC CLRNC ACTUALLY VFR.

Narrative: REQUESTED A CLRNC FROM ONT CLRNC DELIVERY TO VFR ON TOP PRIOR TO ENG START. UPON DEP TURNED TO ASSIGNED HDG OF 150 DEGS (RWY 26L DEP) AND WAS TURNED OVER TO DEP CTL. DEP ADVISED, 'RESUME OWN NAV TO BANNING PASS,' AND CLRED CLB TO 5500'. AT 5500' CONDITIONS WERE NO LONGER MARGINAL VFR, SO I CANCELLED IFR AND ASKED FOR RADAR FOLLOWING. CTLR ADVISED ME THAT ONT TWR STATED I ONLY HAD A VFR CLRNC AT DEP. FLT CONDITIONS WERE MARGINAL VFR AND I WAS NOT IMC AT ANY TIME. PROB COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD CLRNC CTLR LISTENED TO ACTUAL REQUEST AND BEEN MORE SPECIFIC THAN 'CLB AND MAINTAIN VFR.' SINCE VFR WAS MAINTAINED, THE ACTUAL PROB CAME WHEN I CANCELLED WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE AN IFR CLRNC. DEP CTLR STATED THAT WE 'HAD NO PROB' WITH THE DEP AS PERFORMED.

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.