Narrative:

At approximately XA40 local, I placed a call to the FSS via the phone at the tipton airport facility flight planning room. I was asked by the briefer, 'what can I do for you?' I replied I wanted to file a flight plan. He said IFR or VFR? I replied IFR and went through the procedure giving the information in the flight plan sequence, with my proposed off time of XB15 local. My routing was fme, fdk, jvy. With no query as to my rteing I took it to mean it was accepted. He then asked me if I had any other questions, I asked for the winds aloft. We got in the aircraft, a T210L, started the engine and taxied to the approach end of the runway. I called bwi approach 7 to 8 times and no response. I heard other aircraft talking to them, and I even heard someone say 'someone's calling you' to bwi approach. I still got no response. Having tried and got nowhere, I took off squawking 1200 and called once airborne. I got to maybe 1200 ft MSL talking to them and they instructed me to return immediately to fme. I did. Having done this I called the FSS at lou. I explained my situation and he gave me another number to call. I explained the situation and he remarked 'I am sorry sir but that happens all the time.' I asked for help and he gave me pct approach. I spoke to yet another federal employee who then told me that bwi might have been busy. He had me stand by for a minute then he told me he had my flight plan in front of him. I said I would like to activate it. He then told me the routing was incorrect and he re-rted me along with a discrete squawk. I then took off and flew as directed and got home safely. The next morning 2 secret service agents arrived at my house to interview and take pictures of me along with identification check and observations. In summary, I realize several mistakes were made and there are holes in the system, but a simple 'stand by' or 'call back in 10 mins' would have worked. There were no signs or reminders of any sort at the airport, in the facility, or at the active runways to flag you to call a frequency prior to airspace penetration. I since called back and was told the only way to get a clearance at fme is to call pct approach. Nowhere was this communication to me at any time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C210 TOOK OFF FROM ARPT WITHIN DC ADIZ WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA40 LOCAL, I PLACED A CALL TO THE FSS VIA THE PHONE AT THE TIPTON ARPT FACILITY FLT PLANNING ROOM. I WAS ASKED BY THE BRIEFER, 'WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?' I REPLIED I WANTED TO FILE A FLT PLAN. HE SAID IFR OR VFR? I REPLIED IFR AND WENT THROUGH THE PROCEDURE GIVING THE INFO IN THE FLT PLAN SEQUENCE, WITH MY PROPOSED OFF TIME OF XB15 LOCAL. MY ROUTING WAS FME, FDK, JVY. WITH NO QUERY AS TO MY RTEING I TOOK IT TO MEAN IT WAS ACCEPTED. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I ASKED FOR THE WINDS ALOFT. WE GOT IN THE ACFT, A T210L, STARTED THE ENGINE AND TAXIED TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY. I CALLED BWI APCH 7 TO 8 TIMES AND NO RESPONSE. I HEARD OTHER ACFT TALKING TO THEM, AND I EVEN HEARD SOMEONE SAY 'SOMEONE'S CALLING YOU' TO BWI APCH. I STILL GOT NO RESPONSE. HAVING TRIED AND GOT NOWHERE, I TOOK OFF SQUAWKING 1200 AND CALLED ONCE AIRBORNE. I GOT TO MAYBE 1200 FT MSL TALKING TO THEM AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO FME. I DID. HAVING DONE THIS I CALLED THE FSS AT LOU. I EXPLAINED MY SIT AND HE GAVE ME ANOTHER NUMBER TO CALL. I EXPLAINED THE SIT AND HE REMARKED 'I AM SORRY SIR BUT THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.' I ASKED FOR HELP AND HE GAVE ME PCT APCH. I SPOKE TO YET ANOTHER FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHO THEN TOLD ME THAT BWI MIGHT HAVE BEEN BUSY. HE HAD ME STAND BY FOR A MINUTE THEN HE TOLD ME HE HAD MY FLT PLAN IN FRONT OF HIM. I SAID I WOULD LIKE TO ACTIVATE IT. HE THEN TOLD ME THE ROUTING WAS INCORRECT AND HE RE-RTED ME ALONG WITH A DISCRETE SQUAWK. I THEN TOOK OFF AND FLEW AS DIRECTED AND GOT HOME SAFELY. THE NEXT MORNING 2 SECRET SERVICE AGENTS ARRIVED AT MY HOUSE TO INTERVIEW AND TAKE PICTURES OF ME ALONG WITH ID CHK AND OBSERVATIONS. IN SUMMARY, I REALIZE SEVERAL MISTAKES WERE MADE AND THERE ARE HOLES IN THE SYSTEM, BUT A SIMPLE 'STAND BY' OR 'CALL BACK IN 10 MINS' WOULD HAVE WORKED. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OR REMINDERS OF ANY SORT AT THE ARPT, IN THE FACILITY, OR AT THE ACTIVE RWYS TO FLAG YOU TO CALL A FREQUENCY PRIOR TO AIRSPACE PENETRATION. I SINCE CALLED BACK AND WAS TOLD THE ONLY WAY TO GET A CLRNC AT FME IS TO CALL PCT APCH. NOWHERE WAS THIS COM TO ME AT ANY TIME.

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.