Narrative:

The flight was a VFR flight plan x-country from fort meade, md, to ashland county airport, ashland, oh. The flight was filed with fort meade operations and automated WX briefing was obtained from leesburg FSS 30 min prior to takeoff. Departure was at xx:30 (left) with 2 hours en route filed. An updated winds brief was obtained from leesburg 30 min into the flight. The flight was quite uneventful and with ashland airport in sight several attempts on 122.6 were made to contact cleveland FSS and close out my VFR flight plan. Unable to get a response it was decided to not try further and to call once on deck. Upon arrival being met by friends and a lineman wanting to service and park aircraft I forgot about calling FSS since my normal routine was to do it airborne prior to landing, and now my habit pattern was disrupted. Cleveland tried to call the airport to confirm my arrival but people were working outside and no one heard or answered the phone. I was finally reached at my parents 2 hours after landing. My discussion with the FSS person was stern! This was my first time I had ever done this. As a flight instrument I realize the value and responsibility associated with VFR flight plans. But, talk of turning this over to enforcement I don't feel will produce the desired results. My first feelings were, 'see if I ever file VFR again!' which is a bad attitude. I don't know what the answer to this continuing problem is. I feel the system in place is the best possible, but threats of enforcement action for an honest human mistake of failing to close one's flight plan will only drive people away from using the service, which is not good.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILED TO CLOSE VFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A VFR FLT PLAN X-COUNTRY FROM FORT MEADE, MD, TO ASHLAND COUNTY ARPT, ASHLAND, OH. THE FLT WAS FILED WITH FORT MEADE OPS AND AUTOMATED WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED FROM LEESBURG FSS 30 MIN PRIOR TO TKOF. DEP WAS AT XX:30 (L) WITH 2 HRS ENRTE FILED. AN UPDATED WINDS BRIEF WAS OBTAINED FROM LEESBURG 30 MIN INTO THE FLT. THE FLT WAS QUITE UNEVENTFUL AND WITH ASHLAND ARPT IN SIGHT SEVERAL ATTEMPTS ON 122.6 WERE MADE TO CONTACT CLEVELAND FSS AND CLOSE OUT MY VFR FLT PLAN. UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE IT WAS DECIDED TO NOT TRY FURTHER AND TO CALL ONCE ON DECK. UPON ARR BEING MET BY FRIENDS AND A LINEMAN WANTING TO SVC AND PARK ACFT I FORGOT ABOUT CALLING FSS SINCE MY NORMAL ROUTINE WAS TO DO IT AIRBORNE PRIOR TO LNDG, AND NOW MY HABIT PATTERN WAS DISRUPTED. CLEVELAND TRIED TO CALL THE ARPT TO CONFIRM MY ARR BUT PEOPLE WERE WORKING OUTSIDE AND NO ONE HEARD OR ANSWERED THE PHONE. I WAS FINALLY REACHED AT MY PARENTS 2 HRS AFTER LNDG. MY DISCUSSION WITH THE FSS PERSON WAS STERN! THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME I HAD EVER DONE THIS. AS A FLT INSTR I REALIZE THE VALUE AND RESPONSIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH VFR FLT PLANS. BUT, TALK OF TURNING THIS OVER TO ENFORCEMENT I DON'T FEEL WILL PRODUCE THE DESIRED RESULTS. MY FIRST FEELINGS WERE, 'SEE IF I EVER FILE VFR AGAIN!' WHICH IS A BAD ATTITUDE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER TO THIS CONTINUING PROB IS. I FEEL THE SYS IN PLACE IS THE BEST POSSIBLE, BUT THREATS OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION FOR AN HONEST HUMAN MISTAKE OF FAILING TO CLOSE ONE'S FLT PLAN WILL ONLY DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY FROM USING THE SVC, WHICH IS NOT GOOD.

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.