Narrative:

Evening of aug/xa/99, I called the IFR reservation office to make an IFR reservation for aug/xd/99 to fly from cxy to unv IFR. I requested and received reservation #XXX for arrival at XA00Z at unv on aug/xd/99. Evening of aug/xc/99 I filed an IFR flight plan, noting my reservation #XXX for an IFR flight from cxy to unv, departing at XA30Z. Morning of aug/xd/99 I called for WX and attempted to verify that my flight plan was in the system. Ipt FSS indicated that this was not possible at that time. Upon starting the airplane at XA15Z, I contacted cxy ground and requested my IFR clearance to unv. They had no 'strip' and suggested I contact ipt radio on 122.2. I called ipt, who said that it was mistakenly filed as a VFR flight plan, apologized and refiled IFR. I recontacted cxy ground and waited for several mins with no clearance. Being aware of time and the prospect of missing my 'slot,' I requested a VFR departure with the prospect of getting the IFR clearance in the air and was given a clearance to take off. After takeoff, I was handed off to har approach on 124.1 who terminated service about 10 mi northwest of cxy and suggested I contact ZNY at 134.8 for advisories. I contacted ZNY and was asked if I had a reservation. I said yes, but they refused service saying that I was requesting an 'air file' and that this was not available. I told him that I was not 'air filing' that I had a flight plan on file prior to leaving and that I had a reservation (#XXX). I again request either an IFR clearance or radar advisories and was rudely told to clear the frequency. I contacted ipt on 122.4, then 122.2 who attempted to get me a clearance, first through har, then through ZNY to no avail. After contacting har at ipt's suggestion, they said I was out of their airspace and that ZNY would have to issue the clearance. I again contacted ZNY, advised them of this and demonstrably requested their services. They again refused any services, rudely demanding that I clear the frequency, seemingly unconcerned about our safety or anybody that wasn't on an IFR clearance. Getting closer to unv, I switched to unv unicom on 122.8 and got WX (1400 ft scattered, 4 mi). I elected to descend, but could not achieve appropriate cloud clearance to remain VFR on extended downwind. I then reclbed above the clouds and turned southwest to avoid the traffic holding at penue (I fly there a lot and know that's where they hold). I again contacted ZNY and was again refused any help. I then descended to pattern altitude (maintaining appropriate VFR cloud clearance) while monitoring and broadcasting on unicom west of town and entered the pattern from the southwest and landed safely at unv. I called ZNY on the cell phone to complain about the service and attitude and the supervisor seemed 'ready' for me, his tone of voice clearly indicating that they were looking to make trouble for me. I simply wished to ensure that others (especially a low time pilot) were not treated similarly. In the wake of the jfk tragedy (and all its publicity) many have wondered aloud why he wasn't talking to controllers. Maybe he was once treated the same way at some other time and simply figured it wasn't worth the hassle. This is why I called to complain and this is why I am so frustrated and continued pursuing this despite the apparent risk to me caused by the launch of this investigation. I still can't understand what must have gone wrong in the system to cause my flight plan not to be correctly filed, the delay in receiving a clearance after it was correctly filed and the unwillingness of ZNY to provide me any services.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT PLANS AN IFR FLT FROM CXY TO UNV, FILES THE NIGHT BEFORE AND RECEIVES A RESERVATION NUMBER, CALLS THE NEXT MORNING FROM ACFT ON THE GND AT CXY AND LEARNS THE FLT PLAN WAS PROCESSED AS A VFR FLT.

Narrative: EVENING OF AUG/XA/99, I CALLED THE IFR RESERVATION OFFICE TO MAKE AN IFR RESERVATION FOR AUG/XD/99 TO FLY FROM CXY TO UNV IFR. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED RESERVATION #XXX FOR ARR AT XA00Z AT UNV ON AUG/XD/99. EVENING OF AUG/XC/99 I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN, NOTING MY RESERVATION #XXX FOR AN IFR FLT FROM CXY TO UNV, DEPARTING AT XA30Z. MORNING OF AUG/XD/99 I CALLED FOR WX AND ATTEMPTED TO VERIFY THAT MY FLT PLAN WAS IN THE SYS. IPT FSS INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE AT THAT TIME. UPON STARTING THE AIRPLANE AT XA15Z, I CONTACTED CXY GND AND REQUESTED MY IFR CLRNC TO UNV. THEY HAD NO 'STRIP' AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT IPT RADIO ON 122.2. I CALLED IPT, WHO SAID THAT IT WAS MISTAKENLY FILED AS A VFR FLT PLAN, APOLOGIZED AND REFILED IFR. I RECONTACTED CXY GND AND WAITED FOR SEVERAL MINS WITH NO CLRNC. BEING AWARE OF TIME AND THE PROSPECT OF MISSING MY 'SLOT,' I REQUESTED A VFR DEP WITH THE PROSPECT OF GETTING THE IFR CLRNC IN THE AIR AND WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAKE OFF. AFTER TKOF, I WAS HANDED OFF TO HAR APCH ON 124.1 WHO TERMINATED SVC ABOUT 10 MI NW OF CXY AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT ZNY AT 134.8 FOR ADVISORIES. I CONTACTED ZNY AND WAS ASKED IF I HAD A RESERVATION. I SAID YES, BUT THEY REFUSED SVC SAYING THAT I WAS REQUESTING AN 'AIR FILE' AND THAT THIS WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS NOT 'AIR FILING' THAT I HAD A FLT PLAN ON FILE PRIOR TO LEAVING AND THAT I HAD A RESERVATION (#XXX). I AGAIN REQUEST EITHER AN IFR CLRNC OR RADAR ADVISORIES AND WAS RUDELY TOLD TO CLR THE FREQ. I CONTACTED IPT ON 122.4, THEN 122.2 WHO ATTEMPTED TO GET ME A CLRNC, FIRST THROUGH HAR, THEN THROUGH ZNY TO NO AVAIL. AFTER CONTACTING HAR AT IPT'S SUGGESTION, THEY SAID I WAS OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND THAT ZNY WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE THE CLRNC. I AGAIN CONTACTED ZNY, ADVISED THEM OF THIS AND DEMONSTRABLY REQUESTED THEIR SVCS. THEY AGAIN REFUSED ANY SVCS, RUDELY DEMANDING THAT I CLR THE FREQ, SEEMINGLY UNCONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY OR ANYBODY THAT WASN'T ON AN IFR CLRNC. GETTING CLOSER TO UNV, I SWITCHED TO UNV UNICOM ON 122.8 AND GOT WX (1400 FT SCATTERED, 4 MI). I ELECTED TO DSND, BUT COULD NOT ACHIEVE APPROPRIATE CLOUD CLRNC TO REMAIN VFR ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND. I THEN RECLBED ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND TURNED SW TO AVOID THE TFC HOLDING AT PENUE (I FLY THERE A LOT AND KNOW THAT'S WHERE THEY HOLD). I AGAIN CONTACTED ZNY AND WAS AGAIN REFUSED ANY HELP. I THEN DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT (MAINTAINING APPROPRIATE VFR CLOUD CLRNC) WHILE MONITORING AND BROADCASTING ON UNICOM W OF TOWN AND ENTERED THE PATTERN FROM THE SW AND LANDED SAFELY AT UNV. I CALLED ZNY ON THE CELL PHONE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SVC AND ATTITUDE AND THE SUPVR SEEMED 'READY' FOR ME, HIS TONE OF VOICE CLRLY INDICATING THAT THEY WERE LOOKING TO MAKE TROUBLE FOR ME. I SIMPLY WISHED TO ENSURE THAT OTHERS (ESPECIALLY A LOW TIME PLT) WERE NOT TREATED SIMILARLY. IN THE WAKE OF THE JFK TRAGEDY (AND ALL ITS PUBLICITY) MANY HAVE WONDERED ALOUD WHY HE WASN'T TALKING TO CTLRS. MAYBE HE WAS ONCE TREATED THE SAME WAY AT SOME OTHER TIME AND SIMPLY FIGURED IT WASN'T WORTH THE HASSLE. THIS IS WHY I CALLED TO COMPLAIN AND THIS IS WHY I AM SO FRUSTRATED AND CONTINUED PURSUING THIS DESPITE THE APPARENT RISK TO ME CAUSED BY THE LAUNCH OF THIS INVESTIGATION. I STILL CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT MUST HAVE GONE WRONG IN THE SYS TO CAUSE MY FLT PLAN NOT TO BE CORRECTLY FILED, THE DELAY IN RECEIVING A CLRNC AFTER IT WAS CORRECTLY FILED AND THE UNWILLINGNESS OF ZNY TO PROVIDE ME ANY SVCS.

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.