Narrative:

I was in lns to pick up and deliver a light transport to its new owner. I have thousands of hours in small transport and light transport, but had never been in this particular aircraft. My copilot also had thousands of hours, but none in mfg products. An IFR flight plan had previously been filed for our return trip to ckb. Circumstances resulted in the aircraft not arriving in lns until about XX30 EST. There was a hurried rush to clean out the previous owner's equipment, fuel and preflight. All this to be accomplished in almost total darkness on the ramp. About XL30 EST, we had everything checked, and the aircraft started and ready for taxi. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact ground or tower, we concluded these facs were closed and taxied to takeoff (the chart for lns listed operation as part time). The active runway, considering winds, was the first we encountered, and after another unsuccessful attempt to contact tower (and careful observation of the tower for light signals) we departed VFR. Shortly after takeoff we attempted, unsuccessfully again, to contact a local approach control to activate our IFR plan. Fortunately, the WX was good with ceilings about 3000' and visibilities about 15 mi, so we could remain VFR. After about 5 mins of unsuccessful attempts at communications, I discovered both mics had been disconnected by the previous crew, who used a portable intercom. Upon reconnecting the mics, communications were established and the flight proceeded normally. In conclusion, I have learned never to assume something will work, even though it worked previously. And never assume that even if every other radio (or piece of equipment) I have used operated one way, that the next radio (or equipment) will operate the same. A contributing factor in our haste to depart: we had arrived at lns to pick up the aircraft about XA00 EST, and found the aircraft out on a trip. We had to wait at the airport about 12 hours for the aircraft to return.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FERRY FLT NO COM ON DEP ACCOUNT BOTH MICS DISCONNECTED.

Narrative: I WAS IN LNS TO PICK UP AND DELIVER A LTT TO ITS NEW OWNER. I HAVE THOUSANDS OF HRS IN SMT AND LTT, BUT HAD NEVER BEEN IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. MY COPLT ALSO HAD THOUSANDS OF HRS, BUT NONE IN MFG PRODUCTS. AN IFR FLT PLAN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN FILED FOR OUR RETURN TRIP TO CKB. CIRCUMSTANCES RESULTED IN THE ACFT NOT ARRIVING IN LNS UNTIL ABOUT XX30 EST. THERE WAS A HURRIED RUSH TO CLEAN OUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER'S EQUIP, FUEL AND PREFLT. ALL THIS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN ALMOST TOTAL DARKNESS ON THE RAMP. ABOUT XL30 EST, WE HAD EVERYTHING CHKED, AND THE ACFT STARTED AND READY FOR TAXI. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT GND OR TWR, WE CONCLUDED THESE FACS WERE CLOSED AND TAXIED TO TKOF (THE CHART FOR LNS LISTED OPERATION AS PART TIME). THE ACTIVE RWY, CONSIDERING WINDS, WAS THE FIRST WE ENCOUNTERED, AND AFTER ANOTHER UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO CONTACT TWR (AND CAREFUL OBSERVATION OF THE TWR FOR LIGHT SIGNALS) WE DEPARTED VFR. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE ATTEMPTED, UNSUCCESSFULLY AGAIN, TO CONTACT A LCL APCH CTL TO ACTIVATE OUR IFR PLAN. FORTUNATELY, THE WX WAS GOOD WITH CEILINGS ABOUT 3000' AND VISIBILITIES ABOUT 15 MI, SO WE COULD REMAIN VFR. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS OF UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT COMS, I DISCOVERED BOTH MICS HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED BY THE PREVIOUS CREW, WHO USED A PORTABLE INTERCOM. UPON RECONNECTING THE MICS, COMS WERE ESTABLISHED AND THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. IN CONCLUSION, I HAVE LEARNED NEVER TO ASSUME SOMETHING WILL WORK, EVEN THOUGH IT WORKED PREVIOUSLY. AND NEVER ASSUME THAT EVEN IF EVERY OTHER RADIO (OR PIECE OF EQUIP) I HAVE USED OPERATED ONE WAY, THAT THE NEXT RADIO (OR EQUIP) WILL OPERATE THE SAME. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN OUR HASTE TO DEPART: WE HAD ARRIVED AT LNS TO PICK UP THE ACFT ABOUT XA00 EST, AND FOUND THE ACFT OUT ON A TRIP. WE HAD TO WAIT AT THE ARPT ABOUT 12 HRS FOR THE ACFT TO RETURN.

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.