SMA CLOSES VFR FLT PLAN WITH FSS. SPECIALIST FAILS TO RECORD CLOSING.

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DEPARTED MTN IN VFR CONDITIONS TO AIY. 2 MIN AFTER DEP; OPENED VFR FLT WITH LEESBURG RADIO. OVER CHESAPEAKE BAY; VISIBILITY WAS MARGINAL VFR SO PIC MADE DECISION TO RETURN TO MTN. 10 MIN AFTER LNDG; CALLED LEESBURG FSS TO CLOSE FLT PLAN BY TELEPHONE. FLT PLAN CLOSED BY FSS PERSONNEL (I THOUGHT) INITIALS XY. WHEN I RETURNED HOME; MESSAGE ON MY ANSWERING MACHINE FROM MTN FBO. FSS WAS LOOKING FOR ME BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT I DIDN'T CLOSE FLT PLAN. I CALLED LEESBURG AND TALKED TO A SUPVR ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND CONFIRMED THAT INDEED XY DOES WORK THERE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. PERHAPS THE FSS PERSONNEL ARE OVERWORKED AND FORGET TO CLOSE THE PLAN. A VFR PLT IS AT THE MERCY OF THESE PEOPLE. IF AN IFR FLT PLAN DOES NOT GET CLOSED AT A CTLED FIELD; IT IS THE TWR OPERATOR'S FAULT. PERHAPS AN IDENT NUMBER CAN BE ISSUED TO THE PLT AS PROOF THAT HE OR SHE INDEED CLOSED THE FLT PLAN (INITIALS ARE NOT REALLY ADEQUATE PROOF). YOU GET A CONFIRMATION NUMBER WHEN YOU MAKE A HOTEL RESERVATION; WHY NOT WHEN YOU CLOSE A FLT PLAN?