Narrative:

I am a private pilot working on an instrument rating. I was flying practice instrument approachs receiving radar vectors from stockton approach control. I had a cfii observer pilot with me. I flew 2 ILS approachs (low passes) at modesto airport. I then requested a VOR approach to stockton airport, followed by a VOR approach to oakdale airport. Stockton approach gave me vectors to stockton airport VOR approach. I flew the stockton airport VOR approach followed by the missed approach procedure after a low pass. Stockton approach then gave me vectors to the oakdale VOR approach. When I intercepted the VOR radial for the oakdale airport approach, stockton approach cleared me for the approach to oakdale airport. I had already told stockton approach I would execute the published missed approach and hold at wraps intersection. Stockton approach then said I could switch to oakdale CTAF, followed by 'radar services terminated.' I switched to the oakdale CTAF, set my transponder to 1200, flew the oakdale VOR approach, flew the published missed approach, held at wraps intersection for about 10 mins, flew back to my homebase (O15). I later got a call from stockton approach looking for me. I was told I had not properly canceled my IFR. The FAA representative said 'radar services terminated' does not mean the controller is terminating IFR responsibilities. I feel there are several factors that led to this situation: I am a student IFR pilot unfamiliar with some IFR protocol. I was flying practice approachs and so informed the controller. I was in VMC. I was making an approach to an uncontrolled airport. I was flying my last practice approach of the day and wasn't thinking about calling approach control back. When I fly VFR and a controller says, 'radar services terminated,' it means the controller is no longer handling you. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a piper arrow. He said the instructor was not receiving pay for flying along. The reporter stated the TRACON supervisor said they read the tapes and believe the controller should have been using different phraseology to clarify his instructions for the reporter on the missed approach. The reporter stated the TRACON is very explicit now in their instructions to aircraft on practice approachs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR RECEIVED CLRNC FOR A SERIES OF PRACTICE APCHS AND WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK A XPONDER CODE. WHEN CLRED FOR THE PRACTICE VOR APCH TO OAKDALE, THE RPTR WAS TOLD 'RADAR SVCS TERMINATED.' THE RPTR, AFTER CHKING WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR, SQUAWKED 1200 AND COMPLETED THE VOR APCH TO A MISSED APCH WITH A COUPLE OF HOLDING PATTERNS AT WRAPS LIKE THE RPTR TOLD TRACON THEY WOULD. THE TRACON DIDN'T SEE THE DISCRETE CODE ON THE MISSED APCH AND BECAME ALARMED. THE TRACON CONTENDS THE RPTR SHOULD HAVE CANCELED IFR.

Narrative: I AM A PVT PLT WORKING ON AN INST RATING. I WAS FLYING PRACTICE INST APCHS RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FROM STOCKTON APCH CTL. I HAD A CFII OBSERVER PLT WITH ME. I FLEW 2 ILS APCHS (LOW PASSES) AT MODESTO ARPT. I THEN REQUESTED A VOR APCH TO STOCKTON ARPT, FOLLOWED BY A VOR APCH TO OAKDALE ARPT. STOCKTON APCH GAVE ME VECTORS TO STOCKTON ARPT VOR APCH. I FLEW THE STOCKTON ARPT VOR APCH FOLLOWED BY THE MISSED APCH PROC AFTER A LOW PASS. STOCKTON APCH THEN GAVE ME VECTORS TO THE OAKDALE VOR APCH. WHEN I INTERCEPTED THE VOR RADIAL FOR THE OAKDALE ARPT APCH, STOCKTON APCH CLRED ME FOR THE APCH TO OAKDALE ARPT. I HAD ALREADY TOLD STOCKTON APCH I WOULD EXECUTE THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH AND HOLD AT WRAPS INTXN. STOCKTON APCH THEN SAID I COULD SWITCH TO OAKDALE CTAF, FOLLOWED BY 'RADAR SVCS TERMINATED.' I SWITCHED TO THE OAKDALE CTAF, SET MY XPONDER TO 1200, FLEW THE OAKDALE VOR APCH, FLEW THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH, HELD AT WRAPS INTXN FOR ABOUT 10 MINS, FLEW BACK TO MY HOMEBASE (O15). I LATER GOT A CALL FROM STOCKTON APCH LOOKING FOR ME. I WAS TOLD I HAD NOT PROPERLY CANCELED MY IFR. THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE SAID 'RADAR SVCS TERMINATED' DOES NOT MEAN THE CTLR IS TERMINATING IFR RESPONSIBILITIES. I FEEL THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS SIT: I AM A STUDENT IFR PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH SOME IFR PROTOCOL. I WAS FLYING PRACTICE APCHS AND SO INFORMED THE CTLR. I WAS IN VMC. I WAS MAKING AN APCH TO AN UNCTLED ARPT. I WAS FLYING MY LAST PRACTICE APCH OF THE DAY AND WASN'T THINKING ABOUT CALLING APCH CTL BACK. WHEN I FLY VFR AND A CTLR SAYS, 'RADAR SVCS TERMINATED,' IT MEANS THE CTLR IS NO LONGER HANDLING YOU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A PIPER ARROW. HE SAID THE INSTRUCTOR WAS NOT RECEIVING PAY FOR FLYING ALONG. THE RPTR STATED THE TRACON SUPVR SAID THEY READ THE TAPES AND BELIEVE THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN USING DIFFERENT PHRASEOLOGY TO CLARIFY HIS INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE RPTR ON THE MISSED APCH. THE RPTR STATED THE TRACON IS VERY EXPLICIT NOW IN THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT ON PRACTICE APCHS.

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.