Narrative:

My student and I were going to do an IFR training flight, in a C172. I told my student to file an IFR flight plan to a local airport that had an ILS approach. When my student filed I had told him to file 47N (kupper) to (sbj) solberg VOR direct to trenton/robbinsville. I had confused this airport with trenton mercer county which had the ILS approach I wanted. I told him to amend the flight plan when he called back for clearance pickup. When he called back for his clearance the controller was very busy and rushed through the clearance. At the end of his clearance he was issued a release time and a void time but no recall time. The controller then said he wasn't going to have a readback and then hung up on my student. I was surprised being in ny airspace such a clearance was given. The void time was only 10 mins after the phone call and I didn't see making it off on time. The conditions at the time were VFR 5-7 mi haze. We departed 5-8 mins after our void time and assumed the plan was canceled. During my training I was taught if not off the ground by void time and no phone is made by recall time the flight plan was canceled. Not so as I found out when we returned about an hour later. Numerous phone calls were made looking for us by local tower and controllers. Needless to say I had to make a phone call after my arrival. I talked to the operations manager and told him my side of the story and apologized and assured him it wasn't going to happen again. I learned a few lessons that day. Make sure the student knows how to file an IFR flight plan completely. When possible listen in on another phone line the first couple of times when the student is filing, so you can correct any errors made and finally always close your flight plan (the system works). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the 'recall time' is issued to allow a call back to keep the flight plan active if one misses the void time. This is an unfamiliar term to the analysts and may be an east coast procedure. Reporter thought the flight plan would be canceled within 30 mins if not activated.this is the analyst perception as well. This did not happen and ATC was looking for the instructor and student. They had elected to remain local and practice since the system seemed so busy. This area is near N90. In his call to the TRACON, reporter learned that one must cancel the flight plan. Reporter stated how much he enjoys and learns from callback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT ON IFR FLT PLAN WITH VOID TIME. NO TKOF BY VOID TIME AND DECIDED TO REMAIN LCL. ATC STARTED SEARCH FOR RPTR'S ACFT.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE GOING TO DO AN IFR TRAINING FLT, IN A C172. I TOLD MY STUDENT TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN TO A LCL ARPT THAT HAD AN ILS APCH. WHEN MY STUDENT FILED I HAD TOLD HIM TO FILE 47N (KUPPER) TO (SBJ) SOLBERG VOR DIRECT TO TRENTON/ROBBINSVILLE. I HAD CONFUSED THIS ARPT WITH TRENTON MERCER COUNTY WHICH HAD THE ILS APCH I WANTED. I TOLD HIM TO AMEND THE FLT PLAN WHEN HE CALLED BACK FOR CLRNC PICKUP. WHEN HE CALLED BACK FOR HIS CLRNC THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND RUSHED THROUGH THE CLRNC. AT THE END OF HIS CLRNC HE WAS ISSUED A RELEASE TIME AND A VOID TIME BUT NO RECALL TIME. THE CTLR THEN SAID HE WASN'T GOING TO HAVE A READBACK AND THEN HUNG UP ON MY STUDENT. I WAS SURPRISED BEING IN NY AIRSPACE SUCH A CLRNC WAS GIVEN. THE VOID TIME WAS ONLY 10 MINS AFTER THE PHONE CALL AND I DIDN'T SEE MAKING IT OFF ON TIME. THE CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE VFR 5-7 MI HAZE. WE DEPARTED 5-8 MINS AFTER OUR VOID TIME AND ASSUMED THE PLAN WAS CANCELED. DURING MY TRAINING I WAS TAUGHT IF NOT OFF THE GND BY VOID TIME AND NO PHONE IS MADE BY RECALL TIME THE FLT PLAN WAS CANCELED. NOT SO AS I FOUND OUT WHEN WE RETURNED ABOUT AN HR LATER. NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS WERE MADE LOOKING FOR US BY LCL TWR AND CTLRS. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAD TO MAKE A PHONE CALL AFTER MY ARR. I TALKED TO THE OPS MGR AND TOLD HIM MY SIDE OF THE STORY AND APOLOGIZED AND ASSURED HIM IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. I LEARNED A FEW LESSONS THAT DAY. MAKE SURE THE STUDENT KNOWS HOW TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN COMPLETELY. WHEN POSSIBLE LISTEN IN ON ANOTHER PHONE LINE THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN THE STUDENT IS FILING, SO YOU CAN CORRECT ANY ERRORS MADE AND FINALLY ALWAYS CLOSE YOUR FLT PLAN (THE SYS WORKS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE 'RECALL TIME' IS ISSUED TO ALLOW A CALL BACK TO KEEP THE FLT PLAN ACTIVE IF ONE MISSES THE VOID TIME. THIS IS AN UNFAMILIAR TERM TO THE ANALYSTS AND MAY BE AN E COAST PROC. RPTR THOUGHT THE FLT PLAN WOULD BE CANCELED WITHIN 30 MINS IF NOT ACTIVATED.THIS IS THE ANALYST PERCEPTION AS WELL. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AND ATC WAS LOOKING FOR THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT. THEY HAD ELECTED TO REMAIN LCL AND PRACTICE SINCE THE SYS SEEMED SO BUSY. THIS AREA IS NEAR N90. IN HIS CALL TO THE TRACON, RPTR LEARNED THAT ONE MUST CANCEL THE FLT PLAN. RPTR STATED HOW MUCH HE ENJOYS AND LEARNS FROM CALLBACK.

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.