Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from pueblo, co, to abq and my initial clearance after departing pueblo was to climb and maintain 11000 ft and head 230 degrees to intercept V-19. During my climb out I was in VFR conditions but there were scattered cumulus at a higher altitude. After leveling off at 11000 ft, pueblo departure control told me to contact ZDV on 128.37. The radio in my aircraft will not tune to 5 separate digits and I advised pueblo departure I was unable to tune in the frequency. After several mins, I was told to contact flight watch on 122.2 and resume my own navigation. I was suspicious because I knew flight watch is on 122.0, and I was expecting a transfer to another center frequency. Fearing that I was no longer on an IFR clearance, I called pueblo departure again and told them I was on an IFR flight plan to abq. The controller told me again to contact FSS on 122.2 and resume my own navigation. I called FSS and was told again to resume my own navigation. At this time I was approaching clouds and knew that I would be in IFR conditions if I continued at my present altitude of 11000 ft. Assuming I was no longer on an IFR clearance and was now VFR I descended to 10500 ft to maintain VFR conditions. I was contacted later by FSS and advised that ZAB had told FSS I was off my altitude and to resume 11000 ft and contact them for further clearance. The situation occurred due to a breakdown in communication between pueblo departure and myself. If they had simply explained to me why I was being handed off to FSS and clarified I was still on an IFR clearance even though a handoff to FSS is unconventional, I would have known. When I queried departure all I was told was to contact FSS and resume my own navigation, so I assumed I was now VFR and did not want to enter IFR conditions without a clearance, deciding that was the safer option.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEVIATES FROM ASSIGNED ALT DUE POOR COM AND MISUNDERSTANDING TERMINOLOGY.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PUEBLO, CO, TO ABQ AND MY INITIAL CLRNC AFTER DEPARTING PUEBLO WAS TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT AND HEAD 230 DEGS TO INTERCEPT V-19. DURING MY CLBOUT I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS BUT THERE WERE SCATTERED CUMULUS AT A HIGHER ALT. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 11000 FT, PUEBLO DEP CTL TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZDV ON 128.37. THE RADIO IN MY ACFT WILL NOT TUNE TO 5 SEPARATE DIGITS AND I ADVISED PUEBLO DEP I WAS UNABLE TO TUNE IN THE FREQ. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT FLT WATCH ON 122.2 AND RESUME MY OWN NAV. I WAS SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE I KNEW FLT WATCH IS ON 122.0, AND I WAS EXPECTING A TRANSFER TO ANOTHER CTR FREQ. FEARING THAT I WAS NO LONGER ON AN IFR CLRNC, I CALLED PUEBLO DEP AGAIN AND TOLD THEM I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ABQ. THE CTLR TOLD ME AGAIN TO CONTACT FSS ON 122.2 AND RESUME MY OWN NAV. I CALLED FSS AND WAS TOLD AGAIN TO RESUME MY OWN NAV. AT THIS TIME I WAS APCHING CLOUDS AND KNEW THAT I WOULD BE IN IFR CONDITIONS IF I CONTINUED AT MY PRESENT ALT OF 11000 FT. ASSUMING I WAS NO LONGER ON AN IFR CLRNC AND WAS NOW VFR I DSNDED TO 10500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS. I WAS CONTACTED LATER BY FSS AND ADVISED THAT ZAB HAD TOLD FSS I WAS OFF MY ALT AND TO RESUME 11000 FT AND CONTACT THEM FOR FURTHER CLRNC. THE SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN PUEBLO DEP AND MYSELF. IF THEY HAD SIMPLY EXPLAINED TO ME WHY I WAS BEING HANDED OFF TO FSS AND CLARIFIED I WAS STILL ON AN IFR CLRNC EVEN THOUGH A HDOF TO FSS IS UNCONVENTIONAL, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN. WHEN I QUERIED DEP ALL I WAS TOLD WAS TO CONTACT FSS AND RESUME MY OWN NAV, SO I ASSUMED I WAS NOW VFR AND DID NOT WANT TO ENTER IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A CLRNC, DECIDING THAT WAS THE SAFER OPTION.

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.