Narrative:

This flight was scheduled to depart lfi, drop off a passenger at bwi, and then return to lfi. An IFR plan was filed the day before via a phone call to the FSS. On day of the flight, the same IFR plan was filed with lfi base operations. An IFR clearance to bwi was requested and received from lfi ground control. Because of changes in destination WX and passenger status, I called lfi base operations and cancelled the IFR flight to bwi. With base operations I filed a VFR local flight to phf (300 degrees at 7 NM from lfi; the air traffic area's overlap) in place of the IFR flight to bwi. I was told that lfi and phf were IFR (partial obscuration 400, 800' scattered and 2 1/2 mi visibility in fog/haze for lfi, and 800' scattered 2 1/2 mi visibility in fog for phf), but my request for SVFR would be 'no problem.' I started the engines and received taxi clearance. I called for takeoff and was told to 'hold for release.' I assumed the hold was for my SVFR clearance. After a short wait I was cleared for takeoff. No departure instructions had been given me during my taxi or wait for takeoff. Since I had cancelled my IFR plan with base operations and had received no departure instructions for my SVFR plan to phf. I assumed that I could make a left turn toward phf after takeoff. Right after liftoff I was given a frequency change to 119.8 (IFR clearance delivery) by lfi tower. They didn't seem to know what I wanted so I assumed that tower had meant to switch me to 118.9 (orf departure). While I switched to this frequency I made a climbing left turn to a 1000' downwind at lfi, a position which would keep me clear of lfi and phf traffic until whatever problem there was could be resolved. I told orf approach that I thought I was on a SVFR plan to phf. They vectored me for traffic sequencing at phf and I made a visibility approach and landing there. The problem was that I deviated from my departure clearance given with my IFR clearance to bsi (runway heading to 4000'; I made a climbing left turn to a 1000' downwind leg). The problem arose for the following reasons: 1) I assumed that lfi base operations had cancelled my IFR flight plan to bwi (they had not). 2) I assumed that my request to base operations for a SVFR plan to phf had been relayed to the tower (it had not). 3) I assumed that release by orf departure and my takeoff clearance were based on being cleared for a SVFR flight from lfi to phf (it was not). The FAA position (told to me over the phone) was as follows: 1) I was still on an IFR clearance to bwi. 2) I deviated from this clearance. 3) miscoms between lfi base operations and lfi tower are my problem, not the FAA's. Corrective action for such an incident as this for the pilot to confirm any changes in flight plan filed with lfi base operations with lfi tower prior to takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF GOV ACFT FILED IFR PLAN, CHANGED THE PLAN, CANCELLED THE PLAN (HE THOUGHT), FILED AND THOUGHT HE RECEIVED AN SVFR, TOOK OFF AND HANDED TO DEP BUT DID NOT FOLLOW DEP CLRNC. FAA INVESTIGATION AND FOLLOW-UP.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART LFI, DROP OFF A PAX AT BWI, AND THEN RETURN TO LFI. AN IFR PLAN WAS FILED THE DAY BEFORE VIA A PHONE CALL TO THE FSS. ON DAY OF THE FLT, THE SAME IFR PLAN WAS FILED WITH LFI BASE OPS. AN IFR CLRNC TO BWI WAS REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FROM LFI GND CTL. BECAUSE OF CHANGES IN DEST WX AND PAX STATUS, I CALLED LFI BASE OPS AND CANCELLED THE IFR FLT TO BWI. WITH BASE OPS I FILED A VFR LCL FLT TO PHF (300 DEGS AT 7 NM FROM LFI; THE ATA'S OVERLAP) IN PLACE OF THE IFR FLT TO BWI. I WAS TOLD THAT LFI AND PHF WERE IFR (PARTIAL OBSCURATION 400, 800' SCATTERED AND 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG/HAZE FOR LFI, AND 800' SCATTERED 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG FOR PHF), BUT MY REQUEST FOR SVFR WOULD BE 'NO PROB.' I STARTED THE ENGS AND RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC. I CALLED FOR TKOF AND WAS TOLD TO 'HOLD FOR RELEASE.' I ASSUMED THE HOLD WAS FOR MY SVFR CLRNC. AFTER A SHORT WAIT I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. NO DEP INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN GIVEN ME DURING MY TAXI OR WAIT FOR TKOF. SINCE I HAD CANCELLED MY IFR PLAN WITH BASE OPS AND HAD RECEIVED NO DEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MY SVFR PLAN TO PHF. I ASSUMED THAT I COULD MAKE A LEFT TURN TOWARD PHF AFTER TKOF. RIGHT AFTER LIFTOFF I WAS GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO 119.8 (IFR CLRNC DELIVERY) BY LFI TWR. THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT I WANTED SO I ASSUMED THAT TWR HAD MEANT TO SWITCH ME TO 118.9 (ORF DEP). WHILE I SWITCHED TO THIS FREQ I MADE A CLBING LEFT TURN TO A 1000' DOWNWIND AT LFI, A POS WHICH WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF LFI AND PHF TFC UNTIL WHATEVER PROB THERE WAS COULD BE RESOLVED. I TOLD ORF APCH THAT I THOUGHT I WAS ON A SVFR PLAN TO PHF. THEY VECTORED ME FOR TFC SEQUENCING AT PHF AND I MADE A VIS APCH AND LNDG THERE. THE PROB WAS THAT I DEVIATED FROM MY DEP CLRNC GIVEN WITH MY IFR CLRNC TO BSI (RWY HDG TO 4000'; I MADE A CLBING LEFT TURN TO A 1000' DOWNWIND LEG). THE PROB AROSE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) I ASSUMED THAT LFI BASE OPS HAD CANCELLED MY IFR FLT PLAN TO BWI (THEY HAD NOT). 2) I ASSUMED THAT MY REQUEST TO BASE OPS FOR A SVFR PLAN TO PHF HAD BEEN RELAYED TO THE TWR (IT HAD NOT). 3) I ASSUMED THAT RELEASE BY ORF DEP AND MY TKOF CLRNC WERE BASED ON BEING CLRED FOR A SVFR FLT FROM LFI TO PHF (IT WAS NOT). THE FAA POS (TOLD TO ME OVER THE PHONE) WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1) I WAS STILL ON AN IFR CLRNC TO BWI. 2) I DEVIATED FROM THIS CLRNC. 3) MISCOMS BTWN LFI BASE OPS AND LFI TWR ARE MY PROB, NOT THE FAA'S. CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR SUCH AN INCIDENT AS THIS FOR THE PLT TO CONFIRM ANY CHANGES IN FLT PLAN FILED WITH LFI BASE OPS WITH LFI TWR PRIOR TO TKOF.

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.