Narrative:

Having obtained a WX briefing by telephone of marginal VFR conditions for the first third of flight but conditions to improve, I filed an IFR flight plan. Upon taxiing out for departure after obtaining the airport advisory from unicom, I tried to activate my IFR flight plan on the ground through en route radio (122.5). After numerous attempts by myself another twin cessna gave it a try. The best we could accomplish was garbled instructions to try another location. Having flown from this airport hundreds of times I informed the other twin that I would depart VFR and try the center frequency airborne since the WX was approximately 1000 ft broken and 7 mi. Upon contacting center they informed me I had departed a class east airspace airport while it was IFR. I informed them that the WX had improved dramatically since the previous observation and that I would skip the IFR flight. I proceeded uneventfully to my destination VFR. The other twin cessna was finally able to obtain a clearance and was requested by center to report the cloud bases which he did as '2700 ft MSL' (1000 ft AGL). Although I know my WX observations and the subsequent pilot report do not affect the official observations, my 25 yrs of operating from this airport had instilled a reluctance to struggle with the off- site radio communications problem and a tendency to launch upon my own assessment of WX. In this instance I completely forgot that this airport now had official WX reporting and class east airspace to the ground. Having successfully dealt with this extremely poor communications receiver for 10 yrs had ingrained my tendency to depart this airport VFR and obtain the IFR clearance airborne. It is my feeling that to control the airspace to the ground it is necessary to provide communications at ground level. Had the WX truly been IFR a telephonic clearance would have been the routine. Since I know the WX was VFR I feel like the system has let me down. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the moment that ATC advised that he had taken off into class east airspace, he knew that he had done wrong since he should have had the clearance first. Since the WX had improved so much, his habits of flying out of the airport took over his actions and he departed VFR for the usual IFR pick up! The FAA did not make any further contact regarding this matter. Possible since the subsequent pilot of the other aircraft waiting for takeoff release, reported good VFR WX after takeoff!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TOOK OFF WITHOUT IFR CLRNC WHEN THE OFFICIAL WX RPT INDICATED THE UNCTLED ARPT WAS IFR.

Narrative: HAVING OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING BY TELEPHONE OF MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE FIRST THIRD OF FLT BUT CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. UPON TAXIING OUT FOR DEP AFTER OBTAINING THE ARPT ADVISORY FROM UNICOM, I TRIED TO ACTIVATE MY IFR FLT PLAN ON THE GND THROUGH ENRTE RADIO (122.5). AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS BY MYSELF ANOTHER TWIN CESSNA GAVE IT A TRY. THE BEST WE COULD ACCOMPLISH WAS GARBLED INSTRUCTIONS TO TRY ANOTHER LOCATION. HAVING FLOWN FROM THIS ARPT HUNDREDS OF TIMES I INFORMED THE OTHER TWIN THAT I WOULD DEPART VFR AND TRY THE CTR FREQ AIRBORNE SINCE THE WX WAS APPROX 1000 FT BROKEN AND 7 MI. UPON CONTACTING CTR THEY INFORMED ME I HAD DEPARTED A CLASS E AIRSPACE ARPT WHILE IT WAS IFR. I INFORMED THEM THAT THE WX HAD IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE PREVIOUS OBSERVATION AND THAT I WOULD SKIP THE IFR FLT. I PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO MY DEST VFR. THE OTHER TWIN CESSNA WAS FINALLY ABLE TO OBTAIN A CLRNC AND WAS REQUESTED BY CTR TO RPT THE CLOUD BASES WHICH HE DID AS '2700 FT MSL' (1000 FT AGL). ALTHOUGH I KNOW MY WX OBSERVATIONS AND THE SUBSEQUENT PLT RPT DO NOT AFFECT THE OFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS, MY 25 YRS OF OPERATING FROM THIS ARPT HAD INSTILLED A RELUCTANCE TO STRUGGLE WITH THE OFF- SITE RADIO COMS PROB AND A TENDENCY TO LAUNCH UPON MY OWN ASSESSMENT OF WX. IN THIS INSTANCE I COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT THIS ARPT NOW HAD OFFICIAL WX RPTING AND CLASS E AIRSPACE TO THE GND. HAVING SUCCESSFULLY DEALT WITH THIS EXTREMELY POOR COMS RECEIVER FOR 10 YRS HAD INGRAINED MY TENDENCY TO DEPART THIS ARPT VFR AND OBTAIN THE IFR CLRNC AIRBORNE. IT IS MY FEELING THAT TO CTL THE AIRSPACE TO THE GND IT IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE COMS AT GND LEVEL. HAD THE WX TRULY BEEN IFR A TELEPHONIC CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ROUTINE. SINCE I KNOW THE WX WAS VFR I FEEL LIKE THE SYS HAS LET ME DOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE MOMENT THAT ATC ADVISED THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF INTO CLASS E AIRSPACE, HE KNEW THAT HE HAD DONE WRONG SINCE HE SHOULD HAVE HAD THE CLRNC FIRST. SINCE THE WX HAD IMPROVED SO MUCH, HIS HABITS OF FLYING OUT OF THE ARPT TOOK OVER HIS ACTIONS AND HE DEPARTED VFR FOR THE USUAL IFR PICK UP! THE FAA DID NOT MAKE ANY FURTHER CONTACT REGARDING THIS MATTER. POSSIBLE SINCE THE SUBSEQUENT PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT WAITING FOR TKOF RELEASE, RPTED GOOD VFR WX AFTER TKOF!

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.