A helicopter pilot responds incorrectly to a clearance from hnl clearance delivery to departure clas...

Attributes
ACN	634391
Time
Date	200410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hnl.tower tower : mia.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	McDonnell Douglas Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	634391
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : clearance delivery
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Situation occurred while attempting to depart hnl airport. I have flown through here counting this time, 4 times in 2 yrs. I have found it to be a little confusing dealing with the tower, ground control and clearance. Situation at hand, I had listened to ATIS prior to calling clearance delivery. Once WX was obtained I called clearance delivery, 'clearance delivery helicopter abcde at FBO and rotor wing requesting red hills 3 departure with ATIS information.' clearance delivery replied 'helicopter abcde clearance delivery red hills 3 departure from class B approved as requested, maintain at or below 1000 ft, squawk XXXX.' I replied, 'clearance delivery helicopter abcde, understand cleared for departure red hills 3 at or below 1000 ft, please repeat squawk code.' clearance delivery replied, 'abcde, squawk XXXX cleared for departure via red hills 3, maintain at or below 1000 ft.' I replied, 'XXXX red hills 3 departure at or below 1000 ft abcde.' I then proceeded to depart the airport via red hills 600 ft MSL. Once I felt I had cleared class B, I called clearance delivery and said 'clearance delivery helicopter abcde clear to the northwest.' clearance delivery replied, 'abcde, you aren't cleared to the northwest, only red hills, contact departure.' at this point I was at makaha point and out of the line of sight. I had tried to reach clearance delivery once more but was unable. I feel that somewhere along the way there was a misunderstanding. I thought I had been cleared for departure, but now believe that I may have departed wrongfully. I thought that it went a little too easy compared to previous occasions. I think that with all of the helicopter traffic, that maybe helicopter rtes and control frequencys should be implemented just like lax uses. In hindsight, maybe the clearance delivery shouldn't say 'cleared for departure,' and also let pilots know who to contact next. Sincerely believe that a helicopter frequency and route system for hnl is needed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HELI PLT RESPONDS INCORRECTLY TO A CLRNC FROM HNL CLRNC DELIVERY TO DEP CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE IMPROPER RESPONSE WAS NOT CORRECTED BY CLRNC DELIVERY AND THE HELI PLT DEPARTED WITHOUT A TWR CLRNC.

Narrative: SIT OCCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART HNL ARPT. I HAVE FLOWN THROUGH HERE COUNTING THIS TIME, 4 TIMES IN 2 YRS. I HAVE FOUND IT TO BE A LITTLE CONFUSING DEALING WITH THE TWR, GND CTL AND CLRNC. SIT AT HAND, I HAD LISTENED TO ATIS PRIOR TO CALLING CLRNC DELIVERY. ONCE WX WAS OBTAINED I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY, 'CLRNC DELIVERY HELI ABCDE AT FBO AND ROTOR WING REQUESTING RED HILLS 3 DEP WITH ATIS INFO.' CLRNC DELIVERY REPLIED 'HELI ABCDE CLRNC DELIVERY RED HILLS 3 DEP FROM CLASS B APPROVED AS REQUESTED, MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 1000 FT, SQUAWK XXXX.' I REPLIED, 'CLRNC DELIVERY HELI ABCDE, UNDERSTAND CLRED FOR DEP RED HILLS 3 AT OR BELOW 1000 FT, PLEASE REPEAT SQUAWK CODE.' CLRNC DELIVERY REPLIED, 'ABCDE, SQUAWK XXXX CLRED FOR DEP VIA RED HILLS 3, MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 1000 FT.' I REPLIED, 'XXXX RED HILLS 3 DEP AT OR BELOW 1000 FT ABCDE.' I THEN PROCEEDED TO DEPART THE ARPT VIA RED HILLS 600 FT MSL. ONCE I FELT I HAD CLRED CLASS B, I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND SAID 'CLRNC DELIVERY HELI ABCDE CLR TO THE NW.' CLRNC DELIVERY REPLIED, 'ABCDE, YOU AREN'T CLRED TO THE NW, ONLY RED HILLS, CONTACT DEP.' AT THIS POINT I WAS AT MAKAHA POINT AND OUT OF THE LINE OF SIGHT. I HAD TRIED TO REACH CLRNC DELIVERY ONCE MORE BUT WAS UNABLE. I FEEL THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING. I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR DEP, BUT NOW BELIEVE THAT I MAY HAVE DEPARTED WRONGFULLY. I THOUGHT THAT IT WENT A LITTLE TOO EASY COMPARED TO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS. I THINK THAT WITH ALL OF THE HELI TFC, THAT MAYBE HELI RTES AND CTL FREQS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED JUST LIKE LAX USES. IN HINDSIGHT, MAYBE THE CLRNC DELIVERY SHOULDN'T SAY 'CLRED FOR DEP,' AND ALSO LET PLTS KNOW WHO TO CONTACT NEXT. SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT A HELI FREQ AND RTE SYS FOR HNL IS NEEDED.

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.

A helicopter pilot responds incorrectly to a clearance from hnl clearance delivery to departure class B airspace. The improper response was not corrected by clearance delivery and the helicopter pilot departed without a tower clearance.