Narrative:

I planned to fly a 135 NM cross country flight from wheeler army airfield sbound to kona airport. After taking off from wheeler, I proceeded south towards honolulu international airport. Since the WX appeared to be deteriorating further south of honolulu, I requested from honolulu approach control a 'pop-up' IFR clearance to kona. The H0NOLULU approach controller issued an IFR clearance that included vectors through the honolulu class B airspace to kona. An IFR transponder code was also issued. I reconfirmed the IFR routing with the controller. After clearing the class B airspace, I was handed off to ZHN. It appeared that I was not handed-off properly to the ZHN controller. The center controller questioned my altitude (ie 7000 ft) and said it was an IFR altitude. I responded by saying that I was on an IFR clearance which I received from honolulu approach. It also appeared that the ZHN controller was not clear as to the routing of my pop-up IFR clearance as he asked me to confirm my final destination. Furthermore, it seemed that he was confusing me with another single-engine airplane that belongs to our organization (the other airplane was proceeding VFR to the same destination at a much lower altitude). After a few mins of explaining my pop-up clearance, he continued to radar vector me to kona. There were no other problems. This NASA form is being provided to demonstrate that sometimes the controllers do not properly perform handoffs when the aircraft is leaving a controller's airspace. The confusion on the part of the controller may also have been compounded by the fact that two of our organization's airplanes had arrived at honolulu international airport at nearly the same time and was going to the same destination. This is a potentially dangerous situation, especially when operating in moderate turbulence while in IMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER TRACON ARTCC INTERFAC COORD DURING RADAR HDOF.

Narrative: I PLANNED TO FLY A 135 NM XCOUNTRY FLT FROM WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD SBOUND TO KONA ARPT. AFTER TAKING OFF FROM WHEELER, I PROCEEDED S TOWARDS HONOLULU INTL ARPT. SINCE THE WX APPEARED TO BE DETERIORATING FURTHER S OF HONOLULU, I REQUESTED FROM HONOLULU APCH CTL A 'POP-UP' IFR CLRNC TO KONA. THE H0NOLULU APCH CTLR ISSUED AN IFR CLRNC THAT INCLUDED VECTORS THROUGH THE HONOLULU CLASS B AIRSPACE TO KONA. AN IFR XPONDER CODE WAS ALSO ISSUED. I RECONFIRMED THE IFR ROUTING WITH THE CTLR. AFTER CLRING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, I WAS HANDED OFF TO ZHN. IT APPEARED THAT I WAS NOT HANDED-OFF PROPERLY TO THE ZHN CTLR. THE CTR CTLR QUESTIONED MY ALT (IE 7000 FT) AND SAID IT WAS AN IFR ALT. I RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT I WAS ON AN IFR CLRNC WHICH I RECEIVED FROM HONOLULU APCH. IT ALSO APPEARED THAT THE ZHN CTLR WAS NOT CLR AS TO THE ROUTING OF MY POP-UP IFR CLRNC AS HE ASKED ME TO CONFIRM MY FINAL DEST. FURTHERMORE, IT SEEMED THAT HE WAS CONFUSING ME WITH ANOTHER SINGLE-ENG AIRPLANE THAT BELONGS TO OUR ORGANIZATION (THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS PROCEEDING VFR TO THE SAME DEST AT A MUCH LOWER ALT). AFTER A FEW MINS OF EXPLAINING MY POP-UP CLRNC, HE CONTINUED TO RADAR VECTOR ME TO KONA. THERE WERE NO OTHER PROBS. THIS NASA FORM IS BEING PROVIDED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT SOMETIMES THE CTLRS DO NOT PROPERLY PERFORM HDOFS WHEN THE ACFT IS LEAVING A CTLR'S AIRSPACE. THE CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE CTLR MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT TWO OF OUR ORGANIZATION'S AIRPLANES HAD ARRIVED AT HONOLULU INTL ARPT AT NEARLY THE SAME TIME AND WAS GOING TO THE SAME DEST. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT, ESPECIALLY WHEN OPERATING IN MODERATE TURB WHILE IN IMC.

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.