Arrival Report

An arrival report is a mandatory communication by the pilot to advise appropriate authorities that the aircraft has arrived safely at its destination. Filing the arrival report closes the flight plan and terminates alerting service. Failure to report within one hour of ETA will trigger a search and rescue response.

How to File

  • Controlled airport: advise tower or ground to close your flight plan
  • Uncontrolled airport with FSS: report directly to the FSS on frequency
  • Unattended aerodrome: call FIC by phone (1-866-WXBRIEF) or by radio
  • Always confirm closure has been acknowledged — do not assume it is automatic

Consequence of Not Filing

Failure to file triggers INCERFA → ALERFA → DETRESFA, resulting in a full SAR activation. This wastes significant public resources and can be avoided with a single phone call. Always close your flight plan.

Related Terms

See also: Flight Plan/Notification, Alerting Service.