Pilot of helicopter landed at off airport site. Failed to close our VFR flight plan. Search ensued.

Attributes
ACN	175893
Time
Date	199104
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bhm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	175893
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was carrying passenger on a pipeline patrol in al and was on a VFR flight plan as required by far 135.79. Due to the geography of the area, I was unable to close the flight plan by radio west/O climbing to about 2000'. I had decided to close the flight plan by phone after landing. However, after landing, I was wisked away by my passenger and neglected to close the flight plan. I have never neglected to close a plan and believe this happened due to making an off airport landing. The resulting search could have been prevented by giving the phone # at my off airport landing site.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HELICOPTER LANDED AT OFF ARPT SITE. FAILED TO CLOSE OUR VFR FLT PLAN. SEARCH ENSUED.

Narrative: I WAS CARRYING PAX ON A PIPELINE PATROL IN AL AND WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN AS REQUIRED BY FAR 135.79. DUE TO THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE AREA, I WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN BY RADIO W/O CLBING TO ABOUT 2000'. I HAD DECIDED TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN BY PHONE AFTER LNDG. HOWEVER, AFTER LNDG, I WAS WISKED AWAY BY MY PAX AND NEGLECTED TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN. I HAVE NEVER NEGLECTED TO CLOSE A PLAN AND BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED DUE TO MAKING AN OFF ARPT LNDG. THE RESULTING SEARCH COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY GIVING THE PHONE # AT MY OFF ARPT LNDG SITE.

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.