Narrative:

We were en route from gcn to cno at 16500 ft. Due to heavy smoke from socal wildfires the cno area was IFR. At about 25 mi northeast of tnp VOR I requested IFR into cno, giving ATC plenty of time to fit us in. It was cavu where we requested IFR. The initial center controller 'seemed' to acknowledge my request but didn't issue an IFR clearance. After being handed off to a subsequent controller, I indicated again I needed IFR. That controller apologized and said that information did not get passed to him by the previous controller and that he would take care of it. At that point in the flight I got busy with flying the plane as I was given vectors and altitudes. Then to my surprise was handed off to cno tower without being vectored into the normal approach. Cno tower advised me to stay clear of class D. I went back to sct and advised of my predicament. I was questioned by ATC about what happened. I asked to get the flight handled and ask questions later. They did and I landed using the ILS without further issue. I was asked to call the supervisor. We talked and he was to check into the disconnect. Lesson: 'hear the magic words: cleared to...' callback conversation with the reporter revealed the following information: the reporter illuminated the mystery. During his contacts with 3 different controllers subsequent to his request for an IFR clearance, one at ZLA and two different sct controllers, he was told by one that he, the controller, would 'take care of it,' meaning the requested IFR clearance. This transmission was followed by an altitude change, albeit to a VFR altitude of 5500 ft, in addition to a vector for 'traffic.' the juxtaposition of these statements and 'clearance like' xmissions led the reporter to believe he was being controled by the 'system.' it was only when he contacted cno tower and they had no idea where, or who, he was that he realized that he had never been given an actual IFR clearance. The reporter stressed that when returning to sct after the discovery of his status, he was perplexed that the controller persisted in inquiring about how and what was happening rather than taking immediate steps to identify and safely direct the flight to a safe arrival. The supervisor with whom he discussed the incident after landing concurred and commented that he had witnessed the event and had made the same suggestion to the active controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C340 MAKES REPEATED REQUESTS FOR IFR CLRNC TO CNO FROM SCT. NEVER ACTUALLY RECEIVES ONE BUT IS HANDED OFF TO CNO TWR AFTER RECEIVING VECTORS AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS. AFTER LNDG ADVISED HE HAD NO IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM GCN TO CNO AT 16500 FT. DUE TO HVY SMOKE FROM SOCAL WILDFIRES THE CNO AREA WAS IFR. AT ABOUT 25 MI NE OF TNP VOR I REQUESTED IFR INTO CNO, GIVING ATC PLENTY OF TIME TO FIT US IN. IT WAS CAVU WHERE WE REQUESTED IFR. THE INITIAL CTR CTLR 'SEEMED' TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY REQUEST BUT DIDN'T ISSUE AN IFR CLRNC. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO A SUBSEQUENT CTLR, I INDICATED AGAIN I NEEDED IFR. THAT CTLR APOLOGIZED AND SAID THAT INFO DID NOT GET PASSED TO HIM BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR AND THAT HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. AT THAT POINT IN THE FLT I GOT BUSY WITH FLYING THE PLANE AS I WAS GIVEN VECTORS AND ALTS. THEN TO MY SURPRISE WAS HANDED OFF TO CNO TWR WITHOUT BEING VECTORED INTO THE NORMAL APCH. CNO TWR ADVISED ME TO STAY CLR OF CLASS D. I WENT BACK TO SCT AND ADVISED OF MY PREDICAMENT. I WAS QUESTIONED BY ATC ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I ASKED TO GET THE FLT HANDLED AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER. THEY DID AND I LANDED USING THE ILS WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE. I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE SUPVR. WE TALKED AND HE WAS TO CHK INTO THE DISCONNECT. LESSON: 'HEAR THE MAGIC WORDS: CLRED TO...' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH THE RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ILLUMINATED THE MYSTERY. DURING HIS CONTACTS WITH 3 DIFFERENT CTLRS SUBSEQUENT TO HIS REQUEST FOR AN IFR CLRNC, ONE AT ZLA AND TWO DIFFERENT SCT CTLRS, HE WAS TOLD BY ONE THAT HE, THE CTLR, WOULD 'TAKE CARE OF IT,' MEANING THE REQUESTED IFR CLRNC. THIS XMISSION WAS FOLLOWED BY AN ALT CHANGE, ALBEIT TO A VFR ALT OF 5500 FT, IN ADDITION TO A VECTOR FOR 'TFC.' THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THESE STATEMENTS AND 'CLRNC LIKE' XMISSIONS LED THE RPTR TO BELIEVE HE WAS BEING CTLED BY THE 'SYS.' IT WAS ONLY WHEN HE CONTACTED CNO TWR AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHERE, OR WHO, HE WAS THAT HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD NEVER BEEN GIVEN AN ACTUAL IFR CLRNC. THE RPTR STRESSED THAT WHEN RETURNING TO SCT AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF HIS STATUS, HE WAS PERPLEXED THAT THE CTLR PERSISTED IN INQUIRING ABOUT HOW AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING RATHER THAN TAKING IMMEDIATE STEPS TO IDENT AND SAFELY DIRECT THE FLT TO A SAFE ARR. THE SUPVR WITH WHOM HE DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT AFTER LNDG CONCURRED AND COMMENTED THAT HE HAD WITNESSED THE EVENT AND HAD MADE THE SAME SUGGESTION TO THE ACTIVE CTLR.

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.