Narrative:

I was on an IFR clearance and filed IFR from gainesville regional to st petersburg/clearwater international on V441. We climbed through a scattered layer about 300 ft thick that started at 1500 ft MSL, just south of gainesville, but by dunnellon, fl, the scattered layer disappeared and we were flying in perfect VFR WX at 5000 ft MSL. I filed with gainesville FSS by telephone and picked up the clearance on the ground. We were with ZJX the entire flight on 134.4. The problem occurred when given a frequency change to 125.3 to contact tampa approach. I've used 125.3 in this area (about 10 NM north of the baypo intersection on V441) before to contact tampa, so I thought nothing of it. Wishing ZJX good evening, we attempted to contact tampa approach. After trying to contact them at least 5 times and getting no response I checked the avionics to make certain that they were properly adjusted and attempted again to contact tampa. We attempted to recontact ZJX on 134.4 again, but this also failed. Being in VFR WX and knowing that tampa's class B airspace started around the brooksville area. I squawked VFR and descended keeping clear as best we could of tampa's airspace. We left our cruising altitude of 5000 ft and descended to 1000 ft in perfect VFR conditions. We continued in VFR conditions until approximately 10 mi north of st petersburg/clearwater when we heard st petersburg advisory service contact a departing plane advising them of an airplane that was on an IFR clearance and deviated and that tampa thought was proceeding VFR. Obviously, I knew that this was me, and I immediately contacted st petersburg's advisory (with no problem), explained the situation, canceled IFR, and proceeded to land at pie with no other problems. I don't believe the problem was with the aircraft's avionics. As a matter of fact, I don't know why the problem occurred. This is the second main reason I am submitting this report. The main reason being that I would like to know the best decision and action I could have taken if different than from the one I described above. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he discussed this situation with his instructor after the fact and was told he should have remained with the original squawk which was assigned so that ATC could track him. Reporter of course felt that by squawking VFR he was indicating that he had broken off the IFR flight plan and was continuing VFR. Since reporter had requested a callback if procedures taken were not appropriate, analyst contacted reporter to indicate that the best procedure would have been to squawk 7600 to inform ATC of his problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172RG PLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN HAS TROUBLE CONTACTING APCH WHEN GIVEN A HDOF. HE IS IN VFR CONDITIONS SO DECIDES TO PROCEED VFR AND CHANGES SQUAWK TO 1200.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR CLRNC AND FILED IFR FROM GAINESVILLE REGIONAL TO ST PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER INTL ON V441. WE CLBED THROUGH A SCATTERED LAYER ABOUT 300 FT THICK THAT STARTED AT 1500 FT MSL, JUST S OF GAINESVILLE, BUT BY DUNNELLON, FL, THE SCATTERED LAYER DISAPPEARED AND WE WERE FLYING IN PERFECT VFR WX AT 5000 FT MSL. I FILED WITH GAINESVILLE FSS BY TELEPHONE AND PICKED UP THE CLRNC ON THE GND. WE WERE WITH ZJX THE ENTIRE FLT ON 134.4. THE PROB OCCURRED WHEN GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO 125.3 TO CONTACT TAMPA APCH. I'VE USED 125.3 IN THIS AREA (ABOUT 10 NM N OF THE BAYPO INTXN ON V441) BEFORE TO CONTACT TAMPA, SO I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. WISHING ZJX GOOD EVENING, WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TAMPA APCH. AFTER TRYING TO CONTACT THEM AT LEAST 5 TIMES AND GETTING NO RESPONSE I CHKED THE AVIONICS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY WERE PROPERLY ADJUSTED AND ATTEMPTED AGAIN TO CONTACT TAMPA. WE ATTEMPTED TO RECONTACT ZJX ON 134.4 AGAIN, BUT THIS ALSO FAILED. BEING IN VFR WX AND KNOWING THAT TAMPA'S CLASS B AIRSPACE STARTED AROUND THE BROOKSVILLE AREA. I SQUAWKED VFR AND DSNDED KEEPING CLR AS BEST WE COULD OF TAMPA'S AIRSPACE. WE LEFT OUR CRUISING ALT OF 5000 FT AND DSNDED TO 1000 FT IN PERFECT VFR CONDITIONS. WE CONTINUED IN VFR CONDITIONS UNTIL APPROX 10 MI N OF ST PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER WHEN WE HEARD ST PETERSBURG ADVISORY SVC CONTACT A DEPARTING PLANE ADVISING THEM OF AN AIRPLANE THAT WAS ON AN IFR CLRNC AND DEVIATED AND THAT TAMPA THOUGHT WAS PROCEEDING VFR. OBVIOUSLY, I KNEW THAT THIS WAS ME, AND I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ST PETERSBURG'S ADVISORY (WITH NO PROB), EXPLAINED THE SIT, CANCELED IFR, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND AT PIE WITH NO OTHER PROBS. I DON'T BELIEVE THE PROB WAS WITH THE ACFT'S AVIONICS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE PROB OCCURRED. THIS IS THE SECOND MAIN REASON I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT. THE MAIN REASON BEING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE BEST DECISION AND ACTION I COULD HAVE TAKEN IF DIFFERENT THAN FROM THE ONE I DESCRIBED ABOVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE DISCUSSED THIS SIT WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR AFTER THE FACT AND WAS TOLD HE SHOULD HAVE REMAINED WITH THE ORIGINAL SQUAWK WHICH WAS ASSIGNED SO THAT ATC COULD TRACK HIM. RPTR OF COURSE FELT THAT BY SQUAWKING VFR HE WAS INDICATING THAT HE HAD BROKEN OFF THE IFR FLT PLAN AND WAS CONTINUING VFR. SINCE RPTR HAD REQUESTED A CALLBACK IF PROCS TAKEN WERE NOT APPROPRIATE, ANALYST CONTACTED RPTR TO INDICATE THAT THE BEST PROC WOULD HAVE BEEN TO SQUAWK 7600 TO INFORM ATC OF HIS 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.