PLT OF AN SMA SEL FAILED TO CLOSE VFR FLT PLAN RESULTING IN SEARCH AND RESCUE INITIATED.

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I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FOR MY SINGLE ENG PIPER COMANCHE FROM DECATUR; AL; TO KALAMAZOO; MI. THE FLT DEPARTED VFR NORMALLY AND ABOUT 20 MI S OF LOUISVILLE; KY; I WAS ON TOP; VFR; WITH A SOLID UNDERCAST. ABOUT 20 MI N OF THE KENTUCKY/INDIANA BORDER; THE SKY COVER BECAME BROKEN WITH BUILDING CUMULUS DUE TO A DEVELOPING LINE OF TSTMS. BEING IFR RATED; BOTH PLT AND AIRPLANE; I OBTAINED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM ZID BY CONVERTING MY VFR PLAN. I WAS CLRED IFR TO AZO BY ZID. HOWEVER; I DECIDED TO LAND AT COLUMBUS; IN; AND WAS CLRED TO THE COLUMBUS; IN; ARPT BY ZID AND HANDED OFF TO THE COLUMBUS; IN; TWR (A NON FEDERAL TWR) AND LANDED XA00. AT XA15; AFTER THE WX PASSED AND HAD SOME FOOD; WE DEPARTED FOR KALAMAZOO; MI; VFR. I CALLED FSS TO OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING AND TO FILE A VFR FLT PLAN AND WAS ADVISED BY THE FSS THAT A SEARCH AND RESCUE HAD BEEN INITIATED FOR US BECAUSE I NEGLECTED TO CLOSE MY DECATUR/KALAMAZOO VFR FLT PLAN. I ASSUMED THAT BECAUSE I HAD CONVERTED TO AN IFR PLAN AND LANDED AT A TWR CTLED ARPT; THAT MY PLAN WAS AUTOMATICALLY CLOSED. THE FSS TOLD ME THAT FSS AND ATC DON'T COMMUNICATE AND I SHOULD HAVE CLOSED MY VFR PLAN PERSONALLY AND SEPARATELY. AFTER TALKING TO OTHER PLTS LATER; I REALIZED THEY ALSO WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THE ORIGINAL VFR PLAN WOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAVE BEEN CLOSED AND WOULD NOT HAVE CLOSED IT SEPARATELY. FURTHERMORE; THIS DISCOURAGES PLTS FROM FILING VFR FLT PLANS. I FEEL ATC AND FSS SHOULD COMMUNICATE CLOSER SO THESE MISUNDERSTANDINGS CAN BE AVOIDED. WHILE ON THE GND AT COLUMBUS; I CALLED TERRA HAUTE FSS ON THE PHONE TO GET A WX BRIEFING. I TOLD THEM I HAD COME FROM DECATUR; AL; AND STOPPED DUE TO WX. I DID NOT CLOSE MY PLAN AS I ASSUMED IT HAD BEEN CLOSED. TERRA HAUTE FSS DID NOT INDICATE THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR ME.