GA pilot made intermediate stop due to WX. Closed original flight plan, but phone search was started...

Narrative:

At XA30 I filed VFR, ptn to 6m2, with deridder FSS. I departed and activated with deridder FSS at approximately XC10. At approximately XC45 I encountered VMC and landed at 2f8. I called deridder, closed my flight plan and was told the WX system would pass over 2f8 in about 2 hours. The WX system had been forecast to remain in east okla, but actually moved southeast through ark and la and was in south la by early evening. At XJ10 I called deridder FSS, got a standard WX brief, and departed 2f8 at XJ30. When I activated by radio, deridder FSS asked me if I knew that 'they' had been looking for me. I said, no, told them I closed by phone. When I closed by phone at jonesboro FSS (jbr) I asked the name of the FSS specialist. Only then did he mention the original flight plan closing issue. The irony is that not only did I close with the same FSS I filed with, but the same person. I recognized his deep voice and abrupt manner, and nothing was said about the original flight plan when I got the WX brief for the second flight plan until I called in by radio to active the second flight plan. The FSS specialist at jonesboro started a long discussion about all the effort they expended looking for me even though when he called my home and talked to my wife she told them that I had called from the monroe, la, area. It was then that I suspected that I was going to be reported as not closing my flight plan. This was never stated, but the FAA is never to be trusted in these matters. My wife, of course, was in a distraught state for a matter of 5 1/2 hours all because the deridder FSS specialist didn't close my flight plan. Jonesboro did call her when I filed the second flight plan. This is not, by any means, the first time such things have happened at FSS. I fly all over the united states, coast to coast, and the most common thing that happens is that when I call in to close a flight plan, I find that there is no flight plan on record. This is very disturbing to say the least, especially when flying over the rockies or the deserts of ca and az. My policy for the future will be to always ask the name of the FSS specialist when I close my flight plan.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT MADE INTERMEDIATE STOP DUE TO WX. CLOSED ORIGINAL FLT PLAN, BUT PHONE SEARCH WAS STARTED BY FLT SVC WHEN HE DID NOT ARRIVE AT ORIGINAL DEST. PLT BECAME AWARE WHEN SECOND PLAN FILED. CONTENDS THIS TYPE OF RECORD KEEPING BY FSS IS COMMON.

Narrative: AT XA30 I FILED VFR, PTN TO 6M2, WITH DERIDDER FSS. I DEPARTED AND ACTIVATED WITH DERIDDER FSS AT APPROX XC10. AT APPROX XC45 I ENCOUNTERED VMC AND LANDED AT 2F8. I CALLED DERIDDER, CLOSED MY FLT PLAN AND WAS TOLD THE WX SYS WOULD PASS OVER 2F8 IN ABOUT 2 HRS. THE WX SYS HAD BEEN FORECAST TO REMAIN IN E OKLA, BUT ACTUALLY MOVED SE THROUGH ARK AND LA AND WAS IN S LA BY EARLY EVENING. AT XJ10 I CALLED DERIDDER FSS, GOT A STANDARD WX BRIEF, AND DEPARTED 2F8 AT XJ30. WHEN I ACTIVATED BY RADIO, DERIDDER FSS ASKED ME IF I KNEW THAT 'THEY' HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR ME. I SAID, NO, TOLD THEM I CLOSED BY PHONE. WHEN I CLOSED BY PHONE AT JONESBORO FSS (JBR) I ASKED THE NAME OF THE FSS SPECIALIST. ONLY THEN DID HE MENTION THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN CLOSING ISSUE. THE IRONY IS THAT NOT ONLY DID I CLOSE WITH THE SAME FSS I FILED WITH, BUT THE SAME PERSON. I RECOGNIZED HIS DEEP VOICE AND ABRUPT MANNER, AND NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN WHEN I GOT THE WX BRIEF FOR THE SECOND FLT PLAN UNTIL I CALLED IN BY RADIO TO ACTIVE THE SECOND FLT PLAN. THE FSS SPECIALIST AT JONESBORO STARTED A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT ALL THE EFFORT THEY EXPENDED LOOKING FOR ME EVEN THOUGH WHEN HE CALLED MY HOME AND TALKED TO MY WIFE SHE TOLD THEM THAT I HAD CALLED FROM THE MONROE, LA, AREA. IT WAS THEN THAT I SUSPECTED THAT I WAS GOING TO BE RPTED AS NOT CLOSING MY FLT PLAN. THIS WAS NEVER STATED, BUT THE FAA IS NEVER TO BE TRUSTED IN THESE MATTERS. MY WIFE, OF COURSE, WAS IN A DISTRAUGHT STATE FOR A MATTER OF 5 1/2 HRS ALL BECAUSE THE DERIDDER FSS SPECIALIST DIDN'T CLOSE MY FLT PLAN. JONESBORO DID CALL HER WHEN I FILED THE SECOND FLT PLAN. THIS IS NOT, BY ANY MEANS, THE FIRST TIME SUCH THINGS HAVE HAPPENED AT FSS. I FLY ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, COAST TO COAST, AND THE MOST COMMON THING THAT HAPPENS IS THAT WHEN I CALL IN TO CLOSE A FLT PLAN, I FIND THAT THERE IS NO FLT PLAN ON RECORD. THIS IS VERY DISTURBING TO SAY THE LEAST, ESPECIALLY WHEN FLYING OVER THE ROCKIES OR THE DESERTS OF CA AND AZ. MY POLICY FOR THE FUTURE WILL BE TO ALWAYS ASK THE NAME OF THE FSS SPECIALIST WHEN I CLOSE MY FLT PLAN.

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.

Attributes
ACN	438699
Time
Date	199905
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 2f8.airport
State Reference	LA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time total : 3000
ASRS Report	438699
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

GA pilot made intermediate stop due to WX. Closed original flight plan, but phone search was started by flight service when he did not arrive at original destination. Pilot became aware when second plan filed. Contends this type of record keeping by FSS is common.