I can SSH into remote server just fine using private key authentication with prompt for passphrase.

However I'm getting permission denied when I try to SCP a file using the same passphrase. Here's my output:

$ scp -v [file] [user]@[remoteserver.com]:/home/[my dir]

Executing: program /usr/bin/ssh host [remoteserver.com], user [user], command scp -v -t /home/[my dir]
OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu7, OpenSSL 0.9.8k 25 Mar 2009
debug1: Reading configuration data /home/[my dir].ssh/config
debug1: Applying options for [remoteserver.com]
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
debug1: Applying options for *
debug1: Connecting to [remoteserver.com] [[remoteserver.com]] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug1: identity file /home/[user]/.ssh/aws_corp type -1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu7
debug1: match: OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu7 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu7
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug1: kex: server->client aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug1: kex: client->server aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug1: Host '[remoteserver.com]' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/[my dir]/.ssh/known_hosts:12
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Trying private key: /home/[my dir]/.ssh/aws_corp
debug1: PEM_read_PrivateKey failed
debug1: read PEM private key done: type <unknown>
Enter passphrase for key '/home/[my dir]/.ssh/aws_corp': 

debug1: read PEM private key done: type RSA
Connection closed by [remote server]
lost connection

I've searched for answers but can't find quite the same problem or am just being thick. Either way any help is much appreciated. Cheers!