FLT PLAN CONFUSION DUE TO FILING WITH ONE FSS AND OPENING WITH A DIFFERENT FSS. FSS FSS INTERFAC COORD. FSS DESIGN.

Date: 1995-05 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

FLT PLAN CONFUSION DUE TO FILING WITH ONE FSS AND OPENING WITH A DIFFERENT FSS. FSS FSS INTERFAC COORD. FSS DESIGN.

Narrative

PROB OPENING/CLOSING VFR FLT PLAN. WHEN 2 FSS'S INVOLVED. STUDENT FILED FLT PLAN LWM-6B0-GDM-EEN-LWM FOR XB00 LCL. DEP 2 HRS ENRTE. ENRTE TIME CHANGED TO 2.5 HRS BY LANDLINE PRIOR TO DEP BY CFI. ALL COM WITH BDR FSS STUDENT IS AIRBORNE AT XC08 PM AND CONTACTS BANGOR FSS ACTIVATE FLT PLAN AT '08.' MUCH CONFUSION EXISTED; BANGOR FSS DIDN'T HAVE FLT PLAN; ASKED FOR NEW ENRTE TIME; ASKED IF FLT PLAN WAS TO BE ACTIVATED NOW OR AT PROPOSED TIME. STUDENT REPLIED; 'ACTIVATE AT '08' AT XC15 PM LCL;' IMPLYING XC08 PM. ACFT ARRIVED AT DEST LWM AT XD55 PM; 30 MINS BEFORE DUE ON FLT AND TWR RPTED THAT ACFT WAS OVERDUE ON VFR FLT PLAN. APPEARED THAT FLT PLAN WAS ACTIVATED AT XB00 LCL; MORE THAN 1 HR PRIOR TO ACTUAL DEP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LWM IS LOCATED AT SVC BOUNDARY OF BANGOR AN BDR FSS. 2) BANGOR CAUSED CONFUSION BY ASKING FOR INFO ON FILE WITH BDR. BANGOR FSS DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE TERM 'OPEN FLT PLAN AT 08.' 3) STUDENT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHICH FSS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A FLT PLAN. THE NAME OF THE DEP AND DEST SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR FSS TO DETERMINE THE CTLING FSS. BANGOR SHOULD NOT ASK 'WHO DID YOU FILE THIS FLT PLAN WITH?' NOTE: USE OF ZULU (UTC) TIMES WOULD HELP AVOID THIS PROB; HOWEVER THE USE OF MINS PAST THE HR ONLY IS COMMON PRACTICE; AND VFR FSS OPERATORS SHOULD UNDERSTAND IT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.