A record setting flight crew failed to open their VFR flight plan.

Attributes
ACN	303912
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ilm
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tracon : nkt
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Baron 58/58TC
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	303912
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	303913
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We left miami under controled airspace. We went across the ADIZ with control and dropped low on the deck. We did not open our flight plan. We then contacted cherry point approach and at about 45 mi off the coast I passed through the ADIZ. As the controller gave us permission to enter the restr area, he then said we had some sort of problem and asked us where we came from and where we were going. We told him and when we asked him what the problem was he said he did not know. We were very low over the water. When we left miami airspace, we lost communication with the controller, so we squawked VFR (1200). We had told miami approach what we were doing. So I am not sure what the problem is, but it may be the ADIZ line. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the rptrs were on a successful record setting flight from mia to frg. They were flying a beech baron in naa class C-1D. The aircraft owner asked his first officer, an instructor pilot, to file a flight plan which was done while the owner was conferring with the mia tower chief about routing from mia. The tower chief suggested that they delay their departure as there was an airshow at fll. After the conclusion of the airshow, the tower chief could coordinate clearance through fll's airspace. The first officer failed to open the flight plan even though it was properly filed and the procedures were followed. When the rptrs were approaching land fall near nkt, ZDC had no record of their flight as the flight plan had not been opened. The implied threat of 'you will be hearing from us' was unnerving to the rptrs. The rptrs have not heard from the FAA on this. The owner regrets that he changed from his assigned squawk to VFR squawk while out of radio contact. The owner has received a certificate attesting to his record from the naa. The owner regrets that he had to fly west around a restr area that cost him about 15 mins on his record attempt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RECORD SETTING FLC FAILED TO OPEN THEIR VFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: WE LEFT MIAMI UNDER CTLED AIRSPACE. WE WENT ACROSS THE ADIZ WITH CTL AND DROPPED LOW ON THE DECK. WE DID NOT OPEN OUR FLT PLAN. WE THEN CONTACTED CHERRY POINT APCH AND AT ABOUT 45 MI OFF THE COAST I PASSED THROUGH THE ADIZ. AS THE CTLR GAVE US PERMISSION TO ENTER THE RESTR AREA, HE THEN SAID WE HAD SOME SORT OF PROB AND ASKED US WHERE WE CAME FROM AND WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE TOLD HIM AND WHEN WE ASKED HIM WHAT THE PROB WAS HE SAID HE DID NOT KNOW. WE WERE VERY LOW OVER THE WATER. WHEN WE LEFT MIAMI AIRSPACE, WE LOST COM WITH THE CTLR, SO WE SQUAWKED VFR (1200). WE HAD TOLD MIAMI APCH WHAT WE WERE DOING. SO I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE PROB IS, BUT IT MAY BE THE ADIZ LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTRS WERE ON A SUCCESSFUL RECORD SETTING FLT FROM MIA TO FRG. THEY WERE FLYING A BEECH BARON IN NAA CLASS C-1D. THE ACFT OWNER ASKED HIS FO, AN INSTRUCTOR PLT, TO FILE A FLT PLAN WHICH WAS DONE WHILE THE OWNER WAS CONFERRING WITH THE MIA TWR CHIEF ABOUT ROUTING FROM MIA. THE TWR CHIEF SUGGESTED THAT THEY DELAY THEIR DEP AS THERE WAS AN AIRSHOW AT FLL. AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE AIRSHOW, THE TWR CHIEF COULD COORDINATE CLRNC THROUGH FLL'S AIRSPACE. THE FO FAILED TO OPEN THE FLT PLAN EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PROPERLY FILED AND THE PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. WHEN THE RPTRS WERE APCHING LAND FALL NEAR NKT, ZDC HAD NO RECORD OF THEIR FLT AS THE FLT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN OPENED. THE IMPLIED THREAT OF 'YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM US' WAS UNNERVING TO THE RPTRS. THE RPTRS HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS. THE OWNER REGRETS THAT HE CHANGED FROM HIS ASSIGNED SQUAWK TO VFR SQUAWK WHILE OUT OF RADIO CONTACT. THE OWNER HAS RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE ATTESTING TO HIS RECORD FROM THE NAA. THE OWNER REGRETS THAT HE HAD TO FLY W AROUND A RESTR AREA THAT COST HIM ABOUT 15 MINS ON HIS RECORD ATTEMPT.

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.