Narrative:

I plted a PA28 from grr to slh. I completed the mission without incident; deplaned the 2 passenger; and then telephoned green bay FSS for a WX update and to file an IFR flight plan for the return from slh to riverview airport (08C). I taxied to runway 9 for departure; we telephoned green bay FSS on cellular telephone for our departure clearance; confirming that we were ready for departure on cheboygan runway 9. I received a departure clearance 'as filed' to climb and maintain 3000 ft; to expect higher; and to contact ZAU. Upon departure; our repeated calls to ZAU went unanswered. We then tried contacting ZMP; the center with whom we were in communications on the way in to slh shortly before; and informed them of our inability to contact ZAU; that we were airborne and squawking the appropriate transponder code; were at and were remaining at 3000 ft MSL; were in VMC at that altitude; but would enter IMC if we climbed. They said that they did not have a strip on us; and that the error would be with FSS; and to contact them. We made repeated attempts to do so on all of these frequencys; identing our location as slh; but received no replies. Lansing FSS came up asking if they could be of assistance. We informed them of our dilemma -- they too indicated that they had nothing on our flight; but that we could file from our present position and they would immediately forward it to ZMP. This we did. En route; we made a WX diversion to ldm; cancelled IFR; landed and refueled. While on the ground; my companion; a cfii; received a call from ZAU manager who stated that they were looking for us; had 'lost us over the lake;' and that our flight plan was still open. He was told the situation we encountered upon our departure from slh. I made a call to lansing FSS to file for the remainder of our flight back to 08C which we flew without incident. After landing; we tried to ascertain what might have happened. After discussion with others; we surmise the following: green bay FSS has within its area 2 cities in different states with similar names: cheboygan; michigan (slh) -- the airport we were using; and one in sheboygan; wi (sbm) of which we were unaware. The FSS tech had confused the two. Even though we indicated that we would be departing on runway 9 in cheboygan; and despite the fact that sheboygan; wisconsin; has no such runway; he must have continued to confuse the 2 airports and obtained clearance from ATC for our departure from the wrong airport but one with a similar name; never picking up on the repeated error they made at the time we filed nor noticing the difference in the runway configns -- we could not depart from sheboygan; wi (sbm) on runway 9 as they have no such runway.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA-28 FILED A FLT PLAN FROM CHEBOYGAN; MI; TO 08C; BUT GRB FSS UNDERSTOOD SHEBOYGAN; WI. ZAU WAS LOOKING FOR WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A MISSING ACFT OVER LAKE MICHIGAN.

Narrative: I PLTED A PA28 FROM GRR TO SLH. I COMPLETED THE MISSION WITHOUT INCIDENT; DEPLANED THE 2 PAX; AND THEN TELEPHONED GREEN BAY FSS FOR A WX UPDATE AND TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE RETURN FROM SLH TO RIVERVIEW ARPT (08C). I TAXIED TO RWY 9 FOR DEP; WE TELEPHONED GREEN BAY FSS ON CELLULAR TELEPHONE FOR OUR DEP CLRNC; CONFIRMING THAT WE WERE READY FOR DEP ON CHEBOYGAN RWY 9. I RECEIVED A DEP CLRNC 'AS FILED' TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT; TO EXPECT HIGHER; AND TO CONTACT ZAU. UPON DEP; OUR REPEATED CALLS TO ZAU WENT UNANSWERED. WE THEN TRIED CONTACTING ZMP; THE CTR WITH WHOM WE WERE IN COMS ON THE WAY IN TO SLH SHORTLY BEFORE; AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR INABILITY TO CONTACT ZAU; THAT WE WERE AIRBORNE AND SQUAWKING THE APPROPRIATE XPONDER CODE; WERE AT AND WERE REMAINING AT 3000 FT MSL; WERE IN VMC AT THAT ALT; BUT WOULD ENTER IMC IF WE CLBED. THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A STRIP ON US; AND THAT THE ERROR WOULD BE WITH FSS; AND TO CONTACT THEM. WE MADE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO DO SO ON ALL OF THESE FREQS; IDENTING OUR LOCATION AS SLH; BUT RECEIVED NO REPLIES. LANSING FSS CAME UP ASKING IF THEY COULD BE OF ASSISTANCE. WE INFORMED THEM OF OUR DILEMMA -- THEY TOO INDICATED THAT THEY HAD NOTHING ON OUR FLT; BUT THAT WE COULD FILE FROM OUR PRESENT POS AND THEY WOULD IMMEDIATELY FORWARD IT TO ZMP. THIS WE DID. ENRTE; WE MADE A WX DIVERSION TO LDM; CANCELLED IFR; LANDED AND REFUELED. WHILE ON THE GND; MY COMPANION; A CFII; RECEIVED A CALL FROM ZAU MGR WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR US; HAD 'LOST US OVER THE LAKE;' AND THAT OUR FLT PLAN WAS STILL OPEN. HE WAS TOLD THE SITUATION WE ENCOUNTERED UPON OUR DEP FROM SLH. I MADE A CALL TO LANSING FSS TO FILE FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR FLT BACK TO 08C WHICH WE FLEW WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG; WE TRIED TO ASCERTAIN WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH OTHERS; WE SURMISE THE FOLLOWING: GREEN BAY FSS HAS WITHIN ITS AREA 2 CITIES IN DIFFERENT STATES WITH SIMILAR NAMES: CHEBOYGAN; MICHIGAN (SLH) -- THE ARPT WE WERE USING; AND ONE IN SHEBOYGAN; WI (SBM) OF WHICH WE WERE UNAWARE. THE FSS TECH HAD CONFUSED THE TWO. EVEN THOUGH WE INDICATED THAT WE WOULD BE DEPARTING ON RWY 9 IN CHEBOYGAN; AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHEBOYGAN; WISCONSIN; HAS NO SUCH RWY; HE MUST HAVE CONTINUED TO CONFUSE THE 2 ARPTS AND OBTAINED CLRNC FROM ATC FOR OUR DEP FROM THE WRONG ARPT BUT ONE WITH A SIMILAR NAME; NEVER PICKING UP ON THE REPEATED ERROR THEY MADE AT THE TIME WE FILED NOR NOTICING THE DIFFERENCE IN THE RWY CONFIGNS -- WE COULD NOT DEPART FROM SHEBOYGAN; WI (SBM) ON RWY 9 AS THEY HAVE NO SUCH RWY.

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.