Narrative:

On 01/04/sat I filed a VFR international flight plan from st. Petersburg (pie) to marsh harbour (myam). Just prior to arrival at myam I closed the flight plan with freeport radio who stated the 'cancellation was received' and confirmed my airport of departure was pie. In fact this was stated three times. On 01/04/tue, I returned home to find a message on my answering machine that st. Peterburg had no record of cancellation, that the aircraft was overdue and was to start search and rescue. I contacted FSS (cleveland) who stated no data in the computer on the aircraft so everthing must be ok. On 01/04/sat I filed an international VFR flight plan from myam to fpr with routing of myam direct to west palm direct to fpr. Upon talking to us FSS prior to ADIZ entry they stated the flight plan only indicated to west palm. In both instances bahamian FSS or ATC apparently either failed to pass the correct information through to us or us failed to receive. In the future I believe all us pilots should be advised to do all transactions with us flight service over telephone, either that the information transfer between us and bahamas needs to be improved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter expected that his cancelled fp would be back coordination to pie FSS. ZMA specialist advised that a LOA between mygf and ZMA details VFR/IFR fp cancellations. Communication breakdowns and interruptions are not uncommon between ZMA and mygf. When communication is reestablished, fp amendments/cancellations are all expected to be updated with the effected facility's. Procedurally, ZMA works all aircraft under radar control at 7000 ft and above through mygf airspace. Mygf has nonradar control at 6000 ft and below, basically across grand bahama island. ZMA is subdelegated the remainder of the bahamian airspace. The specialist stated that it works best if aircraft proceeding to outlying islands remain at 7000 ft until the airport is in sight and can cancel with ZMA. ZMA notifies mygf of the cancellation. The radar site is at mia. The radio transmitter is located on bimini island. Both radar and radio coverage is 'reporter as adequate.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA27 PLT HAS QUESTION ON FAA FOREIGN GOV'T INTERFAC COORD BREAKDOWN WHEN CLE FSS NOTIFIES RPTR THAT FOREIGN VFR FP WAS NOT PROPERLY CANCELLED.

Narrative: ON 01/04/SAT I FILED A VFR INTERNATIONAL FLT PLAN FROM ST. PETERSBURG (PIE) TO MARSH HARBOUR (MYAM). JUST PRIOR TO ARR AT MYAM I CLOSED THE FLT PLAN WITH FREEPORT RADIO WHO STATED THE 'CANCELLATION WAS RECEIVED' AND CONFIRMED MY ARPT OF DEPARTURE WAS PIE. IN FACT THIS WAS STATED THREE TIMES. ON 01/04/TUE, I RETURNED HOME TO FIND A MESSAGE ON MY ANSWERING MACHINE THAT ST. PETERBURG HAD NO RECORD OF CANCELLATION, THAT THE ACFT WAS OVERDUE AND WAS TO START SEARCH AND RESCUE. I CONTACTED FSS (CLEVELAND) WHO STATED NO DATA IN THE COMPUTER ON THE ACFT SO EVERTHING MUST BE OK. ON 01/04/SAT I FILED AN INTERNATIONAL VFR FLT PLAN FROM MYAM TO FPR WITH ROUTING OF MYAM DIRECT TO WEST PALM DIRECT TO FPR. UPON TALKING TO U.S. FSS PRIOR TO ADIZ ENTRY THEY STATED THE FLT PLAN ONLY INDICATED TO WEST PALM. IN BOTH INSTANCES BAHAMIAN FSS OR ATC APPARENTLY EITHER FAILED TO PASS THE CORRECT INFO THROUGH TO US OR U.S. FAILED TO RECEIVE. IN THE FUTURE I BELIEVE ALL U.S. PLTS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO DO ALL TRANSACTIONS WITH U.S. FLT SVC OVER TELEPHONE, EITHER THAT THE INFO TRANSFER BTWN U.S. AND BAHAMAS NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR EXPECTED THAT HIS CANCELLED FP WOULD BE BACK COORD TO PIE FSS. ZMA SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT A LOA BTWN MYGF AND ZMA DETAILS VFR/IFR FP CANCELLATIONS. COM BREAKDOWNS AND INTERRUPTIONS ARE NOT UNCOMMON BTWN ZMA AND MYGF. WHEN COM IS REESTABLISHED, FP AMENDMENTS/CANCELLATIONS ARE ALL EXPECTED TO BE UPDATED WITH THE EFFECTED FAC'S. PROCEDURALLY, ZMA WORKS ALL ACFT UNDER RADAR CTL AT 7000 FT AND ABOVE THROUGH MYGF AIRSPACE. MYGF HAS NONRADAR CTL AT 6000 FT AND BELOW, BASICALLY ACROSS GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. ZMA IS SUBDELEGATED THE REMAINDER OF THE BAHAMIAN AIRSPACE. THE SPECIALIST STATED THAT IT WORKS BEST IF ACFT PROCEEDING TO OUTLYING ISLANDS REMAIN AT 7000 FT UNTIL THE ARPT IS IN SIGHT AND CAN CANCEL WITH ZMA. ZMA NOTIFIES MYGF OF THE CANCELLATION. THE RADAR SITE IS AT MIA. THE RADIO XMITTER IS LOCATED ON BIMINI ISLAND. BOTH RADAR AND RADIO COVERAGE IS 'RPTR AS ADEQUATE.'

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.