Narrative:

At approximately XA30 local time, I called kenai flight service and received a WX briefing for a round robin flight from kenai to merrill field. The WX was forecast to be clear. The WX was clear when I departed ena. When I arrived at mri, there was a fog bank moving in. I requested clearance to leave and was given a squawk code and told to taxi to runway 33 and fly a right downwind departure. Upon reaching runway 33, I stopped. At this time, another aircraft that was unfamiliar with the area, arrived and was attempting to land on an active taxiway. The tower was busy with this plane and the field went IFR. At this time another plane, C185, pulled up next to me (C152). I was waiting to contact tower, and the other plane departed. I contacted tower and attempted to get clearance. Tower told me to contact ground. I contacted ground and requested SVFR clearance. The ground controller gave me clearance out of the class D airspace, cleared me for takeoff and told me to monitor tower frequency on departure. I repeated the clearance back to the controller and departed at approximately XY00. When I returned to kenai, I was discussing my flight with an instructor, and he questioned whether I had heard my clearance correctly, stating that it would be unlikely that ground would issue a takeoff clearance. I am now concerned that I may have departed mri without proper clearance. In retrospect, I should have slowed down and verified my clearance with tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT, OBTAINING A SVFR CLRNC OUT OF CTL ZONE AT MRI, TAKES OFF PERCEIVING GND CTL HAS ISSUED TKOF CLRNC.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME, I CALLED KENAI FLT SVC AND RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR A ROUND ROBIN FLT FROM KENAI TO MERRILL FIELD. THE WX WAS FORECAST TO BE CLR. THE WX WAS CLR WHEN I DEPARTED ENA. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MRI, THERE WAS A FOG BANK MOVING IN. I REQUESTED CLRNC TO LEAVE AND WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 33 AND FLY A R DOWNWIND DEP. UPON REACHING RWY 33, I STOPPED. AT THIS TIME, ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, ARRIVED AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON AN ACTIVE TXWY. THE TWR WAS BUSY WITH THIS PLANE AND THE FIELD WENT IFR. AT THIS TIME ANOTHER PLANE, C185, PULLED UP NEXT TO ME (C152). I WAS WAITING TO CONTACT TWR, AND THE OTHER PLANE DEPARTED. I CONTACTED TWR AND ATTEMPTED TO GET CLRNC. TWR TOLD ME TO CONTACT GND. I CONTACTED GND AND REQUESTED SVFR CLRNC. THE GND CTLR GAVE ME CLRNC OUT OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, CLRED ME FOR TKOF AND TOLD ME TO MONITOR TWR FREQ ON DEP. I REPEATED THE CLRNC BACK TO THE CTLR AND DEPARTED AT APPROX XY00. WHEN I RETURNED TO KENAI, I WAS DISCUSSING MY FLT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR, AND HE QUESTIONED WHETHER I HAD HEARD MY CLRNC CORRECTLY, STATING THAT IT WOULD BE UNLIKELY THAT GND WOULD ISSUE A TKOF CLRNC. I AM NOW CONCERNED THAT I MAY HAVE DEPARTED MRI WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN AND VERIFIED MY CLRNC WITH TWR.

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.