Narrative:

I failed to close my IFR flight plan after landing at orlando executive airport. On the ILS approach into orl, controllers told me I could close my flight plan after landing. The runway was partially obscured, and a thunderstorm was in progress north of the field. Although I did have the runway lighting system and runway end in view, I felt it was prudent to cancel after landing due to the runway obscuration. On landing, I commenced to call approach on the frequency given. I made many attempts to make contact while taxiing to the terminal area, but received no response. Airport facilities were closed. My passenger and I had prereserved a rental car, and on arriving at the FBO area, a representative waited for us with the car. In the process of acquiring the vehicle and off-loading the aircraft, I completely forgot to call and cancel the flight plan. On arrival at our hotel, I realized what had happened. I phoned flight service to advise them of our arrival and close the flight plan. Preparing to depart sunday morning, we were advised by FBO personnel to call approach control. We were informed by control they had held several aircraft from operations while they searched the field for our aircraft, and that operators of the effected aircraft wanted my name and address. I supplied the information requested and we departed for home. The bottom line was, I forgot to satisfy the regulatory responsibility to close the flight plan, causing delays and difficulties for controllers, other operators, and police agencies searching for us. Contributing factors: we were tired. We had been too long in the cockpit, flying single engine from minneapolis to orlando on the same day, in 3 legs, 11 hours flight time. The last 2 legs were IFR, the last leg necessitating navigating around active thunderstorms.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SMA SEL FAILED TO CLOSE IFR FLT PLAN AFTER LNDG AT AN UNCTLED ARPT AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I FAILED TO CLOSE MY IFR FLT PLAN AFTER LNDG AT ORLANDO EXECUTIVE ARPT. ON THE ILS APCH INTO ORL, CTLRS TOLD ME I COULD CLOSE MY FLT PLAN AFTER LNDG. THE RWY WAS PARTIALLY OBSCURED, AND A TSTM WAS IN PROGRESS N OF THE FIELD. ALTHOUGH I DID HAVE THE RWY LIGHTING SYS AND RWY END IN VIEW, I FELT IT WAS PRUDENT TO CANCEL AFTER LNDG DUE TO THE RWY OBSCURATION. ON LNDG, I COMMENCED TO CALL APCH ON THE FREQ GIVEN. I MADE MANY ATTEMPTS TO MAKE CONTACT WHILE TAXIING TO THE TERMINAL AREA, BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. ARPT FACILITIES WERE CLOSED. MY PAX AND I HAD PRERESERVED A RENTAL CAR, AND ON ARRIVING AT THE FBO AREA, A REPRESENTATIVE WAITED FOR US WITH THE CAR. IN THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING THE VEHICLE AND OFF-LOADING THE ACFT, I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO CALL AND CANCEL THE FLT PLAN. ON ARR AT OUR HOTEL, I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I PHONED FLT SVC TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR ARR AND CLOSE THE FLT PLAN. PREPARING TO DEPART SUNDAY MORNING, WE WERE ADVISED BY FBO PERSONNEL TO CALL APCH CTL. WE WERE INFORMED BY CTL THEY HAD HELD SEVERAL ACFT FROM OPS WHILE THEY SEARCHED THE FIELD FOR OUR ACFT, AND THAT OPERATORS OF THE EFFECTED ACFT WANTED MY NAME AND ADDRESS. I SUPPLIED THE INFO REQUESTED AND WE DEPARTED FOR HOME. THE BOTTOM LINE WAS, I FORGOT TO SATISFY THE REGULATORY RESPONSIBILITY TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN, CAUSING DELAYS AND DIFFICULTIES FOR CTLRS, OTHER OPERATORS, AND POLICE AGENCIES SEARCHING FOR US. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WE WERE TIRED. WE HAD BEEN TOO LONG IN THE COCKPIT, FLYING SINGLE ENG FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO ORLANDO ON THE SAME DAY, IN 3 LEGS, 11 HRS FLT TIME. THE LAST 2 LEGS WERE IFR, THE LAST LEG NECESSITATING NAVIGATING AROUND ACTIVE TSTMS.

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.