Reporter failed to close VFR flight plan.

Attributes
ACN	105158
Time
Date	198902
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pwa
State Reference	OK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 130 flight time type : 67
ASRS Report	105158
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Failed to close flight plan due to a large void between ear pieces of pilot's headset. I am having plastic signs (1 1/2' X 3 1/2') 'close flight plan' made up--one to hang on the instrument panel and one to put on my flight bag. Hopefully this will close the aforementioned void. Fortunately a search operation was not initiated in this occurrence and so precluded a needless but expensive effort by search and rescue teams. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that he did not discover his failure to close his VFR flight plan until the next day. At that time he decided it was too late to accomplish anything so he made no attempt to contact anyone. He is unsure what if any activity took place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FAILED TO CLOSE VFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: FAILED TO CLOSE FLT PLAN DUE TO A LARGE VOID BTWN EAR PIECES OF PLT'S HEADSET. I AM HAVING PLASTIC SIGNS (1 1/2' X 3 1/2') 'CLOSE FLT PLAN' MADE UP--ONE TO HANG ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND ONE TO PUT ON MY FLT BAG. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CLOSE THE AFOREMENTIONED VOID. FORTUNATELY A SEARCH OPERATION WAS NOT INITIATED IN THIS OCCURRENCE AND SO PRECLUDED A NEEDLESS BUT EXPENSIVE EFFORT BY SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT HE DID NOT DISCOVER HIS FAILURE TO CLOSE HIS VFR FLT PLAN UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. AT THAT TIME HE DECIDED IT WAS TOO LATE TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING SO HE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ANYONE. HE IS UNSURE WHAT IF ANY ACTIVITY TOOK PLACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.