Narrative:

On apr/sun/93, I was several hours late closing my flight plan from rkw to cty. Yes, it is my responsibility to promptly close my flight plans. However, the FAA system is getting very difficult to reach making it difficult to file or close flight plans. Further briefings have also become difficult to obtain and are frequently incomplete. This is a general safety complaint and more details are given below. I have just returned from an extended overseas work assignment to find my 2 local FAA FSS's closed including the nearest to me, tys. On apr/sat/93 I called the '800' FSS number and was connected -- after a very long wait -- to nashville. A specific request was for the lal fly-in arrival procedures. However, the briefer said there was no arrival procedure and I could not convince him there was one. Also, he did not inform me about a new and uncharted restr area R-2938. R-2938 was along my flight path and is for a 15000 ft aerostat balloon. Later on sat, I called back to file a flight plan but could not get through within a reasonable wait. I filed a flight plan to cty by duats. The first message I received on duat was that FAA was considering termination of duats support. Some unfortunate 14 pages later, I had a good briefing with fdc's, including R-2938. I found the arrival procedures in an aviation magazine. In years past, FAA sent me and other pilots a copy (the procedure had changed this yr!). Upon arriving at cty the single phone was either busy or I again could not get through to FSS. After 3 attempts, I decided not to file a flight plan to lal and to close my old flight plan when I was airborne. Unfortunately, since this was not my normal routine, I forgot until landing at lal to close my rkw to cty flight plan. I was several hours overdue and upset with myself and FAA about closing my flight plan late. In general, I am appalled how badly various FSS's have decayed in my short 6 month absence. If you do not believe me, ask other pilots or, better yet, try to call FSS or try to obtain flight following. Safety will surely suffer. Use of flight plans is being discouraged. In yrs past, I helped FAA with safety meetings and enjoyed working with them. Now I find myself thinking poorly about FAA and avoiding involvement -- unfortunate!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT COMPLAINS OF DETERIORATION OF FSS AND OTHER FAA SVC TO THE GA COMMUNITY. CLAIMS THIS WAS PART OF REASON FOR CLOSING HIS VFR FLT PLAN LATE.

Narrative: ON APR/SUN/93, I WAS SEVERAL HRS LATE CLOSING MY FLT PLAN FROM RKW TO CTY. YES, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROMPTLY CLOSE MY FLT PLANS. HOWEVER, THE FAA SYS IS GETTING VERY DIFFICULT TO REACH MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO FILE OR CLOSE FLT PLANS. FURTHER BRIEFINGS HAVE ALSO BECOME DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN AND ARE FREQUENTLY INCOMPLETE. THIS IS A GENERAL SAFETY COMPLAINT AND MORE DETAILS ARE GIVEN BELOW. I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM AN EXTENDED OVERSEAS WORK ASSIGNMENT TO FIND MY 2 LCL FAA FSS'S CLOSED INCLUDING THE NEAREST TO ME, TYS. ON APR/SAT/93 I CALLED THE '800' FSS NUMBER AND WAS CONNECTED -- AFTER A VERY LONG WAIT -- TO NASHVILLE. A SPECIFIC REQUEST WAS FOR THE LAL FLY-IN ARR PROCS. HOWEVER, THE BRIEFER SAID THERE WAS NO ARR PROC AND I COULD NOT CONVINCE HIM THERE WAS ONE. ALSO, HE DID NOT INFORM ME ABOUT A NEW AND UNCHARTED RESTR AREA R-2938. R-2938 WAS ALONG MY FLT PATH AND IS FOR A 15000 FT AEROSTAT BALLOON. LATER ON SAT, I CALLED BACK TO FILE A FLT PLAN BUT COULD NOT GET THROUGH WITHIN A REASONABLE WAIT. I FILED A FLT PLAN TO CTY BY DUATS. THE FIRST MESSAGE I RECEIVED ON DUAT WAS THAT FAA WAS CONSIDERING TERMINATION OF DUATS SUPPORT. SOME UNFORTUNATE 14 PAGES LATER, I HAD A GOOD BRIEFING WITH FDC'S, INCLUDING R-2938. I FOUND THE ARR PROCS IN AN AVIATION MAGAZINE. IN YEARS PAST, FAA SENT ME AND OTHER PLTS A COPY (THE PROC HAD CHANGED THIS YR!). UPON ARRIVING AT CTY THE SINGLE PHONE WAS EITHER BUSY OR I AGAIN COULD NOT GET THROUGH TO FSS. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS, I DECIDED NOT TO FILE A FLT PLAN TO LAL AND TO CLOSE MY OLD FLT PLAN WHEN I WAS AIRBORNE. UNFORTUNATELY, SINCE THIS WAS NOT MY NORMAL ROUTINE, I FORGOT UNTIL LNDG AT LAL TO CLOSE MY RKW TO CTY FLT PLAN. I WAS SEVERAL HRS OVERDUE AND UPSET WITH MYSELF AND FAA ABOUT CLOSING MY FLT PLAN LATE. IN GENERAL, I AM APPALLED HOW BADLY VARIOUS FSS'S HAVE DECAYED IN MY SHORT 6 MONTH ABSENCE. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME, ASK OTHER PLTS OR, BETTER YET, TRY TO CALL FSS OR TRY TO OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING. SAFETY WILL SURELY SUFFER. USE OF FLT PLANS IS BEING DISCOURAGED. IN YRS PAST, I HELPED FAA WITH SAFETY MEETINGS AND ENJOYED WORKING WITH THEM. NOW I FIND MYSELF THINKING POORLY ABOUT FAA AND AVOIDING INVOLVEMENT -- UNFORTUNATE!

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.