A C182 pilot reported filing a VFR flight plan with FSS which ultimately did not get passed to the F...

Narrative:

I filed a flight plan on phone with flight service 800 number that morning ETD xa:00 hours local. Was late getting off and launched at approximately xa:45 hours. Checked in with radio on 122.2 and asked him to open flight plan. Later; on checking in with approach (or maybe center); I told them I had a flight plan and requested flight following. He provided flight following but said there was no flight plan on file. I asked him to check again and he came back 2-3 minutes later and said; 'no flight plan is in the system for you at all --- they don't always get opened' or something similar. I assumed I was without a flight pan so at the end of the flight 4.5 hours later I did not call FSS to close it. Later that night I called FSS to ask why the FSS representative had told me he opened it but then evidently failed to do so. The FSS representative on the phone (who was very nice) told me that this happens but in my case the flight plan was opened; but just didn't get sent to the FAA system for some reason. He added that search and rescue had been administratively involved several times that day (nobody launched to look for us; thank goodness) and the reason the approach controller asked 'say ETA at your destination' was to notify FSS that we were ok and on our flight plan. If I had known there was the reason for the question (that we did have a flight plan open); I would have called to close it upon arrival. But not knowing that one was open; I didn't call to close it. This was the first I knew there are two very different systems. FSS and FAA. And they don't always communicate; especially for VFR flight plans! Lesson learned for me -- don't assume FAA sectors will even get your VFR flight plan and also don't assume that just because multiple FAA facilities don't have it that it isn't still active over in the FSS system. Treat the FSS folks and the FAA folks as two separate groups; not connected in any way for VFR flight plans.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 Pilot reported filing a VFR flight plan with FSS which ultimately did not get passed to the FAA. The FAA reported no flight plan on file after takeoff so the reporter assumed none was filed. He did not call after landing to close the flight plan but determined later that the it was active.

Narrative: I filed a flight plan on phone with Flight Service 800 number that morning ETD XA:00 hours local. Was late getting off and launched at approximately XA:45 hours. Checked in with Radio on 122.2 and asked him to open flight plan. Later; on checking in with Approach (or maybe Center); I told them I had a flight plan and requested flight following. He provided flight following but said there was no flight plan on file. I asked him to check again and he came back 2-3 minutes later and said; 'no flight plan is in the system for you at all --- they don't always get opened' or something similar. I assumed I was without a flight pan so at the end of the flight 4.5 hours later I did not call FSS to close it. Later that night I called FSS to ask why the FSS representative had told me he opened it but then evidently failed to do so. The FSS representative on the phone (who was very nice) told me that this happens but in my case the flight plan WAS opened; but just didn't get sent to the FAA system for some reason. He added that Search and Rescue had been administratively involved several times that day (nobody launched to look for us; thank goodness) and the reason the Approach Controller asked 'say ETA at your destination' was to notify FSS that we were OK and on our flight plan. If I had known there was the reason for the question (that we DID have a flight plan open); I would have called to close it upon arrival. But not knowing that one was open; I didn't call to close it. This was the first I knew there are two very different systems. FSS and FAA. And they don't always communicate; especially for VFR flight plans! Lesson learned for me -- don't assume FAA sectors will even get your VFR flight plan and also don't assume that just because multiple FAA facilities DON'T have it that it isn't still active over in the FSS system. Treat the FSS folks and the FAA folks as two separate groups; not connected in any way for VFR flight plans.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	881266
Time
Date	201003
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	VFR Route
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25 Flight Crew Total 400 Flight Crew Type 100
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

A C182 pilot reported filing a VFR flight plan with FSS which ultimately did not get passed to the FAA. The FAA reported no flight plan on file after takeoff so the reporter assumed none was filed. He did not call after landing to close the flight plan but determined later that the it was active.