SR22
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 8
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Aircraft X departed PHL on an IFR flight plan for a nearby satellite airport. The aircraft was given runway heading and 3;000 feet by the Tower. When the pilot checked in; he asked to maintain VFR on course. At that point I falsely assumed the aircraft was a VFR departure and began handling him as such. I cleared the aircraft out of the Bravo at or below 2;500 feet; and verified they were familiar with an antenna north of the airport. The pilot leveled at 2;000 feet and flew through the 2;500 feet MVA associated with the antenna. When the aircraft got close to the destination airport; they asked to cancel IFR. The issue didn't even immediately register until I heard it later on the playback.I should check every departure strip more closely. The aircraft's data tag was properly displaying as IFR - I believe that seeing the weight category displayed; and not looking at it closely; made me assume the aircraft was VFR (just because there was some character in the lower right of the tag).
PHL TRACON Controller reported mistakenly handling an IFR aircraft as if it were VFR; leading to an MVA violation.