Narrative:

I got a brief from FSS before we departed sgj. We thought we could fly over the WX layer but as we approached daytona from the north; it became apparent that we would not be able to. We called gainesville FSS and filed an IFR flight plan in the air. We had said our departure point was palatka (28J) instead of pierson (2j8). Our mistake and we probably just confused ourselves with the similar names versus call signs. Either way; daytona gave us a squawk and idented us on radar. From here I'm not 100% sure what happened. We were under radar surveillance on an assigned heading and altitude in IMC. There was some radio chatter from daytona that there was a problem with our clearance because of the wrong departure point. He advised us that we could stay in his airspace for a while longer on our assigned heading while he coordination the handoff with orlando approach; or we could squawk VFR and so direct ourselves to lal (lakeland). We advised him we were IMC and we would stay in his airspace a while longer. Mins later; he comes on the radio and tells us he is unable to hand us off and we must 'squawk VFR; good day.' we were IMC and had advised him that; but we got no response. He also gave us a frequency for orlando approach to continue 'flight following;' and to contact them. We knew the WX around omn VOR was 4000 ft overcast; so we turned around and started a descent to 4500 ft. We called st petersburg FSS and re-filed from dab as our departure point. We called daytona again and tried to pick up our clearance. We were approximately 2-3 mi south of dab. They yelled at us for not calling orlando. We informed him to be VFR we had to turn around. He apologized for the confusion and gave us our new clearance to lakeland. I'm not sure if there can be a follow-up on these forms; but I'm still not sure how it happened or why an IFR flight plan can be canceled in-flight or not be handed off. Our intention was to return to known VFR and land and re-file. I feel that was the appropriate action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 PLT; BELIEVING HE OR SHE WAS ON AN IFR CLRNC AND CURRENTLY IN IMC; WAS APPARENTLY THOUGHT TO BE VFR BY DAB APCH CTLR.

Narrative: I GOT A BRIEF FROM FSS BEFORE WE DEPARTED SGJ. WE THOUGHT WE COULD FLY OVER THE WX LAYER BUT AS WE APCHED DAYTONA FROM THE N; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO. WE CALLED GAINESVILLE FSS AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN IN THE AIR. WE HAD SAID OUR DEP POINT WAS PALATKA (28J) INSTEAD OF PIERSON (2J8). OUR MISTAKE AND WE PROBABLY JUST CONFUSED OURSELVES WITH THE SIMILAR NAMES VERSUS CALL SIGNS. EITHER WAY; DAYTONA GAVE US A SQUAWK AND IDENTED US ON RADAR. FROM HERE I'M NOT 100% SURE WHAT HAPPENED. WE WERE UNDER RADAR SURVEILLANCE ON AN ASSIGNED HDG AND ALT IN IMC. THERE WAS SOME RADIO CHATTER FROM DAYTONA THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH OUR CLRNC BECAUSE OF THE WRONG DEP POINT. HE ADVISED US THAT WE COULD STAY IN HIS AIRSPACE FOR A WHILE LONGER ON OUR ASSIGNED HDG WHILE HE COORD THE HDOF WITH ORLANDO APCH; OR WE COULD SQUAWK VFR AND SO DIRECT OURSELVES TO LAL (LAKELAND). WE ADVISED HIM WE WERE IMC AND WE WOULD STAY IN HIS AIRSPACE A WHILE LONGER. MINS LATER; HE COMES ON THE RADIO AND TELLS US HE IS UNABLE TO HAND US OFF AND WE MUST 'SQUAWK VFR; GOOD DAY.' WE WERE IMC AND HAD ADVISED HIM THAT; BUT WE GOT NO RESPONSE. HE ALSO GAVE US A FREQ FOR ORLANDO APCH TO CONTINUE 'FLT FOLLOWING;' AND TO CONTACT THEM. WE KNEW THE WX AROUND OMN VOR WAS 4000 FT OVCST; SO WE TURNED AROUND AND STARTED A DSCNT TO 4500 FT. WE CALLED ST PETERSBURG FSS AND RE-FILED FROM DAB AS OUR DEP POINT. WE CALLED DAYTONA AGAIN AND TRIED TO PICK UP OUR CLRNC. WE WERE APPROX 2-3 MI S OF DAB. THEY YELLED AT US FOR NOT CALLING ORLANDO. WE INFORMED HIM TO BE VFR WE HAD TO TURN AROUND. HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION AND GAVE US OUR NEW CLRNC TO LAKELAND. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE CAN BE A FOLLOW-UP ON THESE FORMS; BUT I'M STILL NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED OR WHY AN IFR FLT PLAN CAN BE CANCELED INFLT OR NOT BE HANDED OFF. OUR INTENTION WAS TO RETURN TO KNOWN VFR AND LAND AND RE-FILE. I FEEL THAT WAS THE APPROPRIATE ACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.