Narrative:

General information related to incident: mie tower is often used to control ground traffic on arrival and some post arrival ground control activities occur also. IFR clearance and taxi instructions received ok. A light jet departed and I was advised by ground control to taxi into position on runway 20. Advised of wake turbulence possibilities and issued words similar to, 'wake turbulence (pause), pilots discretion.' after holding position on runway 20 for approximately 15 seconds, I initiated takeoff. Within 100-200 yds was advised no takeoff clearance was given and takeoff was aborted and runway exited at first turnoff. I had not switched to tower and was on ground frequency. At no time was departing jet or any other traffic endangered. The exact time difference between departing jet leaving ground and my departure is exactly uncertain but is believed to be about 1 min. Both myself and my 2 passenger thought we were cleared to takeoff at pilot's discretion due to confusion with the mixed role of tower and ground control stated first. Also the aircraft has FLIP flop radios and I thought the frequency (ground and tower are similar; 121.9 and 120.1) selected was correct and it was the normal tower/ground interchange. The biggest factor was pilot's discretion phrase, however. I think it would be better if ground specifically hands to tower with specific verbage, 'north , contact tower for takeoff clearance.' in this case, I made a wrong assumption and since ground doesn't handoff to tower, no check is available. I also think that my using uncontrolled fields, where I am based, doesn't give me as much practice with ground and as such my action with tower are not automatic and with no check/balance system, a mistake could (and was) be made. However, I don't think I'll make that one again!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND CTLR CLRED TO 'POS AND HOLD, WAKE TURBULENCE, PLT'S DISCRETION.' TWR OFTEN CTLS GND TRAFFIC, AND PLT THOUGHT THIS WAS REVERSE PROC AND THIS WAS TKOF CLRNC. INITIATED TKOF, ADVISED HAD NOT RECEIVED CLRNC ABORTED.

Narrative: GENERAL INFO RELATED TO INCIDENT: MIE TWR IS OFTEN USED TO CTL GND TFC ON ARR AND SOME POST ARR GND CTL ACTIVITIES OCCUR ALSO. IFR CLRNC AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVED OK. A LIGHT JET DEPARTED AND I WAS ADVISED BY GND CTL TO TAXI INTO POS ON RWY 20. ADVISED OF WAKE TURB POSSIBILITIES AND ISSUED WORDS SIMILAR TO, 'WAKE TURB (PAUSE), PLTS DISCRETION.' AFTER HOLDING POS ON RWY 20 FOR APPROX 15 SECS, I INITIATED TKOF. WITHIN 100-200 YDS WAS ADVISED NO TKOF CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND TKOF WAS ABORTED AND RWY EXITED AT FIRST TURNOFF. I HAD NOT SWITCHED TO TWR AND WAS ON GND FREQ. AT NO TIME WAS DEPARTING JET OR ANY OTHER TFC ENDANGERED. THE EXACT TIME DIFFERENCE BTWN DEPARTING JET LEAVING GND AND MY DEP IS EXACTLY UNCERTAIN BUT IS BELIEVED TO BE ABOUT 1 MIN. BOTH MYSELF AND MY 2 PAX THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO TKOF AT PLT'S DISCRETION DUE TO CONFUSION WITH THE MIXED ROLE OF TWR AND GND CTL STATED FIRST. ALSO THE ACFT HAS FLIP FLOP RADIOS AND I THOUGHT THE FREQ (GND AND TWR ARE SIMILAR; 121.9 AND 120.1) SELECTED WAS CORRECT AND IT WAS THE NORMAL TWR/GND INTERCHANGE. THE BIGGEST FACTOR WAS PLT'S DISCRETION PHRASE, HOWEVER. I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF GND SPECIFICALLY HANDS TO TWR WITH SPECIFIC VERBAGE, 'N , CONTACT TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC.' IN THIS CASE, I MADE A WRONG ASSUMPTION AND SINCE GND DOESN'T HDOF TO TWR, NO CHK IS AVAILABLE. I ALSO THINK THAT MY USING UNCONTROLLED FIELDS, WHERE I AM BASED, DOESN'T GIVE ME AS MUCH PRACTICE WITH GND AND AS SUCH MY ACTION WITH TWR ARE NOT AUTOMATIC AND WITH NO CHK/BAL SYS, A MISTAKE COULD (AND WAS) BE MADE. HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK I'LL MAKE THAT ONE AGAIN!

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.