Took off without contacting the tower.

Attributes
ACN	102259
Time
Date	198901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sse airport : ssf
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1700
ASRS Report	102259
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Arrived at airport after dark for departure. Tower was unlit. Called ground control and got no reply. Called tower on frequency listed on chart which expired 12/thur/88. Pilot mistakenly used obsolete chart in flight bag instead of current chart also in the flight bag. Taxied to departure runway, called tower again west/O any reply, looked at tower and saw no lights inside. Also looked for tower traffic lights. None were seen. No traffic was observed in the area and no other aircraft were operating at the airport. Departed the airport assuming the tower was closed. Later found out the tower was in operation but I had not used the correct tower frequency. I recommend the facility radio frequencys not be changed unless absolutely necessary so that anyone mistakenly using an obsolete chart will have a good chance of having the correct radio frequencys.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TOOK OFF WITHOUT CONTACTING THE TWR.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ARPT AFTER DARK FOR DEP. TWR WAS UNLIT. CALLED GND CTL AND GOT NO REPLY. CALLED TWR ON FREQ LISTED ON CHART WHICH EXPIRED 12/THUR/88. PLT MISTAKENLY USED OBSOLETE CHART IN FLT BAG INSTEAD OF CURRENT CHART ALSO IN THE FLT BAG. TAXIED TO DEP RWY, CALLED TWR AGAIN W/O ANY REPLY, LOOKED AT TWR AND SAW NO LIGHTS INSIDE. ALSO LOOKED FOR TWR TFC LIGHTS. NONE WERE SEEN. NO TFC WAS OBSERVED IN THE AREA AND NO OTHER ACFT WERE OPERATING AT THE ARPT. DEPARTED THE ARPT ASSUMING THE TWR WAS CLOSED. LATER FOUND OUT THE TWR WAS IN OPERATION BUT I HAD NOT USED THE CORRECT TWR FREQ. I RECOMMEND THE FAC RADIO FREQS NOT BE CHANGED UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY SO THAT ANYONE MISTAKENLY USING AN OBSOLETE CHART WILL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF HAVING THE CORRECT RADIO FREQS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.