Narrative:

Operating under far part 91 from kmiv to cyyz. The airport had been closed for approximately 4 hours for snow removal. The airport manager drove over to our airplane and personally told us that runway 10/28 and taxiway 'B' were open and we could depart. We contacted millville FSS and received airport advisories and our IFR clearance to cyyz. We were told 10 was the active but it would leave us with a 10 KT tailwind on a snow covered icy runway. We advised the FSS that we would use 28. They were unsure if 28 was open and I told them that the airport manager said it was. There was a great amount of confusion on the part of the FSS. We taxied into position and called for our release. The FSS asked if we could depart VFR. I said it looked like we could and asked what they were calling the WX, to which they replied 600-2. I advised them it looked better to me than that. But, if we could just get our IFR we could be gone. The FSS said we could not get a void time before the airport was notamed closed, but he had permission for us to depart. FSS said he would have to call the airport manager. I told the FSS the airport manager was sitting in his car on the side of the runway with the snow plows waiting for me to depart. Confusion reigned on the part of the FSS so we advised we were taking off VFR and would contact approach when airborne. The communication breakdown on the part of the FSS could cause a severe safety problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR LTT TAKES OFF VFR INTO IMC WX WHEN ATC CANNOT ACCEPT THE DEP RWY HE WANTS TO USE.

Narrative: OPERATING UNDER FAR PART 91 FROM KMIV TO CYYZ. THE ARPT HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR APPROX 4 HRS FOR SNOW REMOVAL. THE ARPT MGR DROVE OVER TO OUR AIRPLANE AND PERSONALLY TOLD US THAT RWY 10/28 AND TXWY 'B' WERE OPEN AND WE COULD DEPART. WE CONTACTED MILLVILLE FSS AND RECEIVED ARPT ADVISORIES AND OUR IFR CLRNC TO CYYZ. WE WERE TOLD 10 WAS THE ACTIVE BUT IT WOULD LEAVE US WITH A 10 KT TAILWIND ON A SNOW COVERED ICY RWY. WE ADVISED THE FSS THAT WE WOULD USE 28. THEY WERE UNSURE IF 28 WAS OPEN AND I TOLD THEM THAT THE ARPT MGR SAID IT WAS. THERE WAS A GREAT AMOUNT OF CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE FSS. WE TAXIED INTO POS AND CALLED FOR OUR RELEASE. THE FSS ASKED IF WE COULD DEPART VFR. I SAID IT LOOKED LIKE WE COULD AND ASKED WHAT THEY WERE CALLING THE WX, TO WHICH THEY REPLIED 600-2. I ADVISED THEM IT LOOKED BETTER TO ME THAN THAT. BUT, IF WE COULD JUST GET OUR IFR WE COULD BE GONE. THE FSS SAID WE COULD NOT GET A VOID TIME BEFORE THE ARPT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED, BUT HE HAD PERMISSION FOR US TO DEPART. FSS SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO CALL THE ARPT MGR. I TOLD THE FSS THE ARPT MGR WAS SITTING IN HIS CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY WITH THE SNOW PLOWS WAITING FOR ME TO DEPART. CONFUSION REIGNED ON THE PART OF THE FSS SO WE ADVISED WE WERE TAKING OFF VFR AND WOULD CONTACT APCH WHEN AIRBORNE. THE COM BREAKDOWN ON THE PART OF THE FSS COULD CAUSE A SEVERE SAFETY PROB.

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.