Narrative:

I was conducting a short IFR flight from bgr to epm. As I was approaching epm and the coast, center gave me the nearest WX they had (at bhb) and asked me what approach I would like. Looking at the coast from 30+ NM away and 5000 ft, I saw widespread low clouds or fog along the coast but could not determine whether it encompassed my destination. Based upon the winds reported at bhb, center cleared me for the landing runway 15 approach, and a descent, also asking me to relay any PIREPS about the current conditions at epm to another skyhawk behind me, also on the center frequency. As I descended below about 3500 ft or 4000 ft MSL, I lost radio contact with center, but was still able to hear the skyhawk behind me. As I descended through about 3000 ft MSL, I saw the field (which was free of clouds and fog). Previously, when flying into epm, center had asked me to relay my IFR cancellation through other aircraft due to lack of radio coverage. Once I had the field in sight and had determined that the field was VFR, I made the following radio communications (from memory, words may have been different): me: cessna flying to eastport, the field looks VFR with clouds and fog to the north, over the canadian border. Other cessna: thanks for the PIREP. Me: cessna XXX (I used his call sign -- I don't remember it) could you please relay a transmission to center for me. Other cessna: sure, go ahead. Me: please relay that cessna has the field in sight and would like to cancel IFR at this time. Other cessna: ok, no problem. (This transmission wasn't very clear on my radio.) I then heard a scratchy transmission which sounded like 'cancellation received, squawk VFR, frequency change approved.' once on the ground at epm, I tried to contact bangor radio for a WX update on the 2 frequencys center gave me, but couldn't get through. The other cessna landed about 5 mins after I did, and I learned that it was a new pilot having only recently gained his rating. I was airborne again about 15-20 mins after landing, and called center when climbing out, getting contact at approximately 3500 ft MSL. I then found out that center had never received my cancellation and bangor radio had been looking for me, including calling the FBO at epm (which was, and usually is, unattended). No other mention of the occurrence was made. When on the ground at epm, I should have found a phone and called flight service to verify IFR cancellation and possibly check WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INST RATED PVT PLT OF A C172 FAILED TO CLOSE HIS IFR FLT PLAN UPON ARR TO HIS UNCTLED DEST ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A SHORT IFR FLT FROM BGR TO EPM. AS I WAS APCHING EPM AND THE COAST, CTR GAVE ME THE NEAREST WX THEY HAD (AT BHB) AND ASKED ME WHAT APCH I WOULD LIKE. LOOKING AT THE COAST FROM 30+ NM AWAY AND 5000 FT, I SAW WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUDS OR FOG ALONG THE COAST BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER IT ENCOMPASSED MY DEST. BASED UPON THE WINDS RPTED AT BHB, CTR CLRED ME FOR THE LNDG RWY 15 APCH, AND A DSCNT, ALSO ASKING ME TO RELAY ANY PIREPS ABOUT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS AT EPM TO ANOTHER SKYHAWK BEHIND ME, ALSO ON THE CTR FREQ. AS I DSNDED BELOW ABOUT 3500 FT OR 4000 FT MSL, I LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH CTR, BUT WAS STILL ABLE TO HEAR THE SKYHAWK BEHIND ME. AS I DSNDED THROUGH ABOUT 3000 FT MSL, I SAW THE FIELD (WHICH WAS FREE OF CLOUDS AND FOG). PREVIOUSLY, WHEN FLYING INTO EPM, CTR HAD ASKED ME TO RELAY MY IFR CANCELLATION THROUGH OTHER ACFT DUE TO LACK OF RADIO COVERAGE. ONCE I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND HAD DETERMINED THAT THE FIELD WAS VFR, I MADE THE FOLLOWING RADIO COMS (FROM MEMORY, WORDS MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT): ME: CESSNA FLYING TO EASTPORT, THE FIELD LOOKS VFR WITH CLOUDS AND FOG TO THE N, OVER THE CANADIAN BORDER. OTHER CESSNA: THANKS FOR THE PIREP. ME: CESSNA XXX (I USED HIS CALL SIGN -- I DON'T REMEMBER IT) COULD YOU PLEASE RELAY A XMISSION TO CTR FOR ME. OTHER CESSNA: SURE, GO AHEAD. ME: PLEASE RELAY THAT CESSNA HAS THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND WOULD LIKE TO CANCEL IFR AT THIS TIME. OTHER CESSNA: OK, NO PROB. (THIS XMISSION WASN'T VERY CLR ON MY RADIO.) I THEN HEARD A SCRATCHY XMISSION WHICH SOUNDED LIKE 'CANCELLATION RECEIVED, SQUAWK VFR, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED.' ONCE ON THE GND AT EPM, I TRIED TO CONTACT BANGOR RADIO FOR A WX UPDATE ON THE 2 FREQS CTR GAVE ME, BUT COULDN'T GET THROUGH. THE OTHER CESSNA LANDED ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER I DID, AND I LEARNED THAT IT WAS A NEW PLT HAVING ONLY RECENTLY GAINED HIS RATING. I WAS AIRBORNE AGAIN ABOUT 15-20 MINS AFTER LNDG, AND CALLED CTR WHEN CLBING OUT, GETTING CONTACT AT APPROX 3500 FT MSL. I THEN FOUND OUT THAT CTR HAD NEVER RECEIVED MY CANCELLATION AND BANGOR RADIO HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR ME, INCLUDING CALLING THE FBO AT EPM (WHICH WAS, AND USUALLY IS, UNATTENDED). NO OTHER MENTION OF THE OCCURRENCE WAS MADE. WHEN ON THE GND AT EPM, I SHOULD HAVE FOUND A PHONE AND CALLED FLT SVC TO VERIFY IFR CANCELLATION AND POSSIBLY CHK WX.

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.