Small aircraft pilot fails to close his VFR round robin flight plan with FSS.

Attributes
ACN	362670
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : nzj
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	362670
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Did not close VFR flight plan on mar/sun/97. Flying a T34 flying club aircraft out of el toro, ca. On a local flight (nzj to nzj) I opened a local flight plan with riverside FSS and forgot to close plan. Factors which affected my thought process. 1) el toro tower normally closes flight plans when the aircraft arrives -- tower was closed. 2) when tower is closed, I normally close via radio while airborne -- low visibility (approximately 4 mi in haze) distracted my attention. 3) normally, next scheduled pilots wait until aircraft is tied down and paperwork complete in office before preflting. 'Next' pilots accepted aircraft at fuel pumps. 4) during past 5 yrs, I have only departed el toro when tower was closed, so my flight plan closures are associated with civilian fields. 5) first time in over 35 yrs of flying I forgot to close flight plan! The good news -- the aircraft was airborne again before the FAA would have begun a search. Thus, the new pilot would be calling in to riverside to open his flight plan, just before riverside would be calling to look for an overdue aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FAILS TO CLOSE HIS VFR ROUND ROBIN FLT PLAN WITH FSS.

Narrative: DID NOT CLOSE VFR FLT PLAN ON MAR/SUN/97. FLYING A T34 FLYING CLUB ACFT OUT OF EL TORO, CA. ON A LCL FLT (NZJ TO NZJ) I OPENED A LCL FLT PLAN WITH RIVERSIDE FSS AND FORGOT TO CLOSE PLAN. FACTORS WHICH AFFECTED MY THOUGHT PROCESS. 1) EL TORO TWR NORMALLY CLOSES FLT PLANS WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVES -- TWR WAS CLOSED. 2) WHEN TWR IS CLOSED, I NORMALLY CLOSE VIA RADIO WHILE AIRBORNE -- LOW VISIBILITY (APPROX 4 MI IN HAZE) DISTRACTED MY ATTN. 3) NORMALLY, NEXT SCHEDULED PLTS WAIT UNTIL ACFT IS TIED DOWN AND PAPERWORK COMPLETE IN OFFICE BEFORE PREFLTING. 'NEXT' PLTS ACCEPTED ACFT AT FUEL PUMPS. 4) DURING PAST 5 YRS, I HAVE ONLY DEPARTED EL TORO WHEN TWR WAS CLOSED, SO MY FLT PLAN CLOSURES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CIVILIAN FIELDS. 5) FIRST TIME IN OVER 35 YRS OF FLYING I FORGOT TO CLOSE FLT PLAN! THE GOOD NEWS -- THE ACFT WAS AIRBORNE AGAIN BEFORE THE FAA WOULD HAVE BEGUN A SEARCH. THUS, THE NEW PLT WOULD BE CALLING IN TO RIVERSIDE TO OPEN HIS FLT PLAN, JUST BEFORE RIVERSIDE WOULD BE CALLING TO LOOK FOR AN OVERDUE ACFT.

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.