AN SMA PLT FAILED TO CLOSE HIS FLT PLAN UNTIL 7 HRS HAD PASSED!

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DUE TO RUNNING LATE; ONCE ON GND WERE PICKED UP IMMEDIATELY AND TAKEN TO APPOINTMENT WHICH WE ONLY HAD 12 MINS TO MAKE. AFTER THAT SUCCESSFUL MEETING WENT TO DINNER AND SAFETY SEMINAR. 10 MINS AFTER DEP ON FLT HOME; REALIZED I FORGOT TO CLOSE INBOUND FLT PLAN. CALLED FSS UPON LNDG AND CLOSED FLT PLAN 7 HRS LATE. THEY HAD BEGUN A SEARCH BUT CALL TO BED TWR CONFIRMED OUR LNDG. REASON FOR FAILURE -- SIMPLE CASE OF GET-THERE-ITIS COMBINED WITH DEADLINE TO MEET. NORMALLY FLY AND FILE IFR FOR AIRLINE SO USED TO AUTO-CANCELLING OF FLT PLAN. CORRECTIVE ACTION -- ADD CLOSE FLT PLAN TO CHKLIST AND CLOSE AND FILE MORE VFR FLT PLANS. HAVING SURVIVED A CRASH WITH NO FLT PLAN ON FILE; I AM GLAD FSS IS ON THE BALL AND FOLLOWING UP ON PEOPLE LIKE ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING PLT STATES THAT HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AND HIS NASA RPT GOT LOST ON HIS DESK. WHEN HE FOUND IT SEVERAL MONTHS LATER; HE DROPPED IT IN THE MAIL BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY MADE OUT. THE FAA HAS NOT CONTACTED HIM ABOUT THIS. THE RPTR IS A FAN OF THE ASRS AND HAS MENTIONED US AT HIS AIRLINE AND AT SAFETY SEMINARS THAT HE LEADS.