REPORTER FAILED TO CANCEL IFR FLT PLAN WITH ARTCC.

Narrative

I DEPARTED UNIVERSITY PARK ARPT; STATE COLLEGE; PA; IN VFR CONDITIONS ON 3/MON/88 AT APPROX XA35 AM LCL TIME. I WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF SMA AND WAS ENRTE TO CHARLESTON; SC. I PLANNED TO FLY THE TRIP WITH ANOTHER ACFT BEARING REGISTRATION CDE. I DEPARTED A FEW MINS BEFORE CDE AND INTENDED TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM ON AN AIR TO AIR FREQ. AFTER SEVERAL MINS; I WAS UNABLE TO REACH CDE ON THE PREARRANGED FREQ AND DECIDED TO MONITOR NY CENTER. I HEARD NY CENTER ATTEMPT TO CALL CDE AND ADVISED THAT HE MAY HAVE HAD RADIO DIFFICULTY AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT. I ADVISED ATC THAT I WISHED TO PROCEED ALONG OUR ROUTE OF FLT AND ACCEPTED A TRANSPONDER CODE AND RADAR ADVISORIES. UPON ARR IN THE CHARLESTON AREA; I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE CHARLESTON APCH CTL AND WAS ASKED TO ADVISE ATC UPON CANCELLING IFR. I DID NOT CANCEL IFR IN FLT AND WAS CALLED BY ATC BY TELEPHONE ON THE GND. I DID NOT CANCEL IFR BECAUSE I HAD NOT RECEIVED OR ACCEPTED AN IFR CLRNC AND WAS PROCEEDING UNDER VISUAL FLT RULES. I AM NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON THE PART OF ATC OR THE PLT OF CDE AS TO THE CLRNCS GIVEN; RECEIVED OR ACCEPTED.