Narrative:

I filed an IFR flight plan for XX30Z departure on jul/mon/91. Route direct htl direct manistee direct manitowoc direct sheboygan. I contacted wurtsmith approach upon departing 09 and asked for clearance. I climbed to my filed altitude in marginal VFR. Wurtsmith gave me a local squawk. Wurtsmith advised me that can center was too busy to get my clearance and turned me over to minneapolis center at their boundary. I contacted ZMP and asked them for my clearance and told them my predicament. Still marginal VFR. They gave me a new squawk code and told me to maintain 6000 ft. We entered IMC west of htl and proceeded on flight plan without clearance. Center contacted me several times and changed frequency at least once. Approximately 30 NM east of nanci tower I again asked about my clearance. The controller acted surprised that I did not have one and gave me one direct man direct sheboygan, where we landed without further incident. At sheboygan I missed the VOR 27 approach because I did not hear chicago clear me for approach in time, however, I had descended out of the clouds, had airport in sight, cancelled my IFR plan and circled to land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE IFR CLRNC AFTER TKOF IS HANDED OFF, DOES NOT RECEIVE COMPLETE CLRNC.

Narrative: I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR XX30Z DEP ON JUL/MON/91. RTE DIRECT HTL DIRECT MANISTEE DIRECT MANITOWOC DIRECT SHEBOYGAN. I CONTACTED WURTSMITH APCH UPON DEPARTING 09 AND ASKED FOR CLRNC. I CLBED TO MY FILED ALT IN MARGINAL VFR. WURTSMITH GAVE ME A LCL SQUAWK. WURTSMITH ADVISED ME THAT CAN CENTER WAS TOO BUSY TO GET MY CLRNC AND TURNED ME OVER TO MINNEAPOLIS CENTER AT THEIR BOUNDARY. I CONTACTED ZMP AND ASKED THEM FOR MY CLRNC AND TOLD THEM MY PREDICAMENT. STILL MARGINAL VFR. THEY GAVE ME A NEW SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT. WE ENTERED IMC W OF HTL AND PROCEEDED ON FLT PLAN WITHOUT CLRNC. CENTER CONTACTED ME SEVERAL TIMES AND CHANGED FREQ AT LEAST ONCE. APPROX 30 NM E OF NANCI TWR I AGAIN ASKED ABOUT MY CLRNC. THE CTLR ACTED SURPRISED THAT I DID NOT HAVE ONE AND GAVE ME ONE DIRECT MAN DIRECT SHEBOYGAN, WHERE WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AT SHEBOYGAN I MISSED THE VOR 27 APCH BECAUSE I DID NOT HEAR CHICAGO CLR ME FOR APCH IN TIME, HOWEVER, I HAD DSNDED OUT OF THE CLOUDS, HAD ARPT IN SIGHT, CANCELLED MY IFR PLAN AND CIRCLED TO LAND.

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.