Narrative:

Flight originated from myerstown; PA (9d4); and terminated at towanda; PA (N27). Cruising altitude was 9500 ft. Radar advisories were provided by ZNY; wilkes barre approach; and binghamton approach. No flight plan was filed. When contacting binghamton approach; I indicated to the controller I would do the GPS approach to towanda. When later the controller called she cleared us for the GPS approach to N27. At that point I felt she may have thought we were on an IFR flight plan. I distinctly told her we were not. Later she asked that we report when radar service was no longer needed. At that time I told her those services were no longer needed. (I do not recall if she acknowledged my transmission.) approximately 1 1/2 hours later; as I was preparing to place the aircraft in the hangar; a pennsylvania state policeman approached me and indicated he had a report the aircraft had possibly crashed! After exchanging the appropriate information; I inquired to what his source of information was. He said I should call their local office; which I did. They provided me a number for ZNY; which I called. They in turn gave me a number for binghamton. The person I spoke with at binghamton indicated I did not cancel the radar advisory service and thus was the reason for the concern. Corrective action: make certain a controller always responds to any transmission from the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AC90 PLT IS QUESTIONED REGARDING FAILURE TO CANCEL IFR AFTER ACCEPTING CLRNC FOR GPS APCH TO N27 BY ZNY.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED FROM MYERSTOWN; PA (9D4); AND TERMINATED AT TOWANDA; PA (N27). CRUISING ALT WAS 9500 FT. RADAR ADVISORIES WERE PROVIDED BY ZNY; WILKES BARRE APCH; AND BINGHAMTON APCH. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. WHEN CONTACTING BINGHAMTON APCH; I INDICATED TO THE CTLR I WOULD DO THE GPS APCH TO TOWANDA. WHEN LATER THE CTLR CALLED SHE CLRED US FOR THE GPS APCH TO N27. AT THAT POINT I FELT SHE MAY HAVE THOUGHT WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. I DISTINCTLY TOLD HER WE WERE NOT. LATER SHE ASKED THAT WE RPT WHEN RADAR SVC WAS NO LONGER NEEDED. AT THAT TIME I TOLD HER THOSE SVCS WERE NO LONGER NEEDED. (I DO NOT RECALL IF SHE ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION.) APPROX 1 1/2 HRS LATER; AS I WAS PREPARING TO PLACE THE ACFT IN THE HANGAR; A PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICEMAN APCHED ME AND INDICATED HE HAD A RPT THE ACFT HAD POSSIBLY CRASHED! AFTER EXCHANGING THE APPROPRIATE INFO; I INQUIRED TO WHAT HIS SOURCE OF INFO WAS. HE SAID I SHOULD CALL THEIR LCL OFFICE; WHICH I DID. THEY PROVIDED ME A NUMBER FOR ZNY; WHICH I CALLED. THEY IN TURN GAVE ME A NUMBER FOR BINGHAMTON. THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH AT BINGHAMTON INDICATED I DID NOT CANCEL THE RADAR ADVISORY SVC AND THUS WAS THE REASON FOR THE CONCERN. CORRECTIVE ACTION: MAKE CERTAIN A CTLR ALWAYS RESPONDS TO ANY XMISSION FROM THE COCKPIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.