Narrative:

I departed the frederick, md, airport on an instrument clearance. While attempting to contact potomac approach control, I may have violated dulles approach airspace by not initiating a turn direct to the EMI VOR. I received the following clearance from the temporary clearance delivery at fdk: 'north-xyz, cleared to gvq. Upon entering controled airspace, cleared direct to EMI, V31 to ipt then direct to gvq. Climb and maintain 3000 ft, expect 9000 ft 10 mins after departure.' frequency and code followed. I did not understand the routing as it was not what I had filed and the controller read it fairly fast. I read back what I had heard and the controller promptly reread what he had read the first time at about the same pace. I deciphered what I thought he wanted, read it back and was given a 'readback is correct' reply. My focus was on the routing, not the departure procedure. I then turned my attention to the departure and tried to understand what he wanted when he said, 'upon entering controled airspace, cleared direct to EMI.' I looked for a departure procedure in the approach plate and found the following for frederick, md: 'runways 5 and 23, climb runway heading to 200 ft before proceeding on course.' feeling confident that I understood, I departed fsk into about a 500 ft overcast. It was reported higher, but I was in the soup between 300-500 ft AGL (600-800 ft MSL). I was flying a twin seneca single pilot IFR and pretty busy getting the airplane cleaned up and stable. I got a frequency change from the temporary tower about 800 ft MSL and switched over to potomac approach. After 2 attempts with no contact, I went back to fdk tower to confirm the frequency. They responded that usually it's about 2500 ft or so until they can receive aircraft and to keep trying. My altitude at this point was about 1800 ft MSL. I immediately switched back to potomac approach and tried again. I believe on the second try, I was successful and checked in 'north-xyz checking in passing 2300 ft, still on runway heading.' I was greeted with an immediate direction to turn and that I had not followed my clearance direct to EMI. I asked if there was a problem as I initiated my turned to EMI. He informed me I was in dulles approach airspace and that I should have followed my clearance. I replied that I thought I was and was unable to reach potomac approach until this altitude. He again admonished me and said that fdk tower had tried to tell me to turn, but I switched too fast, implying that this also was a mistake on my part. Upon landing, I called potomac approach and spoke with the supervisor on duty that had been briefed on what had transpired. He repeated basically the 'upon entering controled airspace' verbiage and explained the dulles problem again. I asked him where he thought controled airspace began. Again, no specific reply and a discussion about the fdk noise sign about 'maintain heading until reaching 2000 ft,' didn't apply. I said I believed that normally controled airspace began at 700 ft AGL at an uncontrolled airport like fdk, but that since there was a temporary tower in effect, it actually began at the surface. Also, I read him the departure procedure, which I had followed. He seemed to be unaware of that procedure and asked where I had found it. I explained in the approach plate and he said he was going to look that one up. I asked, 'what do you expect me to do?' he admitted that maybe because of the temporary tower, that had had an effect, but they had to stay with their standard clrncs and couldn't change them for just 1 day a yr just because of a fly-in.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34-200 PLT, DEPARTING FDK DURING TEMPORARY TWR OPS, ON AN IFR CLRNC, WAS ACCUSED BY PCT OF VIOLATING IAD'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED THE FREDERICK, MD, ARPT ON AN INST CLRNC. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH CTL, I MAY HAVE VIOLATED DULLES APCH AIRSPACE BY NOT INITIATING A TURN DIRECT TO THE EMI VOR. I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC FROM THE TEMPORARY CLRNC DELIVERY AT FDK: 'N-XYZ, CLRED TO GVQ. UPON ENTERING CTLED AIRSPACE, CLRED DIRECT TO EMI, V31 TO IPT THEN DIRECT TO GVQ. CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT, EXPECT 9000 FT 10 MINS AFTER DEP.' FREQ AND CODE FOLLOWED. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE ROUTING AS IT WAS NOT WHAT I HAD FILED AND THE CTLR READ IT FAIRLY FAST. I READ BACK WHAT I HAD HEARD AND THE CTLR PROMPTLY REREAD WHAT HE HAD READ THE FIRST TIME AT ABOUT THE SAME PACE. I DECIPHERED WHAT I THOUGHT HE WANTED, READ IT BACK AND WAS GIVEN A 'READBACK IS CORRECT' REPLY. MY FOCUS WAS ON THE ROUTING, NOT THE DEP PROC. I THEN TURNED MY ATTN TO THE DEP AND TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WANTED WHEN HE SAID, 'UPON ENTERING CTLED AIRSPACE, CLRED DIRECT TO EMI.' I LOOKED FOR A DEP PROC IN THE APCH PLATE AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING FOR FREDERICK, MD: 'RWYS 5 AND 23, CLB RWY HDG TO 200 FT BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE.' FEELING CONFIDENT THAT I UNDERSTOOD, I DEPARTED FSK INTO ABOUT A 500 FT OVCST. IT WAS RPTED HIGHER, BUT I WAS IN THE SOUP BTWN 300-500 FT AGL (600-800 FT MSL). I WAS FLYING A TWIN SENECA SINGLE PLT IFR AND PRETTY BUSY GETTING THE AIRPLANE CLEANED UP AND STABLE. I GOT A FREQ CHANGE FROM THE TEMPORARY TWR ABOUT 800 FT MSL AND SWITCHED OVER TO POTOMAC APCH. AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS WITH NO CONTACT, I WENT BACK TO FDK TWR TO CONFIRM THE FREQ. THEY RESPONDED THAT USUALLY IT'S ABOUT 2500 FT OR SO UNTIL THEY CAN RECEIVE ACFT AND TO KEEP TRYING. MY ALT AT THIS POINT WAS ABOUT 1800 FT MSL. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK TO POTOMAC APCH AND TRIED AGAIN. I BELIEVE ON THE SECOND TRY, I WAS SUCCESSFUL AND CHKED IN 'N-XYZ CHKING IN PASSING 2300 FT, STILL ON RWY HDG.' I WAS GREETED WITH AN IMMEDIATE DIRECTION TO TURN AND THAT I HAD NOT FOLLOWED MY CLRNC DIRECT TO EMI. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AS I INITIATED MY TURNED TO EMI. HE INFORMED ME I WAS IN DULLES APCH AIRSPACE AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED MY CLRNC. I REPLIED THAT I THOUGHT I WAS AND WAS UNABLE TO REACH POTOMAC APCH UNTIL THIS ALT. HE AGAIN ADMONISHED ME AND SAID THAT FDK TWR HAD TRIED TO TELL ME TO TURN, BUT I SWITCHED TOO FAST, IMPLYING THAT THIS ALSO WAS A MISTAKE ON MY PART. UPON LNDG, I CALLED POTOMAC APCH AND SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR ON DUTY THAT HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. HE REPEATED BASICALLY THE 'UPON ENTERING CTLED AIRSPACE' VERBIAGE AND EXPLAINED THE DULLES PROB AGAIN. I ASKED HIM WHERE HE THOUGHT CTLED AIRSPACE BEGAN. AGAIN, NO SPECIFIC REPLY AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FDK NOISE SIGN ABOUT 'MAINTAIN HDG UNTIL REACHING 2000 FT,' DIDN'T APPLY. I SAID I BELIEVED THAT NORMALLY CTLED AIRSPACE BEGAN AT 700 FT AGL AT AN UNCTLED ARPT LIKE FDK, BUT THAT SINCE THERE WAS A TEMPORARY TWR IN EFFECT, IT ACTUALLY BEGAN AT THE SURFACE. ALSO, I READ HIM THE DEP PROC, WHICH I HAD FOLLOWED. HE SEEMED TO BE UNAWARE OF THAT PROC AND ASKED WHERE I HAD FOUND IT. I EXPLAINED IN THE APCH PLATE AND HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO LOOK THAT ONE UP. I ASKED, 'WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?' HE ADMITTED THAT MAYBE BECAUSE OF THE TEMPORARY TWR, THAT HAD HAD AN EFFECT, BUT THEY HAD TO STAY WITH THEIR STANDARD CLRNCS AND COULDN'T CHANGE THEM FOR JUST 1 DAY A YR JUST BECAUSE OF A FLY-IN.

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.