PA-46 Malibu/Malibu Mirage/Malibu Matrix
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 3.0
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
I had a PA46 call for taxi instructions with the current ATIS. I advised the Malibu to taxi. The pilot read back runway assignment and started his taxi. The PA46 had an IFR flight plan on file and had been given his clearance by the previous ground controller. I failed to catch that this was an IFR PA46 as the pilot did not mention his IFR status when calling for taxi. I even asked the pilot what his direction of flight was since I did not have that marked on the VFR strip I was going to hand off to the Local Controller. All the pilot said when asked direction of fight was southbound; so I marked an 'S' on the VFR strip and handed it off to the Local Controller. This would have been a good time for the pilot to mention his IFR status. I would say that it is a fair estimate that 98% of our traffic is VFR.The pilot was cleared for take-off by the Local Controller as if it were a VFR flight to the South. The PA46 tagged up as IFR and the Local Controller brought it to my attention; since I was also the Controller in Charge at the time. TRACON called almost immediately and asked what was going on with the IFR Malibu. I briefly explained he had departed inadvertently without his release. The Local Controller circled the Malibu overhead while I coordinated with TRACON for a release. A release was given and the plane departed IFR with only one turn in the pattern. The weather was extreme VFR and there were no separation issues and the plane did not leave the Class D until an IFR release was given by TRACON. Contributing factors would be a pilot not advising ground of his IFR status. I am an IFR pilot and I always tell ground 'ready to taxi IFR 'destination'. I don't know if it is because I am a controller or that it was just the way I was taught. I would recommend pilots advise ground controllers of their type of departure requested IFR/VFR. We don't have an AIM here at the facility; so I can't say for sure what it recommends. I know we have asked the instructors at the Flight Schools to let us know and that has worked well. This type of occurrence is rare in my opinion.
FFZ Tower Controller taxied and cleared for takeoff an aircraft he believed to be on a VFR flight plan; but that was actually on an IFR flight plan.