Narrative:

Prior to departing; I filed three IFR flightplans online using a commercial flight planning service; one for each of my planned flights for the day's excursion to a baseball game with some friends I would pick up at the intermediate stop and back home again after the game.about 45 miles from our planned stopover airport for the game; I advised center that I needed to divert to a different; larger airport since the precision instrument runway at our planned destination was closed and the only approach available was not in my IFR certified GPS database and the weather was close to minimums. I was cleared to the diversion airport without delay; shot the ILS and landed without incident. I taxied to the FBO and shut down.while waiting for a cab to the ball game I went online to cancel the IFR flightplan that I had filed for the return trip to after the game since I would now be departing from the diversion airport. The flight planning website showed that the IFR flightplan had been deleted; but what I later found out was the flightplan was only deleted from the internet provider's web page and not from the FAA system!after the game was over I got a full weather briefing and filed a new IFR flightplan back home. This was about 1 hour prior to my departure. After preflighting the plane and boarding my passengers I powered up and got the ATIS. Then I called clearance delivery to pick up my IFR clearance to ZZZ. I received the following clearance: 'cleared to ZZZ via normal departure procedures; upon entering controlled airspace turn left to 180 degrees; climb and maintain 3;000 ft; expect 7;000 ft from departure [control]; (departure frequency) and a (squawk).' my read back was correct. (I thought this clearance strange because it sounded like a clearance I would have received after the tower closed at our original airport; but I had told clearance delivery that I was at xyz FBO and assumed that he would have known from that what airport I was at.also; I had just filed the new flightplan an hour earlier and I also assumed that the flightplan filed online hours earlier had been deleted. Both assumptions were wrong. I then called ground control and was told to taxi to runway xxr. I asked for progressive taxi instructions since it was IMC; midnight; and I was unfamiliar with the airport. Ground control responded that he was unable as the tower at my departure airport was closed and he was in the tower at the nearby larger airport -- where we actually were.at this point I realized that both clearance delivery and ground control were working under the mistaken assumption that I was communicating remotely from our originally planned airport! I immediately stopped and advised ground of my actual location. My clearance was immediately canceled and I was immediately issued a new clearance based on my later filed route. Apparently; both clearances printed out and I was given the one that was filed first. Adding to the confusion was the fact that the runways in use at both airports had the same identifier - xxr. Had I not asked for progressive taxi instructions I could have easily taxied out and taken off; perhaps causing an incident!the online filing of IFR flightplans is convenient and allows one to store frequently used flightplans. It is an asset when the pilot doesn't have easy access to the internet during multiple leg flights; or when flight service is difficult to contact due to poor cell phone reception or noisy environments (sporting events). However; it can lead to confusion and misdirection (as this situation clearly demonstrates) when the pilot thinks a flightplan has been canceled; but is still in the system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Bonanza 35 pilot who had filed three flight plans in advance for his day's flying had to divert on the second of three legs. He then filed a fourth flight plan from his diversion airport; a major airport which was close geographically to his planned second stop. When he called for his clearance; Clearance Delivery at the large airport to which he diverted initially gave him a clearance based on his originally filed flight plan that had never been canceled. The error was discovered only when the reporter asked for progressive taxi instructions and Ground Control said he was unable because he was at a different airport.

Narrative: Prior to departing; I filed three IFR flightplans online using a commercial flight planning service; one for each of my planned flights for the day's excursion to a baseball game with some friends I would pick up at the intermediate stop and back home again after the game.About 45 miles from our planned stopover airport for the game; I advised Center that I needed to divert to a different; larger airport since the precision instrument runway at our planned destination was closed and the only approach available was not in my IFR certified GPS database and the weather was close to minimums. I was cleared to the diversion airport without delay; shot the ILS and landed without incident. I taxied to the FBO and shut down.While waiting for a cab to the ball game I went online to cancel the IFR flightplan that I had filed for the return trip to after the game since I would now be departing from the diversion airport. The flight planning website showed that the IFR flightplan had been deleted; but what I later found out was the flightplan was only deleted from the internet provider's web page and not from the FAA system!After the game was over I got a full weather briefing and filed a new IFR flightplan back home. This was about 1 hour prior to my departure. After preflighting the plane and boarding my passengers I powered up and got the ATIS. Then I called Clearance Delivery to pick up my IFR clearance to ZZZ. I received the following clearance: 'Cleared to ZZZ via normal departure procedures; upon entering controlled airspace turn left to 180 degrees; climb and maintain 3;000 FT; expect 7;000 FT from Departure [Control]; (departure frequency) and a (squawk).' My read back was correct. (I thought this clearance strange because it sounded like a clearance I would have received after the Tower closed at our original airport; but I had told Clearance Delivery that I was at XYZ FBO and assumed that he would have known from that what airport I was at.Also; I had just filed the new flightplan an hour earlier and I also assumed that the flightplan filed online hours earlier had been deleted. Both assumptions were wrong. I then called Ground Control and was told to taxi to Runway XXR. I asked for progressive taxi instructions since it was IMC; midnight; and I was unfamiliar with the airport. Ground Control responded that he was unable as the Tower at my departure airport was closed and he was in the Tower at the nearby larger airport -- where we actually were.At this point I realized that both Clearance Delivery and Ground Control were working under the mistaken assumption that I was communicating remotely from our originally planned airport! I immediately stopped and advised Ground of my actual location. My clearance was immediately canceled and I was immediately issued a new clearance based on my later filed route. Apparently; both clearances printed out and I was given the one that was filed first. Adding to the confusion was the fact that the runways in use at both airports had the same identifier - XXR. Had I not asked for progressive taxi instructions I could have easily taxied out and taken off; perhaps causing an incident!The online filing of IFR flightplans is convenient and allows one to store frequently used flightplans. It is an asset when the pilot doesn't have easy access to the internet during multiple leg flights; or when Flight Service is difficult to contact due to poor cell phone reception or noisy environments (sporting events). However; it can lead to confusion and misdirection (as this situation clearly demonstrates) when the pilot thinks a flightplan has been canceled; but is still in the system.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.