Narrative:

I was working position at sgf when the phone rang. Bellanca BL17 was requesting his IFR clearance off of M17; a satellite airport. We found no IFR flight plan on file for him. I advised him of that and asked that he call flight service to put in another one. He pleaded with me asking that I file it because he had already been on hold with flight service for 45 mins to get it filed in the first place. I filed the flight plan for him and gave him his clearance. He related to me that for the past 'several months' he had encountered difficulty reaching flight service; either getting no answer or getting put on hold for extended periods of time. He said about half the time; even if he got them on the line and had them file a flight plan; the flight plan was never put in or was put in incorrectly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SGF CTLR DETAILED PLT REMARKS REGARDING THE FAILURE OF FSS TO PROPERLY HANDLE FLT PLAN FILING.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING POS AT SGF WHEN THE PHONE RANG. BELLANCA BL17 WAS REQUESTING HIS IFR CLRNC OFF OF M17; A SATELLITE ARPT. WE FOUND NO IFR FLT PLAN ON FILE FOR HIM. I ADVISED HIM OF THAT AND ASKED THAT HE CALL FLT SVC TO PUT IN ANOTHER ONE. HE PLEADED WITH ME ASKING THAT I FILE IT BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY BEEN ON HOLD WITH FLT SVC FOR 45 MINS TO GET IT FILED IN THE FIRST PLACE. I FILED THE FLT PLAN FOR HIM AND GAVE HIM HIS CLRNC. HE RELATED TO ME THAT FOR THE PAST 'SEVERAL MONTHS' HE HAD ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY REACHING FLT SVC; EITHER GETTING NO ANSWER OR GETTING PUT ON HOLD FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. HE SAID ABOUT HALF THE TIME; EVEN IF HE GOT THEM ON THE LINE AND HAD THEM FILE A FLT PLAN; THE FLT PLAN WAS NEVER PUT IN OR WAS PUT IN INCORRECTLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.