Narrative:

At approximately XA30 local time on sep/mon/03, aircraft X, a cessna C77R/a, departed from hawthorne, ca, on a training flight. The crew consisted of an instrument rated pilot and an instrument instructor. The purpose of the flight was to allow the pilot to execute 3 instrument approachs in order for him to maintain his instrument currency. Socal then vectored us back around onto the localizer. The last WX report at torrance prior to the tower closing was few clouds at 1000 ft with a 4 mi visibility. However, the cloud bank was southeast of the airport and we would have to descend in IMC for a short period of time. As we approached the OM, the controller requested us to contact advisory frequency. We switched to advisory frequency and announced our position as inbound at the OM on the ILS approach. When we broke out of the clouds we landed and parked the aircraft. At this time, our focus was on trying to find transportation back to hawthorne airport. When we finally got a ride back to hawthorne airport, I realized that we had not closed our IFR flight plan with socal or the FSS. Aim 5-1-13F describes the procedures for closing out an IFR flight plan when flying to an uncontrolled airport. In the past, when operating on an IFR flight plan to an uncontrolled airport, the controller has stated, 'contact advisory frequency now, and report back on this frequency to cancel IFR when landing is assured.' in this circumstance, the controller did not make that additional statement. I checked the latest ATC handbook 7110.65N, section 4-8-8 regarding communications release. It states, 'if an IFR aircraft intends to land at an airport not served by a tower or FSS, approve a change to the advisory service frequency when you no longer require direct communications.' there appears to be no requirement for the controller to add the additional statement about canceling IFR or closing the flight plan. Contributing factors in forgetting to cancel our IFR flight plan were the heading indicator problem and our attention being focused on trying to find transportation back to hawthorne airport immediately after landing. I believe such a situation could be avoided if the controller would add that additional statement, since it would have been an immediate reminder for the pilot to close or cancel his IFR flight plan. In our case, we would have canceled our IFR flight plan once we descended below the cloud deck when we had torrance airport in sight, and landing was assured. Although torrance airport WX was reported as VFR at the time of the approach, forgetting to close the IFR flight plan would tie up the airspace for new IFR arrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C77RG INSTRUCTOR PLT FORGETS TO CLOSE HIS IFR FLT PLAN AND THINKS THE APCH CTLR SHOULD HAVE REMINDED HIM TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME ON SEP/MON/03, ACFT X, A CESSNA C77R/A, DEPARTED FROM HAWTHORNE, CA, ON A TRAINING FLT. THE CREW CONSISTED OF AN INST RATED PLT AND AN INST INSTRUCTOR. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO ALLOW THE PLT TO EXECUTE 3 INST APCHS IN ORDER FOR HIM TO MAINTAIN HIS INST CURRENCY. SOCAL THEN VECTORED US BACK AROUND ONTO THE LOC. THE LAST WX RPT AT TORRANCE PRIOR TO THE TWR CLOSING WAS FEW CLOUDS AT 1000 FT WITH A 4 MI VISIBILITY. HOWEVER, THE CLOUD BANK WAS SE OF THE ARPT AND WE WOULD HAVE TO DSND IN IMC FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. AS WE APCHED THE OM, THE CTLR REQUESTED US TO CONTACT ADVISORY FREQ. WE SWITCHED TO ADVISORY FREQ AND ANNOUNCED OUR POS AS INBOUND AT THE OM ON THE ILS APCH. WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS WE LANDED AND PARKED THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME, OUR FOCUS WAS ON TRYING TO FIND TRANSPORTATION BACK TO HAWTHORNE ARPT. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT A RIDE BACK TO HAWTHORNE ARPT, I REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT CLOSED OUR IFR FLT PLAN WITH SOCAL OR THE FSS. AIM 5-1-13F DESCRIBES THE PROCS FOR CLOSING OUT AN IFR FLT PLAN WHEN FLYING TO AN UNCTLED ARPT. IN THE PAST, WHEN OPERATING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO AN UNCTLED ARPT, THE CTLR HAS STATED, 'CONTACT ADVISORY FREQ NOW, AND RPT BACK ON THIS FREQ TO CANCEL IFR WHEN LNDG IS ASSURED.' IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE CTLR DID NOT MAKE THAT ADDITIONAL STATEMENT. I CHKED THE LATEST ATC HANDBOOK 7110.65N, SECTION 4-8-8 REGARDING COMS RELEASE. IT STATES, 'IF AN IFR ACFT INTENDS TO LAND AT AN ARPT NOT SERVED BY A TWR OR FSS, APPROVE A CHANGE TO THE ADVISORY SVC FREQ WHEN YOU NO LONGER REQUIRE DIRECT COMS.' THERE APPEARS TO BE NO REQUIREMENT FOR THE CTLR TO ADD THE ADDITIONAL STATEMENT ABOUT CANCELING IFR OR CLOSING THE FLT PLAN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN FORGETTING TO CANCEL OUR IFR FLT PLAN WERE THE HEADING INDICATOR PROB AND OUR ATTN BEING FOCUSED ON TRYING TO FIND TRANSPORTATION BACK TO HAWTHORNE ARPT IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG. I BELIEVE SUCH A SIT COULD BE AVOIDED IF THE CTLR WOULD ADD THAT ADDITIONAL STATEMENT, SINCE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN IMMEDIATE REMINDER FOR THE PLT TO CLOSE OR CANCEL HIS IFR FLT PLAN. IN OUR CASE, WE WOULD HAVE CANCELED OUR IFR FLT PLAN ONCE WE DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUD DECK WHEN WE HAD TORRANCE ARPT IN SIGHT, AND LNDG WAS ASSURED. ALTHOUGH TORRANCE ARPT WX WAS RPTED AS VFR AT THE TIME OF THE APCH, FORGETTING TO CLOSE THE IFR FLT PLAN WOULD TIE UP THE AIRSPACE FOR NEW IFR ARRS.

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.