Narrative:

At this small, uncontrolled airport in collingwood, ontario, just north of toronto, my copilot and I filed an IFR flight plan. ETD was XX00 local, but our people were late so we never called for our clearance. The airport was deserted at that time so we were sitting in the plane playing cards when the airport manager arrived to tell us that toronto center was looking for us. We were surprised since we had never called for our void time clearance. A call on the pay phone revealed that toronto was indeed looking for us along with part of the northeast in the us at fault was our inadequate knowledge of the regulations in canada which turns out to be quite different from the void time regulation in the us in canada, ATC assumes that you have taken off at your expected departure time, even though you have not called for a clearance, and will instigate a search after 1 hour. The moral: read the regulations!!! Don't assume!!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CRW OF CPT SMT FAILS TO UPDATE ETD ON IFR PLAN FROM UNCONTROLLED ARPT IN CANADA.

Narrative: AT THIS SMALL, UNCONTROLLED ARPT IN COLLINGWOOD, ONTARIO, JUST N OF TORONTO, MY COPLT AND I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. ETD WAS XX00 LCL, BUT OUR PEOPLE WERE LATE SO WE NEVER CALLED FOR OUR CLRNC. THE ARPT WAS DESERTED AT THAT TIME SO WE WERE SITTING IN THE PLANE PLAYING CARDS WHEN THE ARPT MGR ARRIVED TO TELL US THAT TORONTO CENTER WAS LOOKING FOR US. WE WERE SURPRISED SINCE WE HAD NEVER CALLED FOR OUR VOID TIME CLRNC. A CALL ON THE PAY PHONE REVEALED THAT TORONTO WAS INDEED LOOKING FOR US ALONG WITH PART OF THE NE IN THE U.S. AT FAULT WAS OUR INADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE REGS IN CANADA WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE VOID TIME REG IN THE U.S. IN CANADA, ATC ASSUMES THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN OFF AT YOUR EXPECTED DEP TIME, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NOT CALLED FOR A CLRNC, AND WILL INSTIGATE A SEARCH AFTER 1 HR. THE MORAL: READ THE REGS!!! DON'T ASSUME!!!

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.