Filing an arrival report
An arrival report closes a flight plan or itinerary, ending the alerting service that would otherwise trigger a SAR search.
Contents (CAR 602.78; list in the CFS, RAC 3.11.1):
- aircraft registration mark, flight number, or radio call sign
- type of flight plan or itinerary
- departure aerodrome
- arrival aerodrome
- date and time of arrival
When due: as soon as practicable after landing (CAR 602.77(1)). Deadlines:
| Case | Report no later than | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| VFR flight plan | within 60 minutes of landing | PSTAR 9.04 |
| Flight plan with SAR time | the SAR time | CAR 602.77(1)(a)-(b) |
| Flight plan, no SAR time | 1 hour after last reported ETA | CAR 602.77(1)(a)-(b); TP 13014 Q98 |
| Itinerary with responsible person (report to that person) | as soon as practicable after landing, no later than the SAR time, or 24 h after last reported ETA if no SAR time | CAR 602.77(2); PSTAR 9.06 |
- Do not confuse 1 hour after last ETA with the 60 minutes after landing (PSTAR 9.04).
- Overdue action: see When an aircraft is overdue.
Closing:
- Filed with an ATS unit or a community aerodrome radio station (CAR 602.77).
- Plan does not close itself on landing. Unclosed plan triggers a needless SAR launch.
- State you were on a flight plan or itinerary and want it closed. ATS units do not automatically file arrival reports for VFR flights at towered aerodromes, FSSs, or an RCO (TC AIM RAC 3.11).
- Closing before landing: may close with an ATC unit, FIC, FSS, or CARS. Counts as the arrival report, ends all SAR alerting, no report needed after landing (TC AIM RAC 3.11.2).
"Cancelling IFR" is not closing (TC AIM RAC 3.11.2):
| Where | Effect of "Cancelling IFR" |
|---|---|
| Canadian ATC airspace | Ends IFR separation only. Does not close plan or itinerary. Alerting stays live on original filed information: close before landing or file an arrival report afterward. |
| U.S., or Canadian aerodrome under FAA-delegated airspace | Does close the flight plan and ends alerting service, unless a VFR flight plan is filed and activated. |
One exception: IFR flight terminating at an aerodrome with an operating ATC unit or FSS, or where RAAS is provided, needs no arrival report, unless that unit asks for one.
Trap: "Cancelling IFR" in Canadian airspace does not close the plan. It stays live until closed or reported.
References
- CAR 602.77
- CAR 602.78
- TC AIM RAC 3.11
- TC AIM RAC 3.11.1
- TC AIM RAC 3.11.2
- PSTAR 9.04
- PSTAR 9.06