Narrative:

Due to national emergency all airspace was closed to GA. On the morning of 9/thu/01, I was in frequent contact with FSS via phone about the expected opening of the airspace at XB00. One of our club planes was stranded at a nearby uncontrolled field, and I was planning a local VFR training flight followed by the pickup of the second plane for return to home field. At approximately XA15 I called the FSS and received a full WX brief and was told that a NOTAM had been issued for opening of national airspace at XB00. I then filed an IFR flight plan to the nearby uncontrolled field where our second plane was stranded. My plan was to take off well after the opening time for a local VFR trainer, followed by a pickup of the IFR portion in the air. I recalled FSS twice, at about XA30 and XA45 to confirm the WX and that the airspace would be open at XB00. They stated that the NOTAM was still being activated at XB00. After a thorough preflight and runup, we departed our local uncontrolled field at XB47. It was not manned, had no FBO or unicom frequency, and I planned to contact the local approach control once airborne and high enough for good radio reception just to check in before conducting the VFR portion of the flight. On the initial climb, at approximately 1800 ft AGL, the local approach control called 'the aircraft south of our local field should land immediately because the airspace was still closed to GA traffic.' I responded with our identification and immediately returned to land at our field. After landing, I called the local TRACON and discussed the situation with them. They apologized for the 'misinformation' I had received from the FSS, saying that a recission of the opening had been received at XA57 local, but the FSS had been unable to contact me after XA45 (my last call to them) due to the unmanned status of the airfield and no phone being available there. I certainly would not have taken off if I had known about the cancellation of the airspace opening, but after three phone calls to the FSS, who had the opening NOTAM in front of them with the last one being just 15 minutes prior to actual projected opening, I felt that prudent measures had been taken on my part to insure legality of the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLEW AN IFR FLT AFTER US AIRSPACE WAS NOTAMED CLOSED 3 MINS PRIOR TO ACTUAL CLOSURE.

Narrative: DUE TO NATIONAL EMER ALL AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED TO GA. ON THE MORNING OF 9/THU/01, I WAS IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH FSS VIA PHONE ABOUT THE EXPECTED OPENING OF THE AIRSPACE AT XB00. ONE OF OUR CLUB PLANES WAS STRANDED AT A NEARBY UNCONTROLLED FIELD, AND I WAS PLANNING A LOCAL VFR TRAINING FLT FOLLOWED BY THE PICKUP OF THE SECOND PLANE FOR RETURN TO HOME FIELD. AT APPROX XA15 I CALLED THE FSS AND RECEIVED A FULL WX BRIEF AND WAS TOLD THAT A NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR OPENING OF NATIONAL AIRSPACE AT XB00. I THEN FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO THE NEARBY UNCONTROLLED FIELD WHERE OUR SECOND PLANE WAS STRANDED. MY PLAN WAS TO TAKE OFF WELL AFTER THE OPENING TIME FOR A LOCAL VFR TRAINER, FOLLOWED BY A PICKUP OF THE IFR PORTION IN THE AIR. I RECALLED FSS TWICE, AT ABOUT XA30 AND XA45 TO CONFIRM THE WX AND THAT THE AIRSPACE WOULD BE OPEN AT XB00. THEY STATED THAT THE NOTAM WAS STILL BEING ACTIVATED AT XB00. AFTER A THOROUGH PREFLT AND RUNUP, WE DEPARTED OUR LOCAL UNCONTROLLED FIELD AT XB47. IT WAS NOT MANNED, HAD NO FBO OR UNICOM FREQ, AND I PLANNED TO CONTACT THE LOCAL APCH CONTROL ONCE AIRBORNE AND HIGH ENOUGH FOR GOOD RADIO RECEPTION JUST TO CHK IN BEFORE CONDUCTING THE VFR PORTION OF THE FLT. ON THE INITIAL CLIMB, AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 FT AGL, THE LOCAL APCH CONTROL CALLED 'THE ACFT S OF OUR LOCAL FIELD SHOULD LAND IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE AIRSPACE WAS STILL CLOSED TO GA TFC.' I RESPONDED WITH OUR IDENTIFICATION AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO LAND AT OUR FIELD. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED THE LOCAL TRACON AND DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THEM. THEY APOLOGIZED FOR THE 'MISINFORMATION' I HAD RECEIVED FROM THE FSS, SAYING THAT A RECISSION OF THE OPENING HAD BEEN RECEIVED AT XA57 LOCAL, BUT THE FSS HAD BEEN UNABLE TO CONTACT ME AFTER XA45 (MY LAST CALL TO THEM) DUE TO THE UNMANNED STATUS OF THE AIRFIELD AND NO PHONE BEING AVAILABLE THERE. I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN OFF IF I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THE CANCELLATION OF THE AIRSPACE OPENING, BUT AFTER THREE PHONE CALLS TO THE FSS, WHO HAD THE OPENING NOTAM IN FRONT OF THEM WITH THE LAST ONE BEING JUST 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO ACTUAL PROJECTED OPENING, I FELT THAT PRUDENT MEASURES HAD BEEN TAKEN ON MY PART TO INSURE LEGALITY OF THE FLT.

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.