Narrative:

Last week at the conclusion of a night mission while on a VFR flight plan; we had to 'pop-up' for an instrument clearance with navy whidbey ATC to reach our destination. The clearance was granted and we were vectored to a heading of 130 degrees and a climb to 3000 ft. We complied and entered IMC. After being handed off to seattle approach; still IMC; we checked in and the controller confirmed having us with him. After a while at 3000 ft on a heading of 130 degrees we began to pass in and out of the bases of the cloud layer; but still mostly IMC. I confirmed via GPS and ground dead recognition that we were east of bellevue; still heading 130 degrees; I then noticed we were passing I-90 still on a heading of 130 degrees and entered solid IMC again. I knew that this heading was taking us towards high terrain. This made me very nervous as the controller had not turned us to a more southerly heading as I expected; and I knew that the terrain was going to start raising above our altitude very quickly. I told the PIC to contact the controller to inquire about this situation. He did; and the controller was apparently not aware that we were IMC on an IFR clearance. He immediately gave us new vector of 180 degrees and a descent to 2000 ft. We complied; and eventually popped out of the cloud layer at about 2000 ft into VMC; I looked to the east and saw that we were a bit too close to the high terrain to the east for my comfort. We were VMC at this point; had a visual of our destination and canceled our IFR clearance -- the rest of the flight was uneventful. The PIC and I discussed this and could only figure that since we were on a VFR flight plan initially; and had to 'pop-up' for an instrument clearance that this is what caused the confusion. In my nearly 20 yrs of flying IFR around these parts this is the first time I have experienced such an event; and it made me think -- ummmmm -- what if? Looking back; the situation quickly was turning into a formula for disaster -- had we just flew along fat and happy waiting for the controller to vector us; I believe that the flight would have met with a much less than desirable outcome and we'd become a statistic; which is not my idea of fun. Our decision as pilots to avoid this same situation again; based on the chain of events leading up to what may have been an accident is; that while IMC when we get a handoff to a different controller; our initial contact will be something like: 'approach; this is flight xxxxx with you at xxxxx (altitude) IFR to xxxxx.' emphasize on the IFR for clarification. That way everyone is on the same page. I think the bottom-line is that everyone is human; everyone makes mistakes and as pilots we need to be aware of our position at all times and question the situation if there is any amount of doubt -- complacency kills. Remember far part 91.3 -- you have authority/authorized in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA'S IFR FLT STATUS WAS CONFUSED WHEN TRANSFERRING FROM ONE ATC FAC (NUW) TO ANOTHER (S46 TRACON) WITH TERRAIN BECOMING A FACTOR.

Narrative: LAST WEEK AT THE CONCLUSION OF A NIGHT MISSION WHILE ON A VFR FLT PLAN; WE HAD TO 'POP-UP' FOR AN INST CLRNC WITH NAVY WHIDBEY ATC TO REACH OUR DEST. THE CLRNC WAS GRANTED AND WE WERE VECTORED TO A HDG OF 130 DEGS AND A CLB TO 3000 FT. WE COMPLIED AND ENTERED IMC. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO SEATTLE APCH; STILL IMC; WE CHKED IN AND THE CTLR CONFIRMED HAVING US WITH HIM. AFTER A WHILE AT 3000 FT ON A HDG OF 130 DEGS WE BEGAN TO PASS IN AND OUT OF THE BASES OF THE CLOUD LAYER; BUT STILL MOSTLY IMC. I CONFIRMED VIA GPS AND GND DEAD RECOGNITION THAT WE WERE E OF BELLEVUE; STILL HDG 130 DEGS; I THEN NOTICED WE WERE PASSING I-90 STILL ON A HDG OF 130 DEGS AND ENTERED SOLID IMC AGAIN. I KNEW THAT THIS HDG WAS TAKING US TOWARDS HIGH TERRAIN. THIS MADE ME VERY NERVOUS AS THE CTLR HAD NOT TURNED US TO A MORE SOUTHERLY HDG AS I EXPECTED; AND I KNEW THAT THE TERRAIN WAS GOING TO START RAISING ABOVE OUR ALT VERY QUICKLY. I TOLD THE PIC TO CONTACT THE CTLR TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS SITUATION. HE DID; AND THE CTLR WAS APPARENTLY NOT AWARE THAT WE WERE IMC ON AN IFR CLRNC. HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE US NEW VECTOR OF 180 DEGS AND A DSCNT TO 2000 FT. WE COMPLIED; AND EVENTUALLY POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUD LAYER AT ABOUT 2000 FT INTO VMC; I LOOKED TO THE E AND SAW THAT WE WERE A BIT TOO CLOSE TO THE HIGH TERRAIN TO THE E FOR MY COMFORT. WE WERE VMC AT THIS POINT; HAD A VISUAL OF OUR DEST AND CANCELED OUR IFR CLRNC -- THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE PIC AND I DISCUSSED THIS AND COULD ONLY FIGURE THAT SINCE WE WERE ON A VFR FLT PLAN INITIALLY; AND HAD TO 'POP-UP' FOR AN INST CLRNC THAT THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE CONFUSION. IN MY NEARLY 20 YRS OF FLYING IFR AROUND THESE PARTS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUCH AN EVENT; AND IT MADE ME THINK -- UMMMMM -- WHAT IF? LOOKING BACK; THE SITUATION QUICKLY WAS TURNING INTO A FORMULA FOR DISASTER -- HAD WE JUST FLEW ALONG FAT AND HAPPY WAITING FOR THE CTLR TO VECTOR US; I BELIEVE THAT THE FLT WOULD HAVE MET WITH A MUCH LESS THAN DESIRABLE OUTCOME AND WE'D BECOME A STATISTIC; WHICH IS NOT MY IDEA OF FUN. OUR DECISION AS PLTS TO AVOID THIS SAME SITUATION AGAIN; BASED ON THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT IS; THAT WHILE IMC WHEN WE GET A HDOF TO A DIFFERENT CTLR; OUR INITIAL CONTACT WILL BE SOMETHING LIKE: 'APCH; THIS IS FLT XXXXX WITH YOU AT XXXXX (ALT) IFR TO XXXXX.' EMPHASIZE ON THE IFR FOR CLARIFICATION. THAT WAY EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE. I THINK THE BOTTOM-LINE IS THAT EVERYONE IS HUMAN; EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES AND AS PLTS WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF OUR POS AT ALL TIMES AND QUESTION THE SITUATION IF THERE IS ANY AMOUNT OF DOUBT -- COMPLACENCY KILLS. REMEMBER FAR PART 91.3 -- YOU HAVE AUTH IN THE COCKPIT.

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.