Narrative:

Upon departing lbl I climbed to 11500 ft on a heading of 110 degrees, level at 27 NM southeast of lbl I contacted ZKC on 126.95 and requested VFR following which was granted! I comfirmed destination altitude (11500) correct for VFR direction of flight. Approximately 10 NM northwest of watonga ZKC advised to contact ZFW on 128.4 which I did reporting level 11500! Approximately 15 mi further, I gave as 200 mph, adding that the LORAN indicated 200 KTS. The controller said the computer time assumed it was based on type. Center handed me off to okc approach when I announced I was descending out of 11500, I contacted okc approach 124.6 with information ATIS descending out of 10700 to which I was told 'fly direct wiley post (pwa) and then a heading of 100 degree descend to 6000', I read this back, was handed off to 124.2 reported descending out of 6700 was told 'fly direct 2 dt' traffic 10 O'clock 1.5 mi descend to 4000.' I turned to 135 degree, was asked if I had downtown in sight, I said 'I did.' I was told to expect visual approach and cancel this frequency or center on the ground. I replied cancel this time to which he replied 'cancellation received.' I realized at this time he thought I was IFR. I was entering the traffic pattern at 2 dt and he was busy on the radio, I thought it best to switch to unicom for traffic and landed. Summation: I never received an IFR clearance. I never requested an IFR clearance. I flew the appropriate VFR altitude. It is not unusual for okc approach to assign heading and altitude. I announced to ZFW leaving 11500. I believe this is a good example of snow balling. My clues were: flight plan expect visual approach cancel this frequency. I feel the 30 KT tailwind may have deceived the ZFW controller into believing I was another aircraft that must have been IFR. I did not behave IFR in descending at my will. I was not assigned a heading to fly until okc approach for whom it's not unusual to assign one. I would have cleared this up on the approach frequency had there not been frequency congestion, traffic to look for, unicom was blocked by an air carrier jet trying to find an small aircraft for ZFW. I feel the ZFW controller misidented me even though I 3 times gave him my north number and type. This mistake was obviously passed on unbeknown to me until the final mins of flight. I hope no one was inconvenienced. My flying was complying with the approach controller's instructions. I felt at the time the best place to straighten it out was on the ground. I did not telephone okc approach for fear of reprisal! (They probably are blaming the computer at ZFW). I hope this may provide some insight! Ps, if there is a next time I will question unknowns. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter counseled. He now realizes that when he 'cancelled IFR' he probably cancelled someone else's clearance and freed an altitude. This could have led to a midair. He has given incident much thought since then and is now much wiser. His attitude is positive. He intimated that he has had words with ATC in the past and this may be why he was reluctant to follow up on the deal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC CONFUSES RPTR WITH ANOTHER ACFT AND STARTS TREATING HIM AS AN IFR FLT. RPTR LATER 'CANCELED IFR.'

Narrative: UPON DEPARTING LBL I CLBED TO 11500 FT ON A HDG OF 110 DEGS, LEVEL AT 27 NM SE OF LBL I CONTACTED ZKC ON 126.95 AND REQUESTED VFR FOLLOWING WHICH WAS GRANTED! I COMFIRMED DEST ALT (11500) CORRECT FOR VFR DIRECTION OF FLT. APPROX 10 NM NW OF WATONGA ZKC ADVISED TO CONTACT ZFW ON 128.4 WHICH I DID RPTING LEVEL 11500! APPROX 15 MI FURTHER, I GAVE AS 200 MPH, ADDING THAT THE LORAN INDICATED 200 KTS. THE CTLR SAID THE COMPUTER TIME ASSUMED IT WAS BASED ON TYPE. CENTER HANDED ME OFF TO OKC APCH WHEN I ANNOUNCED I WAS DSNDING OUT OF 11500, I CONTACTED OKC APCH 124.6 WITH INFO ATIS DSNDING OUT OF 10700 TO WHICH I WAS TOLD 'FLY DIRECT WILEY POST (PWA) AND THEN A HDG OF 100 DEG DSND TO 6000', I READ THIS BACK, WAS HANDED OFF TO 124.2 RPTED DSNDING OUT OF 6700 WAS TOLD 'FLY DIRECT 2 DT' TFC 10 O'CLOCK 1.5 MI DSND TO 4000.' I TURNED TO 135 DEG, WAS ASKED IF I HAD DOWNTOWN IN SIGHT, I SAID 'I DID.' I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT VISUAL APCH AND CANCEL THIS FREQ OR CENTER ON THE GND. I REPLIED CANCEL THIS TIME TO WHICH HE REPLIED 'CANCELLATION RECEIVED.' I REALIZED AT THIS TIME HE THOUGHT I WAS IFR. I WAS ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN AT 2 DT AND HE WAS BUSY ON THE RADIO, I THOUGHT IT BEST TO SWITCH TO UNICOM FOR TFC AND LANDED. SUMMATION: I NEVER RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC. I NEVER REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC. I FLEW THE APPROPRIATE VFR ALT. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR OKC APCH TO ASSIGN HDG AND ALT. I ANNOUNCED TO ZFW LEAVING 11500. I BELIEVE THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF SNOW BALLING. MY CLUES WERE: FLT PLAN EXPECT VISUAL APCH CANCEL THIS FREQ. I FEEL THE 30 KT TAILWIND MAY HAVE DECEIVED THE ZFW CTLR INTO BELIEVING I WAS ANOTHER ACFT THAT MUST HAVE BEEN IFR. I DID NOT BEHAVE IFR IN DSNDING AT MY WILL. I WAS NOT ASSIGNED A HDG TO FLY UNTIL OKC APCH FOR WHOM IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO ASSIGN ONE. I WOULD HAVE CLRED THIS UP ON THE APCH FREQ HAD THERE NOT BEEN FREQ CONGESTION, TFC TO LOOK FOR, UNICOM WAS BLOCKED BY AN ACR JET TRYING TO FIND AN SMA FOR ZFW. I FEEL THE ZFW CTLR MISIDENTED ME EVEN THOUGH I 3 TIMES GAVE HIM MY N NUMBER AND TYPE. THIS MISTAKE WAS OBVIOUSLY PASSED ON UNBEKNOWN TO ME UNTIL THE FINAL MINS OF FLT. I HOPE NO ONE WAS INCONVENIENCED. MY FLYING WAS COMPLYING WITH THE APCH CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. I FELT AT THE TIME THE BEST PLACE TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT WAS ON THE GND. I DID NOT TELEPHONE OKC APCH FOR FEAR OF REPRISAL! (THEY PROBABLY ARE BLAMING THE COMPUTER AT ZFW). I HOPE THIS MAY PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT! PS, IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME I WILL QUESTION UNKNOWNS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR COUNSELED. HE NOW REALIZES THAT WHEN HE 'CANCELLED IFR' HE PROBABLY CANCELLED SOMEONE ELSE'S CLRNC AND FREED AN ALT. THIS COULD HAVE LED TO A MIDAIR. HE HAS GIVEN INCIDENT MUCH THOUGHT SINCE THEN AND IS NOW MUCH WISER. HIS ATTITUDE IS POSITIVE. HE INTIMATED THAT HE HAS HAD WORDS WITH ATC IN THE PAST AND THIS MAY BE WHY HE WAS RELUCTANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THE DEAL.

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.