Narrative:

Departure airport was inside of the chicago tfr. I called 800-wxbrief to file VFR flight plan in order to depart at XA20 GMT. I did not get terre haute FSS; possibly kankakee. I filed a VFR flight plan direct to gsh. Received squawk code. Departed frequency for chicago. Activated flight plan. I departed at XA20 GMT. I called departure several times without getting a response. I then switched to another frequency and contacted chicago successfully. (I was probably out of the tfr by the time contact was made.) ZAU confirmed radar contact. Prior to reaching ppo; chicago reported 'radar service terminated -- squawk VFR. Mention was made that I could contact south bend in a few mi for further flight following. I did not feel that I was being handed off and the terminology being used did not indicate that calling was mandatory. I did not call south bend because my flight path would not enter south bend class C airspace. Once chicago terminated radar contact and I reset my transponder to 1200; I assumed the VFR flight plan had been closed. I continued the flight to goshen; which ended around XB00 GMT. Around XC30 GMT I was awakened at home by a telephone call. The caller informed me that I had not closed my VFR flight plan and that flight service had called out search and rescue to search for me. He said that the county sheriff's department was looking for the airplane. Someone had informed them that the airplane was on the ground at the goshen airport and he was calling to confirm that I did arrive okay. I briefly informed him of what is noted above and apologized for any inconvenience that I had caused. I feel that I complied with the restrs imposed by the tfr. Squawking the discrete assigned transponder code. 2-WAY radio communication with ZAU while in the tfr. On a VFR flight plan. My mistake was thinking that once ATC ended radar service; the flight plan was closed; much like an IFR flight plan; which is normally what I file.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DA40 PLT FILED A VFR FLT PLAN TO DEPART FROM INSIDE A TFR AND FAILED TO CLOSE IT.

Narrative: DEP ARPT WAS INSIDE OF THE CHICAGO TFR. I CALLED 800-WXBRIEF TO FILE VFR FLT PLAN IN ORDER TO DEPART AT XA20 GMT. I DID NOT GET TERRE HAUTE FSS; POSSIBLY KANKAKEE. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN DIRECT TO GSH. RECEIVED SQUAWK CODE. DEPARTED FREQ FOR CHICAGO. ACTIVATED FLT PLAN. I DEPARTED AT XA20 GMT. I CALLED DEP SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT GETTING A RESPONSE. I THEN SWITCHED TO ANOTHER FREQ AND CONTACTED CHICAGO SUCCESSFULLY. (I WAS PROBABLY OUT OF THE TFR BY THE TIME CONTACT WAS MADE.) ZAU CONFIRMED RADAR CONTACT. PRIOR TO REACHING PPO; CHICAGO RPTED 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED -- SQUAWK VFR. MENTION WAS MADE THAT I COULD CONTACT SOUTH BEND IN A FEW MI FOR FURTHER FLT FOLLOWING. I DID NOT FEEL THAT I WAS BEING HANDED OFF AND THE TERMINOLOGY BEING USED DID NOT INDICATE THAT CALLING WAS MANDATORY. I DID NOT CALL SOUTH BEND BECAUSE MY FLT PATH WOULD NOT ENTER SOUTH BEND CLASS C AIRSPACE. ONCE CHICAGO TERMINATED RADAR CONTACT AND I RESET MY XPONDER TO 1200; I ASSUMED THE VFR FLT PLAN HAD BEEN CLOSED. I CONTINUED THE FLT TO GOSHEN; WHICH ENDED AROUND XB00 GMT. AROUND XC30 GMT I WAS AWAKENED AT HOME BY A TELEPHONE CALL. THE CALLER INFORMED ME THAT I HAD NOT CLOSED MY VFR FLT PLAN AND THAT FLT SVC HAD CALLED OUT SEARCH AND RESCUE TO SEARCH FOR ME. HE SAID THAT THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT WAS LOOKING FOR THE AIRPLANE. SOMEONE HAD INFORMED THEM THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE GND AT THE GOSHEN ARPT AND HE WAS CALLING TO CONFIRM THAT I DID ARRIVE OKAY. I BRIEFLY INFORMED HIM OF WHAT IS NOTED ABOVE AND APOLOGIZED FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THAT I HAD CAUSED. I FEEL THAT I COMPLIED WITH THE RESTRS IMPOSED BY THE TFR. SQUAWKING THE DISCRETE ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE. 2-WAY RADIO COM WITH ZAU WHILE IN THE TFR. ON A VFR FLT PLAN. MY MISTAKE WAS THINKING THAT ONCE ATC ENDED RADAR SVC; THE FLT PLAN WAS CLOSED; MUCH LIKE AN IFR FLT PLAN; WHICH IS NORMALLY WHAT I FILE.

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.