FAILED TO CANCEL IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative

I ARRIVED AT FAM AT APPROX XA10 IN 8/88; ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM TUL. THE FOLLOWING MORNING BEFORE MY DEP; FAM ARPT MGR INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD RECEIVED A CALL AT HIS HOME THE PREVIOUS NIGHT TO VERIFY MY SAFE ARR BECAUSE MY IFR FLT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED. THE ARPT OFFICE WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME OF MY ARR. MY IMPRESSION AND OPINION IS THAT I CANCELLED IFR WITH THE CTLR JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE FARMINGTON VOR AT WHICH TIME I CHANGED TO THE FAM CTAF UNICOM FREQ FOR COMMUNICATING WITH LCL TFC DURING MY APCH AND LNDG. MY RECOLLECTION OF THE EVENTS PRIOR TO DEPARTING CENTER FREQ WAS THAT THE CTLR POINTED OUT THE ARPT TO ME (6-8 MI TO MY LEFT) WHILE I WAS APCHING THE FAM VOR ON V72/190. I RPTED THAT I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT (BEACON). THE CTLR GAVE ME FREQS TO COME BACK UP ON. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE CTLR CONTACTED ME TO RELEASE ME FOR THE APCH AT WHICH TIME I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD GO VFR. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY PARTING RESPONSE. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THE IFR FLT PLAN WAS CLOSED. HAD IT NOT BEEN; IN MY IMPRESSION; THE CTLR'S FINAL RESPONSE TO ME WOULD HAVE BEEN 'RPT CANCELLING IFR.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR FELT WHEN GIVEN CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH THE CENTER WOULD ACCEPT THAT AS CANCELLING HIS FLT PLAN. COUNSELED AS TO THE NECESSITY OF USING THE WORDS: 'CANCEL IFR AND MY FLT PLAN.' SAYS IN THE FUTURE HE WILL BE MUCH MORE AWARE OF THE PROB AND WILL NOT LET THIS INCIDENT HAPPEN AGAIN. INSTR ADVISED HIM OF THE ASRS PROGRAM.