Narrative:

I was en route to a private airstrip from maxwell AFB, al. I had to file a VFR flight plan to leave the base as usual. On climb out, I contacted mgm approach control and talked with them until they said frequency change approved, squawk 1200. Another frequency to change to was not given, so I didn't contact anyone. After landing 30 mins later, and rushing to my son's first soccer practice with mom onboard, I forgot all about closing the flight plan. I found out 4 days later. About BB30 that night, I got a phone call from langley AFB, va. I apologized for my mistake and then called anniston FSS and closed out the flight plan. They were not very happy and said thousands had been spent. They also got my apology and I called back the next day for a WX brief. I talked to one of the FSS personnel and he said it wouldn't have been as bad had I gone to where I had filed to. The reason I did not go there was because my strip does not have a name. I guess I could have filed to a radial and DME or latitude/longitude. Normally, I would have closed out in the air with the next controller that I was not handed off to. Maybe a reminder from the controller to see if you want to cancel if they don't give you a frequency to change to.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT FLYING TO PVT STRIP WITH NO NAME FAILS TO CLOSE FLT PLAN. A SEARCH IS ACTIVATED. LANDED AT DEST DIFFERENT THAN FILED.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO A PVT AIRSTRIP FROM MAXWELL AFB, AL. I HAD TO FILE A VFR FLT PLAN TO LEAVE THE BASE AS USUAL. ON CLBOUT, I CONTACTED MGM APCH CTL AND TALKED WITH THEM UNTIL THEY SAID FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, SQUAWK 1200. ANOTHER FREQ TO CHANGE TO WAS NOT GIVEN, SO I DIDN'T CONTACT ANYONE. AFTER LNDG 30 MINS LATER, AND RUSHING TO MY SON'S FIRST SOCCER PRACTICE WITH MOM ONBOARD, I FORGOT ALL ABOUT CLOSING THE FLT PLAN. I FOUND OUT 4 DAYS LATER. ABOUT BB30 THAT NIGHT, I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM LANGLEY AFB, VA. I APOLOGIZED FOR MY MISTAKE AND THEN CALLED ANNISTON FSS AND CLOSED OUT THE FLT PLAN. THEY WERE NOT VERY HAPPY AND SAID THOUSANDS HAD BEEN SPENT. THEY ALSO GOT MY APOLOGY AND I CALLED BACK THE NEXT DAY FOR A WX BRIEF. I TALKED TO ONE OF THE FSS PERSONNEL AND HE SAID IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS BAD HAD I GONE TO WHERE I HAD FILED TO. THE REASON I DID NOT GO THERE WAS BECAUSE MY STRIP DOES NOT HAVE A NAME. I GUESS I COULD HAVE FILED TO A RADIAL AND DME OR LATITUDE/LONGITUDE. NORMALLY, I WOULD HAVE CLOSED OUT IN THE AIR WITH THE NEXT CTLR THAT I WAS NOT HANDED OFF TO. MAYBE A REMINDER FROM THE CTLR TO SEE IF YOU WANT TO CANCEL IF THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A FREQ TO CHANGE TO.

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.