Narrative:

On dec/xa/99, I was making a cross country trip for the purpose of bringing home an aircraft that I had purchased. Since this was the first tim I had flown this aircraft alone, it was my first trip of this length, being a low-time pilot and having a very marginal radio, I was being extra cautious by filing a flight plan and requesting flight following. Upon being released by ZJX, I attempted to call the crystal river frequency to notify them that I was inbound for landing. After trying several times unsuccessfully, I attempted to call st petersburg FSS to cancel the flight plan for the first portion of my trip to hwo. I flew circles south of crystal river to avoid entering into tpa class B airspace. On all frequencys I tried, I received no answer from st petersburg. At this time, I decided to continue and stop later. After 2 unsuccessful attempts to reach tpa approach, another aircraft in the area asked if I would like assistance. This pilot called tpa approach and let them know that I was trying to contact them. She was able to relay to me another frequency to try. This frequency worked and I was able to reach tpa approach. Tpa approach gave me a squawk code, a heading to fly and granted me permission to enter their airspace. Because of my prior experience with the radio, I was afraid to request a frequency change to again try canceling my flight plan. It was also evident to request a frequency change to again try canceling my flight plan. It was also evident to the controller that I was having problems with my radio, so they cleared me through their class B airspace only having to make 1 frequency change. This one was successful and I was able to get through without a problem. Immediately after leaving tpa's airspace, I knew I was approaching venice (vnc). Since their frequency was the unicom frequency 122.8 that I had previously used successfully, I decided to land there to use a telephone to cancel my flight plan. Immediately after landing, I went to the FBO and called st petersburg FSS. By this time, I was about 1 hour overdue. I explained to the person on duty what had happened and was told that failing to cancel my flight plan in a timely manner had caused them to call 34 airports for me. He said that I had been in error to handle the situation as I had done. He did not request that I call anyone else or file any report. Since this episode, I have reviewed with a CFI the various options I had not considered at the time. I now realize I was in error for handing the canceling of my flight plan in this manner. After the briefing I received with the CFI, I will have a more thorough knowledge of how to handle a situation of this nature should I be confronted with it again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE23 PLT FOUND SHE HAD INTERMITTENT TO INOP RADIOS.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/99, I WAS MAKING A XCOUNTRY TRIP FOR THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING HOME AN ACFT THAT I HAD PURCHASED. SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST TIM I HAD FLOWN THIS ACFT ALONE, IT WAS MY FIRST TRIP OF THIS LENGTH, BEING A LOW-TIME PLT AND HAVING A VERY MARGINAL RADIO, I WAS BEING EXTRA CAUTIOUS BY FILING A FLT PLAN AND REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING. UPON BEING RELEASED BY ZJX, I ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE CRYSTAL RIVER FREQ TO NOTIFY THEM THAT I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES UNSUCCESSFULLY, I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ST PETERSBURG FSS TO CANCEL THE FLT PLAN FOR THE FIRST PORTION OF MY TRIP TO HWO. I FLEW CIRCLES S OF CRYSTAL RIVER TO AVOID ENTERING INTO TPA CLASS B AIRSPACE. ON ALL FREQS I TRIED, I RECEIVED NO ANSWER FROM ST PETERSBURG. AT THIS TIME, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE AND STOP LATER. AFTER 2 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO REACH TPA APCH, ANOTHER ACFT IN THE AREA ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE. THIS PLT CALLED TPA APCH AND LET THEM KNOW THAT I WAS TRYING TO CONTACT THEM. SHE WAS ABLE TO RELAY TO ME ANOTHER FREQ TO TRY. THIS FREQ WORKED AND I WAS ABLE TO REACH TPA APCH. TPA APCH GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE, A HDG TO FLY AND GRANTED ME PERMISSION TO ENTER THEIR AIRSPACE. BECAUSE OF MY PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH THE RADIO, I WAS AFRAID TO REQUEST A FREQ CHANGE TO AGAIN TRY CANCELING MY FLT PLAN. IT WAS ALSO EVIDENT TO REQUEST A FREQ CHANGE TO AGAIN TRY CANCELING MY FLT PLAN. IT WAS ALSO EVIDENT TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS HAVING PROBS WITH MY RADIO, SO THEY CLRED ME THROUGH THEIR CLASS B AIRSPACE ONLY HAVING TO MAKE 1 FREQ CHANGE. THIS ONE WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH WITHOUT A PROB. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING TPA'S AIRSPACE, I KNEW I WAS APCHING VENICE (VNC). SINCE THEIR FREQ WAS THE UNICOM FREQ 122.8 THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY USED SUCCESSFULLY, I DECIDED TO LAND THERE TO USE A TELEPHONE TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG, I WENT TO THE FBO AND CALLED ST PETERSBURG FSS. BY THIS TIME, I WAS ABOUT 1 HR OVERDUE. I EXPLAINED TO THE PERSON ON DUTY WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD THAT FAILING TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN IN A TIMELY MANNER HAD CAUSED THEM TO CALL 34 ARPTS FOR ME. HE SAID THAT I HAD BEEN IN ERROR TO HANDLE THE SIT AS I HAD DONE. HE DID NOT REQUEST THAT I CALL ANYONE ELSE OR FILE ANY RPT. SINCE THIS EPISODE, I HAVE REVIEWED WITH A CFI THE VARIOUS OPTIONS I HAD NOT CONSIDERED AT THE TIME. I NOW REALIZE I WAS IN ERROR FOR HANDING THE CANCELING OF MY FLT PLAN IN THIS MANNER. AFTER THE BRIEFING I RECEIVED WITH THE CFI, I WILL HAVE A MORE THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO HANDLE A SIT OF THIS NATURE SHOULD I BE CONFRONTED WITH IT AGAIN.

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.