Narrative:

Flight was at 15000' MSL on an IFR clearance en route to the starting point of a VOR route. Center issued a clearance to descend to 5000' MSL as the flight neared the entry pint. This clearance was read back and the controller was advised that the flight was, 'cancelling IFR at this time.' the center controller responded with, 'roger.' this response did not seem appropriate and the controller was extremely busy, so before we descended below 10000' MSL the controller was queried about a pop-up frequency at the vr route exit point and was again advised that we had cancelled and were VFR at this time. The squawk was set to 1200 upon initial cancellation. As we descended through 3000' MSL center advised us that we were only cleared to 5000' MSL and then asked us if we had cancelled. We repeated that we had and that we had heard his acknowledgement of our cancellation. A proper cancellation was now received using standard phraseology. 'Roger' is probably the most misused term in flying today, and in this case should have been followed with amplifying information concerning our cancellation. I felt that the controller was simply too busy to acknowledge the cancellation properly and that 'roger' by definition sufficed as acknowledgement of our request to cancel. I couldn't think of any reason that a controller would normally 'roger' a simple clearance readback of altitude, and had to be referencing our cancellation. The misuse of 'VFR' and 'VMC' probably added to the confusion, as many pilots used the term 'VFR' when 'VMC' is appropriate. Attention to detain and careful use of the 'right-word' would have avoided this incident. Proper phraseology is critical as the frequencys become congested and often there is little opportunity to verify or question communications.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL FGT CANCELLED IFR TO ENTER VR TRAINING ROUTE. RECEIVED ROGER. ARTCC CTLR LATER QUERIED FGT DESCENDING. FGT AGAIN CANCELLED AND THIS TIME RECEIVED CONFIRMATION.

Narrative: FLT WAS AT 15000' MSL ON AN IFR CLRNC ENRTE TO THE STARTING POINT OF A VOR RTE. CENTER ISSUED A CLRNC TO DSND TO 5000' MSL AS THE FLT NEARED THE ENTRY PINT. THIS CLRNC WAS READ BACK AND THE CTLR WAS ADVISED THAT THE FLT WAS, 'CANCELLING IFR AT THIS TIME.' THE CENTER CTLR RESPONDED WITH, 'ROGER.' THIS RESPONSE DID NOT SEEM APPROPRIATE AND THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, SO BEFORE WE DSNDED BELOW 10000' MSL THE CTLR WAS QUERIED ABOUT A POP-UP FREQ AT THE VR RTE EXIT POINT AND WAS AGAIN ADVISED THAT WE HAD CANCELLED AND WERE VFR AT THIS TIME. THE SQUAWK WAS SET TO 1200 UPON INITIAL CANCELLATION. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 3000' MSL CENTER ADVISED US THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 5000' MSL AND THEN ASKED US IF WE HAD CANCELLED. WE REPEATED THAT WE HAD AND THAT WE HAD HEARD HIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR CANCELLATION. A PROPER CANCELLATION WAS NOW RECEIVED USING STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY. 'ROGER' IS PROBABLY THE MOST MISUSED TERM IN FLYING TODAY, AND IN THIS CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED WITH AMPLIFYING INFO CONCERNING OUR CANCELLATION. I FELT THAT THE CTLR WAS SIMPLY TOO BUSY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CANCELLATION PROPERLY AND THAT 'ROGER' BY DEFINITION SUFFICED AS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR REQUEST TO CANCEL. I COULDN'T THINK OF ANY REASON THAT A CTLR WOULD NORMALLY 'ROGER' A SIMPLE CLRNC READBACK OF ALT, AND HAD TO BE REFERENCING OUR CANCELLATION. THE MISUSE OF 'VFR' AND 'VMC' PROBABLY ADDED TO THE CONFUSION, AS MANY PLTS USED THE TERM 'VFR' WHEN 'VMC' IS APPROPRIATE. ATTN TO DETAIN AND CAREFUL USE OF THE 'R-WORD' WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS INCIDENT. PROPER PHRASEOLOGY IS CRITICAL AS THE FREQS BECOME CONGESTED AND OFTEN THERE IS LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO VERIFY OR QUESTION COMS.

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