Narrative:

Upon starting engines I contacted clearance delivery and they stated 'on request.' I asked permission to taxi out, and was allowed to taxi to the run-up area of runway 23. I waited a little over an hour for my clearance which I never received. Upon questioning clearance delivery the lady controller stated she did know why ZNY wasn't answering their phones and said that new york TRACON was also trying to talk to them also, but were also unable. There was a large line of WX approaching from the west, and I wanted to get going before it hit the airport and closed up the area which I had filed to go. No help was available to anybody waiting for a clearance except 'I don't know.' a gulfstream jet taxied back in for fuel because he had been waiting so long. I decided to go VFR instead, because of my inability to obtain a clearance from ZNY. I departed, climbed to 2000 ft MSL, departed the area to the north under the new york class B airspace to a point 6.5 NM south of stewart international at newburgh, ny, then went west and was able to climb to 6500 ft MSL VFR. I called for clearance from wilkes barre, PA, approach control which was on the west side of the line of WX. I received my clearance and continued to indianapolis with no other problems with ATC. ZNY was totally out of line not to tell anybody what was going on. I thought they were supposed to help, instead they make people fly VFR on their own.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR PLT UNABLE TO GET IFR CLRNC. AFTER WAITING AN HR AND TWR RPTED NO COM WITH THE CTR, RPTR DEPARTED VFR.

Narrative: UPON STARTING ENGS I CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY AND THEY STATED 'ON REQUEST.' I ASKED PERMISSION TO TAXI OUT, AND WAS ALLOWED TO TAXI TO THE RUN-UP AREA OF RWY 23. I WAITED A LITTLE OVER AN HR FOR MY CLRNC WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED. UPON QUESTIONING CLRNC DELIVERY THE LADY CTLR STATED SHE DID KNOW WHY ZNY WASN'T ANSWERING THEIR PHONES AND SAID THAT NEW YORK TRACON WAS ALSO TRYING TO TALK TO THEM ALSO, BUT WERE ALSO UNABLE. THERE WAS A LARGE LINE OF WX APCHING FROM THE W, AND I WANTED TO GET GOING BEFORE IT HIT THE ARPT AND CLOSED UP THE AREA WHICH I HAD FILED TO GO. NO HELP WAS AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY WAITING FOR A CLRNC EXCEPT 'I DON'T KNOW.' A GULFSTREAM JET TAXIED BACK IN FOR FUEL BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN WAITING SO LONG. I DECIDED TO GO VFR INSTEAD, BECAUSE OF MY INABILITY TO OBTAIN A CLRNC FROM ZNY. I DEPARTED, CLBED TO 2000 FT MSL, DEPARTED THE AREA TO THE N UNDER THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE TO A POINT 6.5 NM S OF STEWART INTL AT NEWBURGH, NY, THEN WENT W AND WAS ABLE TO CLB TO 6500 FT MSL VFR. I CALLED FOR CLRNC FROM WILKES BARRE, PA, APCH CTL WHICH WAS ON THE W SIDE OF THE LINE OF WX. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC AND CONTINUED TO INDIANAPOLIS WITH NO OTHER PROBS WITH ATC. ZNY WAS TOTALLY OUT OF LINE NOT TO TELL ANYBODY WHAT WAS GOING ON. I THOUGHT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP, INSTEAD THEY MAKE PEOPLE FLY VFR ON THEIR OWN.

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.