Narrative:

I was a student pilot on my long cross country flight. I filed separate VFR flight plans for each of the 3 legs of the flight with flight services. The second leg of the cross country terminated at ZZZ1. There were several aircraft in the pattern with me, and there was a considerable amount of radio communication between the pilots and the unicom operator at the field, including traffic in the pattern and on the field. (In fact, I requested and received instructions after I landed.) I refueled and entered the GA terminal to close my flight plan and pay for the fuel. I had to wait quite a while to pay the bill because of ongoing communications with the unicom operator. I asked if I needed to get her permission to taxi prior to departure, and was told to tune to different frequency for this. I did so, 'requesting departure to ZZZ,' and was told they had no record of a flight plan. I told them that I had filed 3 separate flight plans with flight services that day, and was told that they would open a new one. The controller was very difficult to understand. (I was on the ground, waiting to taxi, and he had a heavy new york accent, so I had to ask to have the information repeated. I did understand that I was assigned an altitude of 5000 ft (which seemed odd, since I understood the VFR rules to dictate an odd thousand plus 500 ft for the planned flight course). I may have been given a squawk code, but since I was flying VFR, I knew I should squawk 1200. I repeated the assigned altitude (not a squawk code, since I didn't know it) and was told I was good to go. I switched back to the ZZZ1 unicom frequency, announced my departure, and departed. It was only when I got within radio range of ZZZ and switched to that unicom frequency that I was made aware that my request for permission to depart had been interpreted as a request for an IFR clearance. I had been in the air for close to 30 mins by the time I changed frequencys, which was enough elapsed time to cause considerable concern as to my whereabouts. In summary, I was given instructions to contact prior to departure. When I did this, I understood that I was given permission to depart, which I did. As a student pilot, I did not request IFR clearance, nor did I understand that this was what had been done. Supplemental information from acn 595984: when the student called clearance delivery to get permission to depart, they issued him an IFR clearance. My student didn't have a clue as to what he just received. So he departed VFR just as he had earlier. Center didn't hear anything from the student so they called ZZZ1 to find out if the aircraft left or was still on the ground. ZZZ1 informed them that he had in fact left 15 mins earlier. Center became frantic thinking they had a downed IFR aircraft. I called on the CTAF frequency for my student and he answered. I asked where he was and he stated he was over ZZZ4, 20 mi away. I asked him if he knew why ZZZ3 was trying to contact him. He said he didn't have any idea why. Center informed me that my student had asked for an IFR clearance out of ZZZ1 was given one, and never checked in after departure. I told them they had to be mistaken. This student wouldn't ask for an IFR departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 STUDENT PLT WHO HAD FILED A MULTI-LEG VFR FLT PLAN INADVERTENTLY DEPARTS AN INTERIM STOP WITH AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS A STUDENT PLT ON MY LONG XCOUNTRY FLT. I FILED SEPARATE VFR FLT PLANS FOR EACH OF THE 3 LEGS OF THE FLT WITH FLT SVCS. THE SECOND LEG OF THE XCOUNTRY TERMINATED AT ZZZ1. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT IN THE PATTERN WITH ME, AND THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RADIO COM BTWN THE PLTS AND THE UNICOM OPERATOR AT THE FIELD, INCLUDING TFC IN THE PATTERN AND ON THE FIELD. (IN FACT, I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS AFTER I LANDED.) I REFUELED AND ENTERED THE GA TERMINAL TO CLOSE MY FLT PLAN AND PAY FOR THE FUEL. I HAD TO WAIT QUITE A WHILE TO PAY THE BILL BECAUSE OF ONGOING COMS WITH THE UNICOM OPERATOR. I ASKED IF I NEEDED TO GET HER PERMISSION TO TAXI PRIOR TO DEP, AND WAS TOLD TO TUNE TO DIFFERENT FREQ FOR THIS. I DID SO, 'REQUESTING DEP TO ZZZ,' AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD NO RECORD OF A FLT PLAN. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD FILED 3 SEPARATE FLT PLANS WITH FLT SVCS THAT DAY, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD OPEN A NEW ONE. THE CTLR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. (I WAS ON THE GND, WAITING TO TAXI, AND HE HAD A HVY NEW YORK ACCENT, SO I HAD TO ASK TO HAVE THE INFO REPEATED. I DID UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 5000 FT (WHICH SEEMED ODD, SINCE I UNDERSTOOD THE VFR RULES TO DICTATE AN ODD THOUSAND PLUS 500 FT FOR THE PLANNED FLT COURSE). I MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE, BUT SINCE I WAS FLYING VFR, I KNEW I SHOULD SQUAWK 1200. I REPEATED THE ASSIGNED ALT (NOT A SQUAWK CODE, SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW IT) AND WAS TOLD I WAS GOOD TO GO. I SWITCHED BACK TO THE ZZZ1 UNICOM FREQ, ANNOUNCED MY DEP, AND DEPARTED. IT WAS ONLY WHEN I GOT WITHIN RADIO RANGE OF ZZZ AND SWITCHED TO THAT UNICOM FREQ THAT I WAS MADE AWARE THAT MY REQUEST FOR PERMISSION TO DEPART HAD BEEN INTERPED AS A REQUEST FOR AN IFR CLRNC. I HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR CLOSE TO 30 MINS BY THE TIME I CHANGED FREQS, WHICH WAS ENOUGH ELAPSED TIME TO CAUSE CONSIDERABLE CONCERN AS TO MY WHEREABOUTS. IN SUMMARY, I WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT PRIOR TO DEP. WHEN I DID THIS, I UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO DEPART, WHICH I DID. AS A STUDENT PLT, I DID NOT REQUEST IFR CLRNC, NOR DID I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS WHAT HAD BEEN DONE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 595984: WHEN THE STUDENT CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY TO GET PERMISSION TO DEPART, THEY ISSUED HIM AN IFR CLRNC. MY STUDENT DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT HE JUST RECEIVED. SO HE DEPARTED VFR JUST AS HE HAD EARLIER. CTR DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM THE STUDENT SO THEY CALLED ZZZ1 TO FIND OUT IF THE ACFT LEFT OR WAS STILL ON THE GND. ZZZ1 INFORMED THEM THAT HE HAD IN FACT LEFT 15 MINS EARLIER. CTR BECAME FRANTIC THINKING THEY HAD A DOWNED IFR ACFT. I CALLED ON THE CTAF FREQ FOR MY STUDENT AND HE ANSWERED. I ASKED WHERE HE WAS AND HE STATED HE WAS OVER ZZZ4, 20 MI AWAY. I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHY ZZZ3 WAS TRYING TO CONTACT HIM. HE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHY. CTR INFORMED ME THAT MY STUDENT HAD ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC OUT OF ZZZ1 WAS GIVEN ONE, AND NEVER CHKED IN AFTER DEP. I TOLD THEM THEY HAD TO BE MISTAKEN. THIS STUDENT WOULDN'T ASK FOR AN IFR DEP.

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.