Narrative:

2 aircraft called at 1 time while I was on the landline. I answered the one off the ground at cwa and told to report wbound. I then asked if the other aircraft calling was air carrier X on ground rhi, looking for clearance to msi, 'is that correct?'. Air carrier X said 'affirmative,' so I cleared the aircraft 'from rhi to msp as filed, climb and maintain 12000', squawk XXXX.' the pilot read back, 'to rhi as filed, maintain 12000'. XXX, air carrier X.' I said 'roger.' air carrier X then called off esc at XB28Z and departed runway 27. I had 2 aircraft on the ILS runway 9 at esc--1 of them inside the OM on advisory frequency. He landed at XB30Z. Aircraft crossed paths head-on, non-radar between esc airport and 5 mi west of esc on the localizer. I did not clear an aircraft off of esc, therefore I do not feel I was in error. Supplemental information from acn 126808: while taxiing for takeoff from esc we requested an IFR clearance to rhi. Our request was as follows: 'minneapolis center, this is air carrier X on the ground at esc looking for an IFR clearance to rhi.' I believe at this point the controller responded by advising us to 'standby.' some additional dialogue subsequently expired which we do not clearly recall. We continued with our normal cockpit duties while waiting for our clearance. A short time later the controller came back with our clearance, which I understood to be, and read back as: 'cleared to rhi as filed 1-2000 (12000), squawk XXXX.' the controller responded by instructing us to report airborne. At this point, we proceeded with the before takeoff checklist while monitoring the CTAF for esc. At approximately XB25 we announced our intentions and departed on runway 27. A short time later I called center to report our time off esc. The center controller responded by advising us that we had been cleared from rhi, not esc. We advised the center controller that we had read back the clearance as being cleared to rhi. At this point another aircraft, who apparently was being vectored for an ILS approach to runway 9, asked if there was going to be a problem. The controller said there was not and the other aircraft continued to be vectored for the approach. No evasive action was requested or taken. We believe that a WX delay (fog) was a major factor which contributed to the situation. Our normal departure from esc of XA20 was delayed by approximately 1 hour. This would also have been the same time we would normally have been requesting our 'canned' IFR clearance from rhi, if on schedule. The center controller obviously thought we were requesting a clearance from rhi, although we specifically informed him we were on the ground at esc requesting a clearance to rhi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEPARTING ACR CONFLICTED WITH AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ARR DUE TO AN ARPT MIX-UP.

Narrative: 2 ACFT CALLED AT 1 TIME WHILE I WAS ON THE LANDLINE. I ANSWERED THE ONE OFF THE GND AT CWA AND TOLD TO RPT WBOUND. I THEN ASKED IF THE OTHER ACFT CALLING WAS ACR X ON GND RHI, LOOKING FOR CLRNC TO MSI, 'IS THAT CORRECT?'. ACR X SAID 'AFFIRMATIVE,' SO I CLRED THE ACFT 'FROM RHI TO MSP AS FILED, CLB AND MAINTAIN 12000', SQUAWK XXXX.' THE PLT READ BACK, 'TO RHI AS FILED, MAINTAIN 12000'. XXX, ACR X.' I SAID 'ROGER.' ACR X THEN CALLED OFF ESC AT XB28Z AND DEPARTED RWY 27. I HAD 2 ACFT ON THE ILS RWY 9 AT ESC--1 OF THEM INSIDE THE OM ON ADVISORY FREQ. HE LANDED AT XB30Z. ACFT CROSSED PATHS HEAD-ON, NON-RADAR BTWN ESC ARPT AND 5 MI W OF ESC ON THE LOC. I DID NOT CLR AN ACFT OFF OF ESC, THEREFORE I DO NOT FEEL I WAS IN ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 126808: WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF FROM ESC WE REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC TO RHI. OUR REQUEST WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'MINNEAPOLIS CENTER, THIS IS ACR X ON THE GND AT ESC LOOKING FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO RHI.' I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT THE CTLR RESPONDED BY ADVISING US TO 'STANDBY.' SOME ADDITIONAL DIALOGUE SUBSEQUENTLY EXPIRED WHICH WE DO NOT CLEARLY RECALL. WE CONTINUED WITH OUR NORMAL COCKPIT DUTIES WHILE WAITING FOR OUR CLRNC. A SHORT TIME LATER THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH OUR CLRNC, WHICH I UNDERSTOOD TO BE, AND READ BACK AS: 'CLRED TO RHI AS FILED 1-2000 (12000), SQUAWK XXXX.' THE CTLR RESPONDED BY INSTRUCTING US TO RPT AIRBORNE. AT THIS POINT, WE PROCEEDED WITH THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WHILE MONITORING THE CTAF FOR ESC. AT APPROX XB25 WE ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTIONS AND DEPARTED ON RWY 27. A SHORT TIME LATER I CALLED CENTER TO RPT OUR TIME OFF ESC. THE CENTER CTLR RESPONDED BY ADVISING US THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FROM RHI, NOT ESC. WE ADVISED THE CENTER CTLR THAT WE HAD READ BACK THE CLRNC AS BEING CLRED TO RHI. AT THIS POINT ANOTHER ACFT, WHO APPARENTLY WAS BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 9, ASKED IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE A PROB. THE CTLR SAID THERE WAS NOT AND THE OTHER ACFT CONTINUED TO BE VECTORED FOR THE APCH. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUESTED OR TAKEN. WE BELIEVE THAT A WX DELAY (FOG) WAS A MAJOR FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE SITUATION. OUR NORMAL DEP FROM ESC OF XA20 WAS DELAYED BY APPROX 1 HR. THIS WOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN THE SAME TIME WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN REQUESTING OUR 'CANNED' IFR CLRNC FROM RHI, IF ON SCHEDULE. THE CENTER CTLR OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT WE WERE REQUESTING A CLRNC FROM RHI, ALTHOUGH WE SPECIFICALLY INFORMED HIM WE WERE ON THE GND AT ESC REQUESTING A CLRNC TO RHI.

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.