Narrative:

On jan/xa/99, I filed an IFR flight plan from NAS whidbey island (nuw) to sea airport, via radar vectors. After takeoff I flew heading 064 degrees and climbed to 2000 ft where I radioed nuw tower and told them I was level 2000 ft. Tower told me to contact approach. I switched frequencys and told approach, 'cessna with you, level 2000 ft, IFR to seatac.' I heard approach reply (approach control issued the local altimeter and told us to identify). I idented my transponder and continued heading 064 degrees and 2000 ft. After what I believe was 7-10 NM east of nuw, I radioed approach with an altitude request. I received no reply from approach. We continued east and at about 17 NM from nuw, the pilot flying with me, who was familiar with the MVA's in the area, informed me we were in an MVA of 5300 ft. He contacted approach, advised them that we were IFR and approaching higher terrain and requested an immediate climb and south turn. In 10-15 seconds, I began a turn to heading 180 degrees and a climb to 3000 ft. The pilot in the right seat advised approach that we were turning 180 degrees and climbing to 3000 ft. Approach, after a controller change, replied, 'turn right to 220 degrees, climb and maintain 5300 ft.' I replied, 'right 220 degrees and 5300 ft.' after the climb and heading were established, approach told me to expedite my climb through 3000 ft. I complied. We were on an IFR flight plan and were not provided IFR separation or radar vectors. I do not believe that approach knew we were an IFR flight until we told them we were turning to 180 degrees and climbing to 3000 ft. We cleared the area with no other occurrences. At no time did I believe that I was lost communication. I was in communications with the tower and heard approach give me an altimeter setting and an identify request. There are a lot of light civil aircraft that depart out of nuw. Most of these flts are conducted under VFR flight plans. I believe that approach thought we were a VFR flight. The ATC is also a training facility for the navy and I believe that the controller was under instruction. His traffic load was also quite heavy, we heard him controling many aircraft. To help prevent this occurrence again, I think that whenever ATC receives an aircraft the passing ATC should inform the receiving ATC whether the flight is IFR or VFR, and also that better attention to all flight strips is observed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT REQUIRED TO INITIATE OWN EVASIVE MANEUVER AWAY FROM TERRAIN WHEN MILFAC TRACON APPARENTLY FORGOT ABOUT THE ACFT.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/99, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM NAS WHIDBEY ISLAND (NUW) TO SEA ARPT, VIA RADAR VECTORS. AFTER TKOF I FLEW HDG 064 DEGS AND CLBED TO 2000 FT WHERE I RADIOED NUW TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS LEVEL 2000 FT. TWR TOLD ME TO CONTACT APCH. I SWITCHED FREQS AND TOLD APCH, 'CESSNA WITH YOU, LEVEL 2000 FT, IFR TO SEATAC.' I HEARD APCH REPLY (APCH CTL ISSUED THE LCL ALTIMETER AND TOLD US TO IDENT). I IDENTED MY XPONDER AND CONTINUED HDG 064 DEGS AND 2000 FT. AFTER WHAT I BELIEVE WAS 7-10 NM E OF NUW, I RADIOED APCH WITH AN ALT REQUEST. I RECEIVED NO REPLY FROM APCH. WE CONTINUED E AND AT ABOUT 17 NM FROM NUW, THE PILOT FLYING WITH ME, WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE MVA'S IN THE AREA, INFORMED ME WE WERE IN AN MVA OF 5300 FT. HE CONTACTED APCH, ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE IFR AND APCHING HIGHER TERRAIN AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND SOUTH TURN. IN 10-15 SECONDS, I BEGAN A TURN TO HDG 180 DEGS AND A CLB TO 3000 FT. THE PLT IN THE R SEAT ADVISED APCH THAT WE WERE TURNING 180 DEGS AND CLBING TO 3000 FT. APCH, AFTER A CTLR CHANGE, REPLIED, 'TURN R TO 220 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN 5300 FT.' I REPLIED, 'R 220 DEGS AND 5300 FT.' AFTER THE CLB AND HDG WERE ESTABLISHED, APCH TOLD ME TO EXPEDITE MY CLB THROUGH 3000 FT. I COMPLIED. WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND WERE NOT PROVIDED IFR SEPARATION OR RADAR VECTORS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT APCH KNEW WE WERE AN IFR FLT UNTIL WE TOLD THEM WE WERE TURNING TO 180 DEGS AND CLBING TO 3000 FT. WE CLRED THE AREA WITH NO OTHER OCCURRENCES. AT NO TIME DID I BELIEVE THAT I WAS LOST COM. I WAS IN COMS WITH THE TWR AND HEARD APCH GIVE ME AN ALTIMETER SETTING AND AN IDENT REQUEST. THERE ARE A LOT OF LIGHT CIVIL ACFT THAT DEPART OUT OF NUW. MOST OF THESE FLTS ARE CONDUCTED UNDER VFR FLT PLANS. I BELIEVE THAT APCH THOUGHT WE WERE A VFR FLT. THE ATC IS ALSO A TRAINING FACILITY FOR THE NAVY AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR WAS UNDER INSTRUCTION. HIS TFC LOAD WAS ALSO QUITE HVY, WE HEARD HIM CTLING MANY ACFT. TO HELP PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE AGAIN, I THINK THAT WHENEVER ATC RECEIVES AN ACFT THE PASSING ATC SHOULD INFORM THE RECEIVING ATC WHETHER THE FLT IS IFR OR VFR, AND ALSO THAT BETTER ATTN TO ALL FLT STRIPS IS OBSERVED.

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.