A C560XL on the ground at pln requested clearance for future takeoff but ATC misunderstood and block...

Attributes
ACN	707934
Time
Date	200608
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pln.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation V
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 125
ASRS Report	707934
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

The first officer was getting the aircraft ready for our next flight. I was inside the FBO waiting for our passenger. I received a call from dispatch telling me to contact ATC. I paged my first officer and told him to call ATC. I later found out that he had been given a clearance and was told 'advise when airborne' but he believed that it was a 'hold for release' clearance. When he finally contacted ATC he was told that ATC was trying to get in contact with him and he had blocked the airspace for IFR traffic for over 30 mins while waiting for our departure. The first officer told me that he was having difficulty communicating with ATC. He stated that he was able to hear ATC on the ground but had to have an aircraft airborne relay his messages. I believe that relaying messages back and forth to an aircraft was the main reason for this breakdown in communication. When we were finally ready for departure; I was able to see first hand how difficult it was to communicate with ATC on the ground. We could hear him clearly but he could not hear us. We decided to contact FSS and have them call ATC and get our hold for release so that there was no confusion. Having both pilots in the cockpit or just contacting FSS might have prevented this from happening.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C560XL ON THE GND AT PLN REQUESTED CLRNC FOR FUTURE TKOF BUT ATC MISUNDERSTOOD AND BLOCKED AIRSPACE FOR THEM BEFORE ACTUAL DEP. POOR RADIO COVERAGE AT PLN WAS A FACTOR IN THE MISCOM.

Narrative: THE FO WAS GETTING THE ACFT READY FOR OUR NEXT FLT. I WAS INSIDE THE FBO WAITING FOR OUR PAX. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM DISPATCH TELLING ME TO CONTACT ATC. I PAGED MY FO AND TOLD HIM TO CALL ATC. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT HE HAD BEEN GIVEN A CLRNC AND WAS TOLD 'ADVISE WHEN AIRBORNE' BUT HE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS A 'HOLD FOR RELEASE' CLRNC. WHEN HE FINALLY CONTACTED ATC HE WAS TOLD THAT ATC WAS TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH HIM AND HE HAD BLOCKED THE AIRSPACE FOR IFR TFC FOR OVER 30 MINS WHILE WAITING FOR OUR DEP. THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. HE STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO HEAR ATC ON THE GND BUT HAD TO HAVE AN ACFT AIRBORNE RELAY HIS MESSAGES. I BELIEVE THAT RELAYING MESSAGES BACK AND FORTH TO AN ACFT WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS BREAKDOWN IN COM. WHEN WE WERE FINALLY READY FOR DEP; I WAS ABLE TO SEE FIRST HAND HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC ON THE GND. WE COULD HEAR HIM CLRLY BUT HE COULD NOT HEAR US. WE DECIDED TO CONTACT FSS AND HAVE THEM CALL ATC AND GET OUR HOLD FOR RELEASE SO THAT THERE WAS NO CONFUSION. HAVING BOTH PLTS IN THE COCKPIT OR JUST CONTACTING FSS MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING.

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.

A C560XL on the ground at pln requested clearance for future takeoff but ATC misunderstood and blocked airspace for them before actual departure. Poor radio coverage at pln was a factor in the miscom.