Narrative:

Our flight departed day. We intended to land at our home base of washington county airport (afj). Clearance delivery assigned us a squawk code of XXXX. We departed day under local departure control and requested an altitude of 3500 ft MSL and VFR advisories to the zanesville (zzv) VOR. Shortly after departure, we were assigned a different squawk code and were handed off to columbus approach. After passing columbus, we were handed off to ZID, established 2-WAY radio contact, and listened for advisories. I believe we were using frequency 124.8. ZID asked us to confirm that we wanted VFR advisories to the zanesville VOR. We did. Upon passing the zanesville VOR, I began to discuss with my companion (the aircraft owner) that it was time for ZID to cut us loose. We were landing at afj, south of pittsburgh. We were very familiar with the final route of flight and visibility was unrestr. I first tried to cancel advisories with ZID approximately 5 mi east of zanesville. While continuing eastbound, I tried to reach ZID again 3 more times in the next 5 mins without a response. While remaining on frequency another 5 mins, I requested a frequency change with center without a response. We were now 30 mi east of zanesville, and approaching an area where we wanted to contact pittsburgh approach soon. After being unable to reach ZID, I reluctantly changed to a 1200 squawk code and contacted pittsburgh approach several mins later. This time would have been approximately XB25 pm local. We continued the uneventful flight and landed at our destination, afj, at approximately XB45 pm local. Upon arriving home, the aircraft owner received a message to call day approach by phone, and was later contacted by a supervisor from ZID, stating their concerns about the safe conclusion of our flight. Both gentlemen stated that the cap, 2 ohio state police helicopters and the air force had been dispatched, looking for our lost aircraft. The ZID controller never attempted to contact us, notifying us of passing the zzv VOR or to say we were about to go off of his screen. We gave the controller the benefit of the doubt that he was busy, as we had attempted to contact him 5 times over the period of 15 mins. I feel that the controller was busy or distraction and apparently forgot about us. I had only asked for TA's to the zzv VOR. I am concerned that the cap, police and air force were dispatched when we had no idea we had done anything to cause them to search for our aircraft. However, I did learn after the fact that contacting any control tower or FSS, and having them relay that we had lost contact during their control, would have stopped a search for our aircraft. I used ATC for VFR advisories, not because I needed help navigating along this route, but to provide an additional level of cooperation and safety. There were no problems with transmitting or receiving on either of our radios.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEARCH MADE FOR GA ACFT AFTER ZID CTR CTLR LOSES ACFT ON RADAR AND RADIO DURING RADAR TA SVC.

Narrative: OUR FLT DEPARTED DAY. WE INTENDED TO LAND AT OUR HOME BASE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY ARPT (AFJ). CLRNC DELIVERY ASSIGNED US A SQUAWK CODE OF XXXX. WE DEPARTED DAY UNDER LCL DEP CTL AND REQUESTED AN ALT OF 3500 FT MSL AND VFR ADVISORIES TO THE ZANESVILLE (ZZV) VOR. SHORTLY AFTER DEP, WE WERE ASSIGNED A DIFFERENT SQUAWK CODE AND WERE HANDED OFF TO COLUMBUS APCH. AFTER PASSING COLUMBUS, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZID, ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT, AND LISTENED FOR ADVISORIES. I BELIEVE WE WERE USING FREQ 124.8. ZID ASKED US TO CONFIRM THAT WE WANTED VFR ADVISORIES TO THE ZANESVILLE VOR. WE DID. UPON PASSING THE ZANESVILLE VOR, I BEGAN TO DISCUSS WITH MY COMPANION (THE ACFT OWNER) THAT IT WAS TIME FOR ZID TO CUT US LOOSE. WE WERE LNDG AT AFJ, S OF PITTSBURGH. WE WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE FINAL RTE OF FLT AND VISIBILITY WAS UNRESTR. I FIRST TRIED TO CANCEL ADVISORIES WITH ZID APPROX 5 MI E OF ZANESVILLE. WHILE CONTINUING EBOUND, I TRIED TO REACH ZID AGAIN 3 MORE TIMES IN THE NEXT 5 MINS WITHOUT A RESPONSE. WHILE REMAINING ON FREQ ANOTHER 5 MINS, I REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE WITH CTR WITHOUT A RESPONSE. WE WERE NOW 30 MI E OF ZANESVILLE, AND APCHING AN AREA WHERE WE WANTED TO CONTACT PITTSBURGH APCH SOON. AFTER BEING UNABLE TO REACH ZID, I RELUCTANTLY CHANGED TO A 1200 SQUAWK CODE AND CONTACTED PITTSBURGH APCH SEVERAL MINS LATER. THIS TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROX XB25 PM LCL. WE CONTINUED THE UNEVENTFUL FLT AND LANDED AT OUR DEST, AFJ, AT APPROX XB45 PM LCL. UPON ARRIVING HOME, THE ACFT OWNER RECEIVED A MESSAGE TO CALL DAY APCH BY PHONE, AND WAS LATER CONTACTED BY A SUPVR FROM ZID, STATING THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFE CONCLUSION OF OUR FLT. BOTH GENTLEMEN STATED THAT THE CAP, 2 OHIO STATE POLICE HELIS AND THE AIR FORCE HAD BEEN DISPATCHED, LOOKING FOR OUR LOST ACFT. THE ZID CTLR NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT US, NOTIFYING US OF PASSING THE ZZV VOR OR TO SAY WE WERE ABOUT TO GO OFF OF HIS SCREEN. WE GAVE THE CTLR THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT THAT HE WAS BUSY, AS WE HAD ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HIM 5 TIMES OVER THE PERIOD OF 15 MINS. I FEEL THAT THE CTLR WAS BUSY OR DISTR AND APPARENTLY FORGOT ABOUT US. I HAD ONLY ASKED FOR TA'S TO THE ZZV VOR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CAP, POLICE AND AIR FORCE WERE DISPATCHED WHEN WE HAD NO IDEA WE HAD DONE ANYTHING TO CAUSE THEM TO SEARCH FOR OUR ACFT. HOWEVER, I DID LEARN AFTER THE FACT THAT CONTACTING ANY CTL TWR OR FSS, AND HAVING THEM RELAY THAT WE HAD LOST CONTACT DURING THEIR CTL, WOULD HAVE STOPPED A SEARCH FOR OUR ACFT. I USED ATC FOR VFR ADVISORIES, NOT BECAUSE I NEEDED HELP NAVING ALONG THIS RTE, BUT TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF COOPERATION AND SAFETY. THERE WERE NO PROBS WITH XMITTING OR RECEIVING ON EITHER OF OUR RADIOS.

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.