VFR flight plan not activated after pilot request made on FSS frequency.

Attributes
ACN	189646
Time
Date	199109
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zyz
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	189646
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Filed VFR flight plan with roc for direct flight roc to ptk over telephone. Opened with roc over aircraft radio or believed that they opened flight plan. Call toronto center just west of buffalo and received flight following to just east of ptk. Was handed off from toronto center to cleveland center. After landing at ptk I tried to close flight plan and the FSS didn't have 1 on the aircraft. Flight was under radar advisory while over canada but may or may not have been on an open VFR flight plan. This is not the first time that VFR flight plans have not been opened by FSS and could be a problem. The same has happened with closing flight plans with FSS over the aircraft radio in the past. Maybe there is a better system in the future. The same has happened when filing IFR flight plans -- they are lost between the time they are filed and the time you pick them up from a tower. I have been very satisfied with the duat system, only had 1 flight plan lost in the last 3 yrs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR FLT PLAN NOT ACTIVATED AFTER PLT REQUEST MADE ON FSS FREQ.

Narrative: FILED VFR FLT PLAN WITH ROC FOR DIRECT FLT ROC TO PTK OVER TELEPHONE. OPENED WITH ROC OVER ACFT RADIO OR BELIEVED THAT THEY OPENED FLT PLAN. CALL TORONTO CENTER JUST W OF BUFFALO AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING TO JUST E OF PTK. WAS HANDED OFF FROM TORONTO CENTER TO CLEVELAND CENTER. AFTER LNDG AT PTK I TRIED TO CLOSE FLT PLAN AND THE FSS DIDN'T HAVE 1 ON THE ACFT. FLT WAS UNDER RADAR ADVISORY WHILE OVER CANADA BUT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ON AN OPEN VFR FLT PLAN. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT VFR FLT PLANS HAVE NOT BEEN OPENED BY FSS AND COULD BE A PROBLEM. THE SAME HAS HAPPENED WITH CLOSING FLT PLANS WITH FSS OVER THE ACFT RADIO IN THE PAST. MAYBE THERE IS A BETTER SYS IN THE FUTURE. THE SAME HAS HAPPENED WHEN FILING IFR FLT PLANS -- THEY ARE LOST BTWN THE TIME THEY ARE FILED AND THE TIME YOU PICK THEM UP FROM A TWR. I HAVE BEEN VERY SATISFIED WITH THE DUAT SYS, ONLY HAD 1 FLT PLAN LOST IN THE LAST 3 YRS.

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.