Narrative:

I am a cfiai at southern illinois airport. One of my students needed to be dropped off at st louis-downtown airport by XB30 am, so we had to be off the ground by XA30 am. The night before I had picked her up from st louis and she said that we would have to go by XA30 am on the next morning. At the time, my student and I did not know that the time was going to advance 1 hour because of daylight savings time. When I got to the airport the next morning, I had to fuel the airplane which made us late. Once I fueled the airplane, we preflted the airplane and started up. When we finished going through the checklist, I thought that it was only XA45 am and knew the tower was not going to be open for another 15 mins, so I broadcasted in the blind giving our intentions on the CTAF. Then I taxied to runway 36, since it was right where we were tied down. The winds were favoring 18, but were light. After doing our runup, I broadcasted in the blind once more stating that we were departing 36 to the northwest. After rotation, I noticed a landing light approximately 1 1/2 mi short of runway 18. I then made an immediate turn to the northwest to avoid him. Once I made sure I was clear, I turned up the vol to maximum on the radio when I heard the tower calling my end numbers. After I returned from my trip, I had to give the tower my name. I feel that one of the causes of this incident was me not resetting my watch to the new time. I thought the tower was not going to be open for another 15 mins. Instead, they had been open for 45 mins. The other factor was that I thought I had the vol up enough on the radio. One thing that could have avoided this whole thing was if I had of listened to ATIS before taxiing. Normally, I do not listen to ATIS when towers are not operating since it really doesn't tell you much. If I had listened, I would have known for sure if the tower was operating and to make sure that the vol was up enough on the radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA-SMA UNAUTH TKOF DOWNWIND CAUSES CLOSE PROX WITH UNK ACFT ON FINAL APCH.

Narrative: I AM A CFIAI AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ARPT. ONE OF MY STUDENTS NEEDED TO BE DROPPED OFF AT ST LOUIS-DOWNTOWN ARPT BY XB30 AM, SO WE HAD TO BE OFF THE GND BY XA30 AM. THE NIGHT BEFORE I HAD PICKED HER UP FROM ST LOUIS AND SHE SAID THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BY XA30 AM ON THE NEXT MORNING. AT THE TIME, MY STUDENT AND I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE TIME WAS GOING TO ADVANCE 1 HR BECAUSE OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME. WHEN I GOT TO THE ARPT THE NEXT MORNING, I HAD TO FUEL THE AIRPLANE WHICH MADE US LATE. ONCE I FUELED THE AIRPLANE, WE PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE AND STARTED UP. WHEN WE FINISHED GOING THROUGH THE CHKLIST, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS ONLY XA45 AM AND KNEW THE TWR WAS NOT GOING TO BE OPEN FOR ANOTHER 15 MINS, SO I BROADCASTED IN THE BLIND GIVING OUR INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF. THEN I TAXIED TO RWY 36, SINCE IT WAS RIGHT WHERE WE WERE TIED DOWN. THE WINDS WERE FAVORING 18, BUT WERE LIGHT. AFTER DOING OUR RUNUP, I BROADCASTED IN THE BLIND ONCE MORE STATING THAT WE WERE DEPARTING 36 TO THE NW. AFTER ROTATION, I NOTICED A LNDG LIGHT APPROX 1 1/2 MI SHORT OF RWY 18. I THEN MADE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE NW TO AVOID HIM. ONCE I MADE SURE I WAS CLR, I TURNED UP THE VOL TO MAX ON THE RADIO WHEN I HEARD THE TWR CALLING MY END NUMBERS. AFTER I RETURNED FROM MY TRIP, I HAD TO GIVE THE TWR MY NAME. I FEEL THAT ONE OF THE CAUSES OF THIS INCIDENT WAS ME NOT RESETTING MY WATCH TO THE NEW TIME. I THOUGHT THE TWR WAS NOT GOING TO BE OPEN FOR ANOTHER 15 MINS. INSTEAD, THEY HAD BEEN OPEN FOR 45 MINS. THE OTHER FACTOR WAS THAT I THOUGHT I HAD THE VOL UP ENOUGH ON THE RADIO. ONE THING THAT COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS WHOLE THING WAS IF I HAD OF LISTENED TO ATIS BEFORE TAXIING. NORMALLY, I DO NOT LISTEN TO ATIS WHEN TWRS ARE NOT OPERATING SINCE IT REALLY DOESN'T TELL YOU MUCH. IF I HAD LISTENED, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN FOR SURE IF THE TWR WAS OPERATING AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOL WAS UP ENOUGH ON THE RADIO.

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.