An small aircraft pilot failed to close his flight plan until 7 hours had passed!

Attributes
ACN	244897
Time
Date	199302
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bed
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7200 flight time type : 75
ASRS Report	244897
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Due to running late, once on ground were picked up immediately and taken to appointment which we only had 12 mins to make. After that successful meeting went to dinner and safety seminar. 10 mins after departure on flight home, realized I forgot to close inbound flight plan. Called FSS upon landing and closed flight plan 7 hours late. They had begun a search but call to bed tower confirmed our landing. Reason for failure -- simple case of get-there-itis combined with deadline to meet. Normally fly and file IFR for airline so used to automatic-cancelling of flight plan. Corrective action -- add close flight plan to checklist and close and file more VFR flight plans. Having survived a crash with no flight plan on file, I am glad FSS is on the ball and following up on people like me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting pilot states that he was in the process of moving when this incident occurred and his NASA report got lost on his desk. When he found it several months later, he dropped it in the mail because it was already made out. The FAA has not contacted him about this. The reporter is a fan of the ASRS and has mentioned us at his airline and at safety seminars that he leads.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT FAILED TO CLOSE HIS FLT PLAN UNTIL 7 HRS HAD PASSED!

Narrative: DUE TO RUNNING LATE, ONCE ON GND WERE PICKED UP IMMEDIATELY AND TAKEN TO APPOINTMENT WHICH WE ONLY HAD 12 MINS TO MAKE. AFTER THAT SUCCESSFUL MEETING WENT TO DINNER AND SAFETY SEMINAR. 10 MINS AFTER DEP ON FLT HOME, REALIZED I FORGOT TO CLOSE INBOUND FLT PLAN. CALLED FSS UPON LNDG AND CLOSED FLT PLAN 7 HRS LATE. THEY HAD BEGUN A SEARCH BUT CALL TO BED TWR CONFIRMED OUR LNDG. REASON FOR FAILURE -- SIMPLE CASE OF GET-THERE-ITIS COMBINED WITH DEADLINE TO MEET. NORMALLY FLY AND FILE IFR FOR AIRLINE SO USED TO AUTO-CANCELLING OF FLT PLAN. CORRECTIVE ACTION -- ADD CLOSE FLT PLAN TO CHKLIST AND CLOSE AND FILE MORE VFR FLT PLANS. HAVING SURVIVED A CRASH WITH NO FLT PLAN ON FILE, I AM GLAD FSS IS ON THE BALL AND FOLLOWING UP ON PEOPLE LIKE ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING PLT STATES THAT HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AND HIS NASA RPT GOT LOST ON HIS DESK. WHEN HE FOUND IT SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, HE DROPPED IT IN THE MAIL BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY MADE OUT. THE FAA HAS NOT CONTACTED HIM ABOUT THIS. THE RPTR IS A FAN OF THE ASRS AND HAS MENTIONED US AT HIS AIRLINE AND AT SAFETY SEMINARS THAT HE LEADS.

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.