Narrative:

I was the captain on an IFR flight landing at gai. Upon advising potomac approach we had the airport (gai an uncontrolled airport) in sight we were cleared for a visual approach and then asked if we wanted to cancel the IFR and maintain the current squawk, or call on the ground to cancel our IFR flight plan. I told the first officer to tell the controller that we would cancel the IFR flight plan on the ground after landing. Upon clearing the runway I told the first officer that I would monitor the airport unicom frequency and asked him to cancel the IFR flight plan with potomac approach. While taxiing in I heard the first officer reading back our outbound clearance and 'assumed' that he had notified potomac approach of the cancellation since he was reading back the outbound clearance. While we were refueling, a single engine aircraft taxied up and the pilot advised me that he was told by potomac approach that they had not received our IFR cancellation. I immediately inquired with the first officer about the cancellation. He said that he told the controller that we were on the ground at gai and were looking for an IFR clearance to mmu. I specifically asked him if he told the controller that he was canceling the IFR flight plan? After some hesitation from the first officer, I called potomac approach on my cell phone and idented myself as the captain to verify they had received our cancellation. I was advised we were not cancelled and they were getting ready to send out a search crew and file a report on us. I told the controller that it was my fault and that we routinely operate at that airport and I am familiar with the IFR clearance and cancellation procedures. I advised the controller that I would discuss with my first officer the importance of proper phraseology and terminology.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DA900 FO FAILED TO CANCEL THEIR FLT PLAN AFTER THE CAPT ASKED THE FO TO CANCEL IT.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON AN IFR FLT LNDG AT GAI. UPON ADVISING POTOMAC APCH WE HAD THE ARPT (GAI AN UNCTLED ARPT) IN SIGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND THEN ASKED IF WE WANTED TO CANCEL THE IFR AND MAINTAIN THE CURRENT SQUAWK, OR CALL ON THE GND TO CANCEL OUR IFR FLT PLAN. I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD CANCEL THE IFR FLT PLAN ON THE GND AFTER LNDG. UPON CLRING THE RWY I TOLD THE FO THAT I WOULD MONITOR THE ARPT UNICOM FREQ AND ASKED HIM TO CANCEL THE IFR FLT PLAN WITH POTOMAC APCH. WHILE TAXIING IN I HEARD THE FO READING BACK OUR OUTBOUND CLRNC AND 'ASSUMED' THAT HE HAD NOTIFIED POTOMAC APCH OF THE CANCELLATION SINCE HE WAS READING BACK THE OUTBOUND CLRNC. WHILE WE WERE REFUELING, A SINGLE ENG ACFT TAXIED UP AND THE PLT ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS TOLD BY POTOMAC APCH THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED OUR IFR CANCELLATION. I IMMEDIATELY INQUIRED WITH THE FO ABOUT THE CANCELLATION. HE SAID THAT HE TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE ON THE GND AT GAI AND WERE LOOKING FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO MMU. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED HIM IF HE TOLD THE CTLR THAT HE WAS CANCELING THE IFR FLT PLAN? AFTER SOME HESITATION FROM THE FO, I CALLED POTOMAC APCH ON MY CELL PHONE AND IDENTED MYSELF AS THE CAPT TO VERIFY THEY HAD RECEIVED OUR CANCELLATION. I WAS ADVISED WE WERE NOT CANCELLED AND THEY WERE GETTING READY TO SEND OUT A SEARCH CREW AND FILE A RPT ON US. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT IT WAS MY FAULT AND THAT WE ROUTINELY OPERATE AT THAT ARPT AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE IFR CLRNC AND CANCELLATION PROCS. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD DISCUSS WITH MY FO THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER PHRASEOLOGY AND TERMINOLOGY.

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.