PIPER PA30 PLT FAILED TO CLOSE HIS IFR FLT PLAN DUE TO DISTRACTIONS OF A LNDG GEAR EXTENSION PROB PRIOR TO LNDG AND THE FACT THAT THE ARPT FACILITY SVCS WERE SHUT DOWN. HE THEN FLEW VFR TO ANOTHER NEAR ARPT FOR FUEL.

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I WAS ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM ALN TO CTY FOR FUEL STOP. I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ZJX ON THE ARR TO CTY. I WAS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH AND RELEASED TO COMMUNICATE ON LCL CTAF AT 12 MI N. APCH TO ARPT WAS VFR AND NORMAL WITH 2 OTHER ACFT APCHING; ONE BEHIND ME 8 MI AND ONE TO THE S OF THE ARPT. CURRENT ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 31. I ENTERED L DOWNWIND TO RWY AND AT MIDFIELD FOUND MY GEAR TO BE INOP. BECAUSE OF OTHER APCHING TFC I COMMUNICATED A GEAR PROB TO UNICOM AND THAT I WOULD BE EXTENDING MY DOWNWIND UNTIL OTHER TFC LANDS. I WAS 8 MI S OF THE FIELD ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND WHEN I TURNED BACK FOR THE ARPT. I THEN HAD CORRECTED THE GEAR PROB WITH 4 MI REMAINING TO CTY ARPT. I THEN LANDED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENCE. THEN FOUND THE ARPT FACILITIES TO BE SHUT DOWN PERMANENTLY AND NO TELEPHONES IN ORDER. WITH ALL THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE; I FAILED TO CANCEL MY IFR. I TOOK OFF VFR TO CLOSEST ARPT; GAINSVILLE; FL; FOR FUEL. UPON LNDG WHICH WAS 30 MINS SINCE MY RELEASE FOR VISUAL APCH AT CTY; I WAS NOTIFIED TO CALL ZJX AND TALK WITH CTR SUPVR WHICH I COMPLIED. HE INDICATED HIS FRUSTRATION AND DID NOT WANT MY EXPLANATION. I OBVIOUSLY FEEL BAD ABOUT TYING UP AIRSPACE BUT UNDER THE ADDITIONAL ACFT AND STRESS LOAD OF A GEAR MALFUNCTION I MADE THE MISTAKE OF CANCELING MY IFR FLT PLAN.