PVT PLTS ON PRACTICE FLT FAILED TO CLOSE VFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative

I WAS ON A TRAINING XCOUNTRY FLT WITH ANOTHER PVT PLT. I WAS FLYING UNDER THE HOOD (SIMULATED INST); WHILE THE OTHER PLT WAS ACTING AS SAFETY PLT. THE PROB I AM RPTING IS THAT WE FORGOT TO CLOSE OUR VFR FLT PLAN UPON ARRIVING AT MALAD CITY ARPT. WE STOPPED THERE LONG ENOUGH TO GET FUEL AND USE THE RESTROOM. UPON OUR DEP AND OPENING OF OUR NEW FLT PLAN; BOISE RADIO INFORMED US THAT WE HAD NOT CLOSED OUR PREVIOUS FLT PLAN. I FEEL THAT SOME OF THE CAUSES TO THIS WERE: BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. WE STRUGGLED TO FIND THE SMALL MALAD CITY ARPT WHICH TOOK UP SOME TIME THAT WE HADN'T PLANNED ON. WE ALSO DID NOT BEGIN THE DSCNT SOON ENOUGH WHICH I FEEL ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO NOT FINDING THE ARPT. I FEEL THAT THESE ARE THE 2 BIGGEST FACTORS WHICH LED TO US NOT CLOSING OUR FLT PLAN. SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS RE TO DO A MORE THOROUGH PLAN FOR THE FLT. WE COULD HAVE USED THE MALAD VOR TO FIND THE ARPT BY KNOWING ON WHAT RADIAL AND DISTANCE FROM THE VOR THE ARPT WAS LOCATED. I WILL ALSO PLAN A MORE ACCURATE DSCNT FROM NOW ON AS WELL. I ALSO FEEL THAT ADDING TO THE CHKLIST FOR PRE-LNDG A REMINDER TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN WILL BE A VERY VALUABLE TOOL IN MAKING SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.