Narrative:

Prior to departure from st louis for carroll county airport; I purchased approach plates for airports in maryland and sectional charts for the route as well. The sectionals included the VFR terminal area chart baltimore-washington. In addition; I visited the FAA web site for the washington tri-area class B airspace. I printed a drawing of the washington; dc; ADIZ available from the web site as well as the list of phone numbers and frequencys for potomac approach/departure control. I also printed the procedures for pattern and departure operations for airports in the ADIZ. These included maryland airport; my destination after departure from carroll county regional. After completing our flight to carroll county regional; I planned a flight to maryland airport. My concern about flying in the ADIZ; and the possibility of making an error; prompted me to file a flight plan that avoided flying in much of the ADIZ. Thus; I filed an IFR flight plan for a route from carroll county regional via westminster (EMI); martinsburg (mrg); linden (ldn) and casanova (csn); all of which are outside the ADIZ. From casanova; I planned to enter the ADIZ and fly direct to the destination (maryland airport). The leg from casanova to maryland airport included a small bend in the course to avoid restr area R6608A. When I received the clearance at carroll county regional; it was totally different from the flight plan I filed. It was much shorter; only 76 NM; which I appreciated; but about 90% of the new route assigned to me was inside the ADIZ; an opportunity for a problem in my view. This new flight plan specified that I 'enter controled airspace at westminster VOR; fly direct balance; direct ott; direct 2w5. Maintain 3000 ft; expect 5000 ft after 10 mins. Contact potomac approach on 125.2; squawk XXXX.' shortly after passing EMI; I was cleared to 6000 ft. We continued to baltimore. After passing nottingham; we were cleared to 4000 ft; then 3000 ft; then 2000 ft; then 1500 ft. Finally; I was cleared to 1200 ft. When I reported maryland airport in sight; I was told to contact the airport for landing information and to cancel the flight plan either in the air or on the ground at a specific telephone number. With the airport in sight; I canceled immediately. Next; I did what I was always told to do; 'squawk 1200' (VFR). Unfortunately; traffic congestion at maryland airport caused me to abort 2 attempts to land. Consequently; after aborting; I flew circularly twice to re-enter final. This resulted in flying in the area longer than ordinarily would be necessary to land after I canceled the flight plan. It occurs to me that a slight change in the controllers' procedure might be a welcome beneficial adjustment. This is in consideration of the fact that controllers throughout the us; on receiving a flight plan cancellation; advise the pilot; 'cancellation received; squawk 1200.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA ACFT LNDG IN THE WASHINGTON ADIZ AREA; CANCELS IFR; CHANGES XPONDER TO 1200; THEN CONDUCTS 2 GAR'S BEFORE LNDG.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP FROM ST LOUIS FOR CARROLL COUNTY ARPT; I PURCHASED APCH PLATES FOR ARPTS IN MARYLAND AND SECTIONAL CHARTS FOR THE RTE AS WELL. THE SECTIONALS INCLUDED THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON. IN ADDITION; I VISITED THE FAA WEB SITE FOR THE WASHINGTON TRI-AREA CLASS B AIRSPACE. I PRINTED A DRAWING OF THE WASHINGTON; DC; ADIZ AVAILABLE FROM THE WEB SITE AS WELL AS THE LIST OF PHONE NUMBERS AND FREQS FOR POTOMAC APCH/DEP CTL. I ALSO PRINTED THE PROCS FOR PATTERN AND DEP OPS FOR ARPTS IN THE ADIZ. THESE INCLUDED MARYLAND ARPT; MY DEST AFTER DEP FROM CARROLL COUNTY REGIONAL. AFTER COMPLETING OUR FLT TO CARROLL COUNTY REGIONAL; I PLANNED A FLT TO MARYLAND ARPT. MY CONCERN ABOUT FLYING IN THE ADIZ; AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING AN ERROR; PROMPTED ME TO FILE A FLT PLAN THAT AVOIDED FLYING IN MUCH OF THE ADIZ. THUS; I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR A RTE FROM CARROLL COUNTY REGIONAL VIA WESTMINSTER (EMI); MARTINSBURG (MRG); LINDEN (LDN) AND CASANOVA (CSN); ALL OF WHICH ARE OUTSIDE THE ADIZ. FROM CASANOVA; I PLANNED TO ENTER THE ADIZ AND FLY DIRECT TO THE DEST (MARYLAND ARPT). THE LEG FROM CASANOVA TO MARYLAND ARPT INCLUDED A SMALL BEND IN THE COURSE TO AVOID RESTR AREA R6608A. WHEN I RECEIVED THE CLRNC AT CARROLL COUNTY REGIONAL; IT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE FLT PLAN I FILED. IT WAS MUCH SHORTER; ONLY 76 NM; WHICH I APPRECIATED; BUT ABOUT 90% OF THE NEW RTE ASSIGNED TO ME WAS INSIDE THE ADIZ; AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A PROB IN MY VIEW. THIS NEW FLT PLAN SPECIFIED THAT I 'ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE AT WESTMINSTER VOR; FLY DIRECT BAL; DIRECT OTT; DIRECT 2W5. MAINTAIN 3000 FT; EXPECT 5000 FT AFTER 10 MINS. CONTACT POTOMAC APCH ON 125.2; SQUAWK XXXX.' SHORTLY AFTER PASSING EMI; I WAS CLRED TO 6000 FT. WE CONTINUED TO BALTIMORE. AFTER PASSING NOTTINGHAM; WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT; THEN 3000 FT; THEN 2000 FT; THEN 1500 FT. FINALLY; I WAS CLRED TO 1200 FT. WHEN I RPTED MARYLAND ARPT IN SIGHT; I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE ARPT FOR LNDG INFO AND TO CANCEL THE FLT PLAN EITHER IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND AT A SPECIFIC TELEPHONE NUMBER. WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT; I CANCELED IMMEDIATELY. NEXT; I DID WHAT I WAS ALWAYS TOLD TO DO; 'SQUAWK 1200' (VFR). UNFORTUNATELY; TFC CONGESTION AT MARYLAND ARPT CAUSED ME TO ABORT 2 ATTEMPTS TO LAND. CONSEQUENTLY; AFTER ABORTING; I FLEW CIRCULARLY TWICE TO RE-ENTER FINAL. THIS RESULTED IN FLYING IN THE AREA LONGER THAN ORDINARILY WOULD BE NECESSARY TO LAND AFTER I CANCELED THE FLT PLAN. IT OCCURS TO ME THAT A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE CTLRS' PROC MIGHT BE A WELCOME BENEFICIAL ADJUSTMENT. THIS IS IN CONSIDERATION OF THE FACT THAT CTLRS THROUGHOUT THE US; ON RECEIVING A FLT PLAN CANCELLATION; ADVISE THE PLT; 'CANCELLATION RECEIVED; SQUAWK 1200.

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.