Narrative:

An IFR flight plan was filed with duats at XA15 with the note from duats that it would be forwarded to ZMA. When I arrived at the airport (which is uncontrolled) I called orl approach on a radio/phone line and asked for clearance. They did not have the clearance. Being that the fog was clearing well at the filed destination and it was a short flight, I departed VFR. As I approached lal 30 mi out, I got a report from lal ATIS that the visibility was 1/2 mi, so I called tpa approach for an ILS. They had just cleared another plane for the approach. They gave me a squawk code and told me they would work me around for the approach. When I was within 5 mi of the field, which I could see quite well, approach said they could not give me the ILS because 'it was not VFR.' being that I was now encroaching upon class D airspace, I switched to tower for a landing. Tower told me that their equipment was still only indicating 1/2 mi yet flight visibility was well over 5 mi. But by the time we finished the conversation, the field had opened for VFR, imagine that. The tower asked me to call on the ground and we rediscussed the situation but nothing was resolved. I sent an e-mail to a pilot group the next day to check up on this situation. When they pulled the tape up, I had inadvertently entered lal as departure and destination, yet it still said it was forwarding the flight plan to ZMA. The researcher said if the 2 idents are the same, center computer just drops them into a 'black hole.' this causes 2 problems: 1) it gives you a false sense of security that you have a flight plan when you do not. 2) some airports required same identify flight plans when conducting practice instrument approachs, especially in IFR conditions. Back to tpa approach, in several other occasions, other approach controls have been asked to issue an ILS approach and have done so readily.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE CLASS D AIRSPACE INCURSION BY GA PLT WHILE WAITING FOR AN IFR CLRNC OR LAL TO BE RPTED AS VFR.

Narrative: AN IFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED WITH DUATS AT XA15 WITH THE NOTE FROM DUATS THAT IT WOULD BE FORWARDED TO ZMA. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT (WHICH IS UNCTLED) I CALLED ORL APCH ON A RADIO/PHONE LINE AND ASKED FOR CLRNC. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE CLRNC. BEING THAT THE FOG WAS CLRING WELL AT THE FILED DEST AND IT WAS A SHORT FLT, I DEPARTED VFR. AS I APCHED LAL 30 MI OUT, I GOT A RPT FROM LAL ATIS THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS 1/2 MI, SO I CALLED TPA APCH FOR AN ILS. THEY HAD JUST CLRED ANOTHER PLANE FOR THE APCH. THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD WORK ME AROUND FOR THE APCH. WHEN I WAS WITHIN 5 MI OF THE FIELD, WHICH I COULD SEE QUITE WELL, APCH SAID THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME THE ILS BECAUSE 'IT WAS NOT VFR.' BEING THAT I WAS NOW ENCROACHING UPON CLASS D AIRSPACE, I SWITCHED TO TWR FOR A LNDG. TWR TOLD ME THAT THEIR EQUIP WAS STILL ONLY INDICATING 1/2 MI YET FLT VISIBILITY WAS WELL OVER 5 MI. BUT BY THE TIME WE FINISHED THE CONVERSATION, THE FIELD HAD OPENED FOR VFR, IMAGINE THAT. THE TWR ASKED ME TO CALL ON THE GND AND WE REDISCUSSED THE SIT BUT NOTHING WAS RESOLVED. I SENT AN E-MAIL TO A PLT GROUP THE NEXT DAY TO CHK UP ON THIS SIT. WHEN THEY PULLED THE TAPE UP, I HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED LAL AS DEP AND DEST, YET IT STILL SAID IT WAS FORWARDING THE FLT PLAN TO ZMA. THE RESEARCHER SAID IF THE 2 IDENTS ARE THE SAME, CTR COMPUTER JUST DROPS THEM INTO A 'BLACK HOLE.' THIS CAUSES 2 PROBS: 1) IT GIVES YOU A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT YOU HAVE A FLT PLAN WHEN YOU DO NOT. 2) SOME ARPTS REQUIRED SAME IDENT FLT PLANS WHEN CONDUCTING PRACTICE INST APCHS, ESPECIALLY IN IFR CONDITIONS. BACK TO TPA APCH, IN SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS, OTHER APCH CTLS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO ISSUE AN ILS APCH AND HAVE DONE SO READILY.

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.