C182 pilot requested sct controller close his VFR flight plan. This was not done.

Attributes
ACN	543540
Time
Date	200204
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	543540
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 5
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

VFR flight plan opened departing fat for psp. On return, in the cajon pass area, an ELT was heard. We notified ATC (socal approach) and spent the next 1 1/2 hours trying to locate the ELT. During the search we contacted socal approach and asked them to cancel our VFR flight plan. We did this twice. We also tried to contact riverside FSS to assure the flight plan was canceled but were not able to reach them. My wife was notified that I was 1 hour overdue. She was very distraught. When I called FSS on the ground, they said they had checked with ZLA and joshua control but didn't check with socal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT REQUESTED SCT CTLR CLOSE HIS VFR FLT PLAN. THIS WAS NOT DONE.

Narrative: VFR FLT PLAN OPENED DEPARTING FAT FOR PSP. ON RETURN, IN THE CAJON PASS AREA, AN ELT WAS HEARD. WE NOTIFIED ATC (SOCAL APCH) AND SPENT THE NEXT 1 1/2 HRS TRYING TO LOCATE THE ELT. DURING THE SEARCH WE CONTACTED SOCAL APCH AND ASKED THEM TO CANCEL OUR VFR FLT PLAN. WE DID THIS TWICE. WE ALSO TRIED TO CONTACT RIVERSIDE FSS TO ASSURE THE FLT PLAN WAS CANCELED BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO REACH THEM. MY WIFE WAS NOTIFIED THAT I WAS 1 HR OVERDUE. SHE WAS VERY DISTRAUGHT. WHEN I CALLED FSS ON THE GND, THEY SAID THEY HAD CHKED WITH ZLA AND JOSHUA CTL BUT DIDN'T CHK WITH SOCAL.

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.