Quite true -- although in this case, it appears that all it would have done is allowed the searchers to find the bodies sooner. (Which is a good thing in itself, for many reasons.)
(I think I'll take a couple of physiology courses and, just for the hell of it, walk into a surgical theatre and start slicing patients open). /sarcasm really off now
Lots of pilots don't file flight plans. Most are just lazy, but some don't do it because they fear being fined by the FAA if they fail to close the flight plan upon arrival at their destination. Regarding flight following, just because you request it doesn't mean you always get it. I've had ATC refuse flight following on a number of occasions. This is particularly true with busy centers like Atlanta. There is also large areas of the country where flight following is not available because of the lack of radar coverage.
I've never flown an MU-2, but I used to hangar next to one. That is one hot airplane. It used to be a favorite of drug smugglers because it was faster at sea level than most of the Coast Guards jets. I beleive the CG has since rectified that situation, though.
Why? I fly all the time without filing or requesting flight following. I always make sure someone knows when and where I am going though : )
My wife enjoys flying low, so flight following isn't really an option even if I wanted it. We also enjoy sightseeing along the way and making unscheduled stops. I have discovered some great fishing streams that way : )
Flying is meant to be enjoyable and fun. At least for some of us. I do prepare for the worst though, EPIRB, backup radio, survival kit, first aid kit, etc.