Narrative:

On 10/92, while flying a captain survey of the island of kauai, hi, for the national WX service, I accidently failed to close a VFR flight plan with hnl FSS. Flight began in honolulu. I filed a VFR flight plan to kauai's lihue airport (lih) to cover for the 85 mi overwater flight. At midchannel (halfway) on the flight I radioed FSS with a pilot report and stated I had kauai's lihue airport in sight. I did not specifically state 'close my flight plan,' nor did I intend for it to be closed at that time. In addition to FSS flight monitoring I also was being flight followed by civil air patrol over our 'company frequency.' as I approached lihue I checked in with lihue tower and reported I would be working an area north of the airport for 2 hours before landing. I also contacted the cap headquarters and reported beginning the survey operations. I additionally was attempting to contact a cap unit located on kauai but was having difficulty. I simply forgot to contact FSS and close/update the VFR flight plan at that time when I should have. About 1 hour later, my cap headquarters called to tell me FSS had called looking for me. I radioed FSS and closed my flight plan. I also had the wing headquarters telephone FSS and close my plan. I thought the matter closed until 6 days later I was told the FSS had referred the incident to the local FSDO for action. I believe the problem arose from several factors: first local captain regulations required the FAA flight plan for overwater operations while also requiring me to be flight followed by cap. Secondly, approaching lihue instead of landing I immediately began the survey pattern instead of landing, breaking my normal decision chain of closing after landing. Third I was monitoring 3 separate radios at the time and experiencing trouble contacting the kauai cap contact which distraction me from remembering to contact FSS. The matter was cleared up by a phone call from the FSS to cap headquarters who immediately contacted me and I closed the plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAP PLT FAILS TO CLOSE HIS VFR FLT PLAN WITH LIH FSS. THEY LATER INFORMED LCL FSDO REF INCIDENT.

Narrative: ON 10/92, WHILE FLYING A CAPT SURVEY OF THE ISLAND OF KAUAI, HI, FOR THE NATIONAL WX SVC, I ACCIDENTLY FAILED TO CLOSE A VFR FLT PLAN WITH HNL FSS. FLT BEGAN IN HONOLULU. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN TO KAUAI'S LIHUE ARPT (LIH) TO COVER FOR THE 85 MI OVERWATER FLT. AT MIDCHANNEL (HALFWAY) ON THE FLT I RADIOED FSS WITH A PLT RPT AND STATED I HAD KAUAI'S LIHUE ARPT IN SIGHT. I DID NOT SPECIFICALLY STATE 'CLOSE MY FLT PLAN,' NOR DID I INTEND FOR IT TO BE CLOSED AT THAT TIME. IN ADDITION TO FSS FLT MONITORING I ALSO WAS BEING FLT FOLLOWED BY CIVIL AIR PATROL OVER OUR 'COMPANY FREQ.' AS I APCHED LIHUE I CHKED IN WITH LIHUE TWR AND RPTED I WOULD BE WORKING AN AREA N OF THE ARPT FOR 2 HRS BEFORE LNDG. I ALSO CONTACTED THE CAP HQ AND RPTED BEGINNING THE SURVEY OPS. I ADDITIONALLY WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT A CAP UNIT LOCATED ON KAUAI BUT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY. I SIMPLY FORGOT TO CONTACT FSS AND CLOSE/UPDATE THE VFR FLT PLAN AT THAT TIME WHEN I SHOULD HAVE. ABOUT 1 HR LATER, MY CAP HQ CALLED TO TELL ME FSS HAD CALLED LOOKING FOR ME. I RADIOED FSS AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN. I ALSO HAD THE WING HQ TELEPHONE FSS AND CLOSE MY PLAN. I THOUGHT THE MATTER CLOSED UNTIL 6 DAYS LATER I WAS TOLD THE FSS HAD REFERRED THE INCIDENT TO THE LCL FSDO FOR ACTION. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM AROSE FROM SEVERAL FACTORS: FIRST LCL CAPT REGS REQUIRED THE FAA FLT PLAN FOR OVERWATER OPS WHILE ALSO REQUIRING ME TO BE FLT FOLLOWED BY CAP. SECONDLY, APCHING LIHUE INSTEAD OF LNDG I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN THE SURVEY PATTERN INSTEAD OF LNDG, BREAKING MY NORMAL DECISION CHAIN OF CLOSING AFTER LNDG. THIRD I WAS MONITORING 3 SEPARATE RADIOS AT THE TIME AND EXPERIENCING TROUBLE CONTACTING THE KAUAI CAP CONTACT WHICH DISTR ME FROM REMEMBERING TO CONTACT FSS. THE MATTER WAS CLRED UP BY A PHONE CALL FROM THE FSS TO CAP HQ WHO IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ME AND I CLOSED THE PLAN.

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.