Narrative:

Problem opening/closing VFR flight plan. When 2 FSS's involved. Student filed flight plan lwm-6b0-gdm-een-lwm for XB00 local. Departure 2 hours en route. En route time changed to 2.5 hours by landline prior to departure by CFI. All communication with bdr FSS student is airborne at XC08 pm and contacts bangor FSS activate flight plan at '08.' much confusion existed, bangor FSS didn't have flight plan, asked for new en route time, asked if flight plan was to be activated now or at proposed time. Student replied, 'activate at '08' at XC15 pm local,' implying XC08 pm. Aircraft arrived at destination lwm at XD55 pm, 30 mins before due on flight and tower reported that aircraft was overdue on VFR flight plan. Appeared that flight plan was activated at XB00 local, more than 1 hour prior to actual departure. Contributing factors: 1) lwm is located at service boundary of bangor an bdr FSS. 2) bangor caused confusion by asking for information on file with bdr. Bangor FSS did not seem to understand the term 'open flight plan at 08.' 3) student should not have to keep track of which FSS is responsible for a flight plan. The name of the departure and destination should be sufficient for FSS to determine the controling FSS. Bangor should not ask 'who did you file this flight plan with?' note: use of zulu (UTC) times would help avoid this problem, however the use of mins past the hour only is common practice, and VFR FSS operators should understand it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT PLAN CONFUSION DUE TO FILING WITH ONE FSS AND OPENING WITH A DIFFERENT FSS. FSS FSS INTERFAC COORD. FSS DESIGN.

Narrative: PROB OPENING/CLOSING VFR FLT PLAN. WHEN 2 FSS'S INVOLVED. STUDENT FILED FLT PLAN LWM-6B0-GDM-EEN-LWM FOR XB00 LCL. DEP 2 HRS ENRTE. ENRTE TIME CHANGED TO 2.5 HRS BY LANDLINE PRIOR TO DEP BY CFI. ALL COM WITH BDR FSS STUDENT IS AIRBORNE AT XC08 PM AND CONTACTS BANGOR FSS ACTIVATE FLT PLAN AT '08.' MUCH CONFUSION EXISTED, BANGOR FSS DIDN'T HAVE FLT PLAN, ASKED FOR NEW ENRTE TIME, ASKED IF FLT PLAN WAS TO BE ACTIVATED NOW OR AT PROPOSED TIME. STUDENT REPLIED, 'ACTIVATE AT '08' AT XC15 PM LCL,' IMPLYING XC08 PM. ACFT ARRIVED AT DEST LWM AT XD55 PM, 30 MINS BEFORE DUE ON FLT AND TWR RPTED THAT ACFT WAS OVERDUE ON VFR FLT PLAN. APPEARED THAT FLT PLAN WAS ACTIVATED AT XB00 LCL, MORE THAN 1 HR PRIOR TO ACTUAL DEP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LWM IS LOCATED AT SVC BOUNDARY OF BANGOR AN BDR FSS. 2) BANGOR CAUSED CONFUSION BY ASKING FOR INFO ON FILE WITH BDR. BANGOR FSS DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE TERM 'OPEN FLT PLAN AT 08.' 3) STUDENT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHICH FSS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A FLT PLAN. THE NAME OF THE DEP AND DEST SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR FSS TO DETERMINE THE CTLING FSS. BANGOR SHOULD NOT ASK 'WHO DID YOU FILE THIS FLT PLAN WITH?' NOTE: USE OF ZULU (UTC) TIMES WOULD HELP AVOID THIS PROB, HOWEVER THE USE OF MINS PAST THE HR ONLY IS COMMON PRACTICE, AND VFR FSS OPERATORS SHOULD UNDERSTAND IT.

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.