Narrative:

The problem arose when I picked up my clearance for an IFR flight from W29 to N43. The passenger/copilot I was to drop off at N43 was unhappy with the routing because he felt it was too much of a diversion to the west (via lancaster). He was in a hurry and I should also say I trusted his judgement because he has been a pilot for many decades and holds commercial and IFR ratings. So I let him talk to TRACON about changing our routing while I preflted the airplane, which was my mistake. As PIC and the person who filed, I should have followed through with baltimore TRACON. My copilot told me we were going VFR because the routing was ridiculous. So I assumed he cancelled our IFR, which was not the case, as I found out later. Upon arrival at N43, there was a message from the supervisor of baltimore TRACON. I called back and he wanted to know where we were because they were looking for us. First officer got on the phone and said he told flight specialist we were going VFR. We apologized and were told it was misunderstanding. On july, tue, I received a call from an FAA quality assurance specialist, who told me that the first officer had never cancelled our IFR (he listened to the recorded conversation). He wanted to explain the procedure to both the first officer and to me, a purely informational call. My mistake is that I trust someone with yrs more experience than myself! Supplemental information from acn 149972. We told them that we didn't make our void time and assumed that our clearance was void. In the dictionary void means nullify, cancel, to make ineffectual. I don't understand the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN THEN FLEW VFR TO DESTINATION WITHOUT CANCELLING THE IFR FLT PLAN OR TALKING TO ATC.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHEN I PICKED UP MY CLRNC FOR AN IFR FLT FROM W29 TO N43. THE PAX/COPLT I WAS TO DROP OFF AT N43 WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE RTING BECAUSE HE FELT IT WAS TOO MUCH OF A DIVERSION TO THE W (VIA LANCASTER). HE WAS IN A HURRY AND I SHOULD ALSO SAY I TRUSTED HIS JUDGEMENT BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN A PLT FOR MANY DECADES AND HOLDS COMMERCIAL AND IFR RATINGS. SO I LET HIM TALK TO TRACON ABOUT CHANGING OUR RTING WHILE I PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE, WHICH WAS MY MISTAKE. AS PIC AND THE PERSON WHO FILED, I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH BALTIMORE TRACON. MY COPLT TOLD ME WE WERE GOING VFR BECAUSE THE RTING WAS RIDICULOUS. SO I ASSUMED HE CANCELLED OUR IFR, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE, AS I FOUND OUT LATER. UPON ARR AT N43, THERE WAS A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPVR OF BALTIMORE TRACON. I CALLED BACK AND HE WANTED TO KNOW WHERE WE WERE BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR US. FO GOT ON THE PHONE AND SAID HE TOLD FLT SPECIALIST WE WERE GOING VFR. WE APOLOGIZED AND WERE TOLD IT WAS MISUNDERSTANDING. ON JULY, TUE, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM AN FAA QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST, WHO TOLD ME THAT THE FO HAD NEVER CANCELLED OUR IFR (HE LISTENED TO THE RECORDED CONVERSATION). HE WANTED TO EXPLAIN THE PROC TO BOTH THE FO AND TO ME, A PURELY INFORMATIONAL CALL. MY MISTAKE IS THAT I TRUST SOMEONE WITH YRS MORE EXPERIENCE THAN MYSELF! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 149972. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE DIDN'T MAKE OUR VOID TIME AND ASSUMED THAT OUR CLRNC WAS VOID. IN THE DICTIONARY VOID MEANS NULLIFY, CANCEL, TO MAKE INEFFECTUAL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.