Narrative:

I've been a government pilot in ak for the past 3 yrs, deploying to cordova during the summer months to staff a seasonal alert site for search and rescue. I had been experiencing confusion (along with commercial air carrier's) on the ATC relation to the field due to a recent (approximately 10 days ago) closure of the co-located cordova FSS. The day in question was my first IFR day of my first deployment here in 8 months. I did not adequately think through my airspace considerations and, making numerous calls on the CTAF, departed the field (add an IFR active control zone) without clearance to do so. Observers at the cordova WX station alertly reported my departure to the juneau FSS, and for a period, my presence in the control zone without communication with juneau caused some ATC delays for IFR traffic. I would say this indiscretion on my part was pretty cut and dried but the current new frequency setup at this busy seasonal airport lends itself easily to future, similar problems. The problems as I see them: 1) remoting out the cdv FSS to juneau strikes many local aviators as an 'injustice' robbing them of their local link to the FAA. Pilots set in their ways continue to call 'cdv radio' on 123.6 -- the old cdv FSS frequency. Contract WX personnel politely answer on that frequency and provide cdv WX -- allowing confusion to creep in. The pilot thinks he just got an advisory from the FAA. 123.6, however, is now CTAF with only a WX advisory service available on that frequency. 2) juneau radio now controls the control zone on separate frequencys from CTAF (122.2/122.65) which, of course, have not made it onto the current sectional. Having the FSS remoted on a frequency other than the CTAF at an airport with a significant mix of IFR and VFR traffic seems a recipe for disaster. Aircraft with a single VHF-am must choose between checking in with radio and keeping abreast of traffic on CTAF -- which is used well by the local flying public to stay in touch with one another. I feel the confusion that led me to make this airspace mistake was fueled by the recent changes to local frequencys. I would strongly suggest that the juneau FSS frequency be adjusted to coincide with the CTAF -- namely have radio available on the CTAF (123.6) to make traffic and FSS available on the same net, as has worked so well here in the past with cordova FSS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporting pilot states that this situation has taken care of itself. 123.6 is now remoted to juneau radio. The local WX observation station (contract) has its own frequency which is not yet published. The whole changeover operation was handled poorly and much of it was done by word of mouth. The FSS personnel were training their contract replacements at the time of the incident and there was a lot of friction in the office. There was no traffic conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GOV HELI TOOK OFF INTO IMC WITHOUT A PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: I'VE BEEN A GOV PLT IN AK FOR THE PAST 3 YRS, DEPLOYING TO CORDOVA DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS TO STAFF A SEASONAL ALERT SITE FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE. I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING CONFUSION (ALONG WITH COMMERCIAL ACR'S) ON THE ATC RELATION TO THE FIELD DUE TO A RECENT (APPROX 10 DAYS AGO) CLOSURE OF THE CO-LOCATED CORDOVA FSS. THE DAY IN QUESTION WAS MY FIRST IFR DAY OF MY FIRST DEPLOYMENT HERE IN 8 MONTHS. I DID NOT ADEQUATELY THINK THROUGH MY AIRSPACE CONSIDERATIONS AND, MAKING NUMEROUS CALLS ON THE CTAF, DEPARTED THE FIELD (ADD AN IFR ACTIVE CTL ZONE) WITHOUT CLRNC TO DO SO. OBSERVERS AT THE CORDOVA WX STATION ALERTLY RPTED MY DEP TO THE JUNEAU FSS, AND FOR A PERIOD, MY PRESENCE IN THE CTL ZONE WITHOUT COM WITH JUNEAU CAUSED SOME ATC DELAYS FOR IFR TFC. I WOULD SAY THIS INDISCRETION ON MY PART WAS PRETTY CUT AND DRIED BUT THE CURRENT NEW FREQ SETUP AT THIS BUSY SEASONAL ARPT LENDS ITSELF EASILY TO FUTURE, SIMILAR PROBS. THE PROBS AS I SEE THEM: 1) REMOTING OUT THE CDV FSS TO JUNEAU STRIKES MANY LCL AVIATORS AS AN 'INJUSTICE' ROBBING THEM OF THEIR LCL LINK TO THE FAA. PLTS SET IN THEIR WAYS CONTINUE TO CALL 'CDV RADIO' ON 123.6 -- THE OLD CDV FSS FREQ. CONTRACT WX PERSONNEL POLITELY ANSWER ON THAT FREQ AND PROVIDE CDV WX -- ALLOWING CONFUSION TO CREEP IN. THE PLT THINKS HE JUST GOT AN ADVISORY FROM THE FAA. 123.6, HOWEVER, IS NOW CTAF WITH ONLY A WX ADVISORY SVC AVAILABLE ON THAT FREQ. 2) JUNEAU RADIO NOW CTLS THE CTL ZONE ON SEPARATE FREQS FROM CTAF (122.2/122.65) WHICH, OF COURSE, HAVE NOT MADE IT ONTO THE CURRENT SECTIONAL. HAVING THE FSS REMOTED ON A FREQ OTHER THAN THE CTAF AT AN ARPT WITH A SIGNIFICANT MIX OF IFR AND VFR TFC SEEMS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. ACFT WITH A SINGLE VHF-AM MUST CHOOSE BTWN CHKING IN WITH RADIO AND KEEPING ABREAST OF TFC ON CTAF -- WHICH IS USED WELL BY THE LCL FLYING PUBLIC TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH ONE ANOTHER. I FEEL THE CONFUSION THAT LED ME TO MAKE THIS AIRSPACE MISTAKE WAS FUELED BY THE RECENT CHANGES TO LCL FREQS. I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THE JUNEAU FSS FREQ BE ADJUSTED TO COINCIDE WITH THE CTAF -- NAMELY HAVE RADIO AVAILABLE ON THE CTAF (123.6) TO MAKE TFC AND FSS AVAILABLE ON THE SAME NET, AS HAS WORKED SO WELL HERE IN THE PAST WITH CORDOVA FSS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTING PLT STATES THAT THIS SIT HAS TAKEN CARE OF ITSELF. 123.6 IS NOW REMOTED TO JUNEAU RADIO. THE LCL WX OBSERVATION STATION (CONTRACT) HAS ITS OWN FREQ WHICH IS NOT YET PUBLISHED. THE WHOLE CHANGEOVER OP WAS HANDLED POORLY AND MUCH OF IT WAS DONE BY WORD OF MOUTH. THE FSS PERSONNEL WERE TRAINING THEIR CONTRACT REPLACEMENTS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND THERE WAS A LOT OF FRICTION IN THE OFFICE. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT.

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.