An EMB145 flight crew depart legally under a VFR flight plan to expedite departure time, but realize...

Attributes
ACN	597759
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sun
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	597759
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	597758
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Company Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During ground operations, was told that lax approach/departure ATC was closed due to a fire in san diego area. At the time, I thought I'd help out by departing VFR and picking up an IFR clearance en route. After reviewing fom and checking fuel with dispatch, I proceeded to tell ground that I could depart VFR to expedite flow out of lax. We did and we picked up an IFR clearance en route. After the fact, I believe I pushed too hard to get airborne and took too liberal interpretation of fom. I complied with all requirements of fom and VFR rules, but I did not have the fuel or the clearance from fom to fly VFR all the way to destination. My only backup plan for not getting an en route IFR clearance was to remain VFR and return to lax or go to sba. Not very smart with the confusion and delays and nonstandard operations going on with departure/approach control. Supplemental information from acn 597758: next time, even if the rules and regulations are legal, I will think before making a literal interpretation of it. Good thing the flight went as planned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 FLT CREW DEPART LEGALLY UNDER A VFR FLT PLAN TO EXPEDITE DEP TIME, BUT REALIZE THAT THEY HAD NO BACKUP PLAN IF THEY COULDN'T OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC AFTER DEP.

Narrative: DURING GND OPS, WAS TOLD THAT LAX APCH/DEP ATC WAS CLOSED DUE TO A FIRE IN SAN DIEGO AREA. AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT I'D HELP OUT BY DEPARTING VFR AND PICKING UP AN IFR CLRNC ENRTE. AFTER REVIEWING FOM AND CHKING FUEL WITH DISPATCH, I PROCEEDED TO TELL GND THAT I COULD DEPART VFR TO EXPEDITE FLOW OUT OF LAX. WE DID AND WE PICKED UP AN IFR CLRNC ENRTE. AFTER THE FACT, I BELIEVE I PUSHED TOO HARD TO GET AIRBORNE AND TOOK TOO LIBERAL INTERP OF FOM. I COMPLIED WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS OF FOM AND VFR RULES, BUT I DID NOT HAVE THE FUEL OR THE CLRNC FROM FOM TO FLY VFR ALL THE WAY TO DEST. MY ONLY BACKUP PLAN FOR NOT GETTING AN ENRTE IFR CLRNC WAS TO REMAIN VFR AND RETURN TO LAX OR GO TO SBA. NOT VERY SMART WITH THE CONFUSION AND DELAYS AND NONSTANDARD OPS GOING ON WITH DEP/APCH CTL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 597758: NEXT TIME, EVEN IF THE RULES AND REGS ARE LEGAL, I WILL THINK BEFORE MAKING A LITERAL INTERP OF IT. GOOD THING THE FLT WENT AS PLANNED.

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.

An EMB145 flight crew depart legally under a VFR flight plan to expedite departure time, but realize that they had no backup plan if they couldn't obtain an IFR clearance after departure.