C172 instructor pilot, while supervising his and other students, did not ensure his flight plan was ...

Attributes
ACN	596946
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fnl.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 216 flight time total : 1539 flight time type : 1539
ASRS Report	596946
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was the third cross country flight of the day that I supervised/flew on. The first 2 flts had their flight plans closed. The third flight found me forgetting to make sure that the student had closed the flight plan. It was not closed. A search and rescue effort was almost mounted because the local auths could not find the aircraft on the ground. (Another pilot took off on another flight with the plane in question.) I try to impress the importance of the usefulness of flight plans and also the need to close them. But sometimes the closure part gets forgotten. Tricks to help remember, such as wearing a watch on the other wrist did not work this time because of other topics being discussed. I have heard of pilots not even filing flight plans when they go over benign territory because they know of the likelihood of forgetting to close them. I am trying to resist that thesis but it is starting to make sense. The problem is one of human error, as the topic of flight plan closure was once again discussed on the ramp, yet it was forgotten when other duties/distraction occurred moments later. I do not know of a remedy for this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT, WHILE SUPERVISING HIS AND OTHER STUDENTS, DID NOT ENSURE HIS FLT PLAN WAS CLOSED. A SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORT WAS ALMOST LAUNCHED.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE THIRD XCOUNTRY FLT OF THE DAY THAT I SUPERVISED/FLEW ON. THE FIRST 2 FLTS HAD THEIR FLT PLANS CLOSED. THE THIRD FLT FOUND ME FORGETTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENT HAD CLOSED THE FLT PLAN. IT WAS NOT CLOSED. A SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORT WAS ALMOST MOUNTED BECAUSE THE LCL AUTHS COULD NOT FIND THE ACFT ON THE GND. (ANOTHER PLT TOOK OFF ON ANOTHER FLT WITH THE PLANE IN QUESTION.) I TRY TO IMPRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE USEFULNESS OF FLT PLANS AND ALSO THE NEED TO CLOSE THEM. BUT SOMETIMES THE CLOSURE PART GETS FORGOTTEN. TRICKS TO HELP REMEMBER, SUCH AS WEARING A WATCH ON THE OTHER WRIST DID NOT WORK THIS TIME BECAUSE OF OTHER TOPICS BEING DISCUSSED. I HAVE HEARD OF PLTS NOT EVEN FILING FLT PLANS WHEN THEY GO OVER BENIGN TERRITORY BECAUSE THEY KNOW OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF FORGETTING TO CLOSE THEM. I AM TRYING TO RESIST THAT THESIS BUT IT IS STARTING TO MAKE SENSE. THE PROB IS ONE OF HUMAN ERROR, AS THE TOPIC OF FLT PLAN CLOSURE WAS ONCE AGAIN DISCUSSED ON THE RAMP, YET IT WAS FORGOTTEN WHEN OTHER DUTIES/DISTR OCCURRED MOMENTS LATER. I DO NOT KNOW OF A REMEDY FOR THIS.

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.

C172 instructor pilot, while supervising his and other students, did not ensure his flight plan was closed. A search and rescue effort was almost launched.