Narrative:

Flight following was initiated from rhv to O59 (cedarville, ca). Nearing aat airport, I was handed off from ZOA to ZSE. At that time, I had started my descent into alturas (aat) area to look over area and ZSE cancelled flight following at the handoff point from ZOA to ZSE. ZSE signal was weak. I then asked ZSE to cancel my filed and activated flight plan. I received what I thought was a response, although it was not clearly readable. Mistake: I was uncertain of what type of response, if any, was received. I should have not considered the flight plan closed based on an uncertain response. I made a mental note to call and verify the flight plan was cancelled. I climbed to altitude to cross the ridgeline east of cedarville (O59) and landed. I forgot to follow up and verify that the flight plan was actually cancelled. Sometime after I landed, I was declared overdue and an initial search was launched by a local state police officer. No message was left on the telephone contact number's answering machine (it is a cell phone). It is important that when the initial pre-search is conducted, that all contact numbers are called and messages are left, independent of the phone's area code. Cell phones render area codes irrelevant. Later the next day, I was concerned about the lack of solid confirmation of the flight plan closing by ZSE and called to check and learned that my flight plan was not cancelled and my failure to verify the closure had triggered a brief search. This could have been avoided by any of the following events. 1) I should have assumed the flight plan closed by ZSE without solid verification. 2) I should have called to verify closure on landing by calling a flight service station. 3) my cell phone contact number on the flight plan should have been called by the flight service station. This breakdown on both parts is critical because anyone (me or the FSS) who does not follow all logical steps launches the search process, which in turn represents a decrease in overall system safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN UNSUCCESSFUL CANCELLATION OF A FLT PLAN INFLT RESULTS IN A RAMP SEARCH AFTER THE FLT PLAN EXPIRED AND THE PLAN WAS NOT CANCELED AFTER ARR.

Narrative: FLT FOLLOWING WAS INITIATED FROM RHV TO O59 (CEDARVILLE, CA). NEARING AAT ARPT, I WAS HANDED OFF FROM ZOA TO ZSE. AT THAT TIME, I HAD STARTED MY DSCNT INTO ALTURAS (AAT) AREA TO LOOK OVER AREA AND ZSE CANCELLED FLT FOLLOWING AT THE HDOF POINT FROM ZOA TO ZSE. ZSE SIGNAL WAS WEAK. I THEN ASKED ZSE TO CANCEL MY FILED AND ACTIVATED FLT PLAN. I RECEIVED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A RESPONSE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT CLRLY READABLE. MISTAKE: I WAS UNCERTAIN OF WHAT TYPE OF RESPONSE, IF ANY, WAS RECEIVED. I SHOULD HAVE NOT CONSIDERED THE FLT PLAN CLOSED BASED ON AN UNCERTAIN RESPONSE. I MADE A MENTAL NOTE TO CALL AND VERIFY THE FLT PLAN WAS CANCELLED. I CLBED TO ALT TO CROSS THE RIDGELINE E OF CEDARVILLE (O59) AND LANDED. I FORGOT TO FOLLOW UP AND VERIFY THAT THE FLT PLAN WAS ACTUALLY CANCELLED. SOMETIME AFTER I LANDED, I WAS DECLARED OVERDUE AND AN INITIAL SEARCH WAS LAUNCHED BY A LCL STATE POLICE OFFICER. NO MESSAGE WAS LEFT ON THE TELEPHONE CONTACT NUMBER'S ANSWERING MACHINE (IT IS A CELL PHONE). IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WHEN THE INITIAL PRE-SEARCH IS CONDUCTED, THAT ALL CONTACT NUMBERS ARE CALLED AND MESSAGES ARE LEFT, INDEPENDENT OF THE PHONE'S AREA CODE. CELL PHONES RENDER AREA CODES IRRELEVANT. LATER THE NEXT DAY, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF SOLID CONFIRMATION OF THE FLT PLAN CLOSING BY ZSE AND CALLED TO CHK AND LEARNED THAT MY FLT PLAN WAS NOT CANCELLED AND MY FAILURE TO VERIFY THE CLOSURE HAD TRIGGERED A BRIEF SEARCH. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING EVENTS. 1) I SHOULD HAVE ASSUMED THE FLT PLAN CLOSED BY ZSE WITHOUT SOLID VERIFICATION. 2) I SHOULD HAVE CALLED TO VERIFY CLOSURE ON LNDG BY CALLING A FLT SVC STATION. 3) MY CELL PHONE CONTACT NUMBER ON THE FLT PLAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED BY THE FLT SVC STATION. THIS BREAKDOWN ON BOTH PARTS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE ANYONE (ME OR THE FSS) WHO DOES NOT FOLLOW ALL LOGICAL STEPS LAUNCHES THE SEARCH PROCESS, WHICH IN TURN REPRESENTS A DECREASE IN OVERALL SYS SAFETY.

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.