Incident at Killam, Alberta

1996-12-18: A pilot on an IFR flight plan from Grande Prairie to Killam, Alberta advised the controller he would be landing at 1810Z and to close his flight plan. The controller advised the pilot he would have to file an arrival report with Edmonton FSS in accordance with the CARs. Due to poor radio communications at low altitude, the pilot assumed his flight plan would be closed by Edmonton Centre. ATC thought the pilot was going to file an arrival report with Edmonton FSS. At about the same time as the ETA for C-GJTC, an ELT signal was picked up in the vicinity of Killam. ATC carried out a communication search and the RCMP located C-GJTC in tact at the Chevro Farm strip. About three hours later the pilot was located and he checked the ELT and confirmed it was turned off. The ELT turned out to be in an Agcat parked at the nearby town of Sedgwick. The next morning the pilot of C-GJTC filed a flight plan with a proposed departure time of 1800Z. When the flight plan had not been activated by 1930Z, ATC phoned Chevro farm and confirmed the aircraft was still on the ground. ATS had a long chat with the pilot on the importance of filling arrival reports and advising of any delays of over an hour on an IFR flight plan. Apparently RCC also had a chat with the pilot.