Narrative:

On the morning of jun/thu/89 we were an originating crew and I received clearance for our flight from charlottesville to baltimore, from washington center while on the ground at charlottesville. The tower was not yet open due to the early morning hour. I copied the clearance and acknowledged the 'hold for release' portion of it. Being the first flight of the day, there were many checklists and I felt behind in thinking about the flight due to the checklist requirements. We did the taxi checks, and runway checks and took off after calling unicom and telling them we were departing runway 3. We were squawking the assigned ATC code. It was VFR. I was flying as the copilot and it was my flying leg. After takeoff the captain switched to assigned center frequency and checked in. The center said 'are you VFR?' and 'were you released?' we said we had 'received clearance on the ground at charlottesville' which was true, but we took off inadvertently without an ATC release and were squawking their assigned code rather than 1200. Center pointed out an air carrier Y flight 2 mi from us and slightly lower, which we never saw. Center picked us up on radar and gave us our further clearance en route. This situation could have been avoided by slowing down, thinking about what had been accepted and acknowledged in the clearance, and applying a new meaning to the hold short line. Not only hold short for takeoff, but are we 'cleared by ATC, or a 1200 squawk, to cross this line for takeoff'. We had 30 passenger on board. I believe I learned a valuable lesson on this and also learned that uncontrolled airports, departures, and arrivals are difficult and require special procedures that may not be completely familiar to pilots who do most of their flying in and out of larger airports that are closely controled by ATC.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER MDT RECEIVED IFR CLRNC FROM ZDC THEN MADE TKOF FROM NON TWR ARPT WITHOUT GETTING RELEASE.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUN/THU/89 WE WERE AN ORIGINATING CREW AND I RECEIVED CLRNC FOR OUR FLT FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE TO BALTIMORE, FROM WASHINGTON CENTER WHILE ON THE GND AT CHARLOTTESVILLE. THE TWR WAS NOT YET OPEN DUE TO THE EARLY MORNING HOUR. I COPIED THE CLRNC AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE 'HOLD FOR RELEASE' PORTION OF IT. BEING THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, THERE WERE MANY CHECKLISTS AND I FELT BEHIND IN THINKING ABOUT THE FLT DUE TO THE CHECKLIST REQUIREMENTS. WE DID THE TAXI CHECKS, AND RWY CHECKS AND TOOK OFF AFTER CALLING UNICOM AND TELLING THEM WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 3. WE WERE SQUAWKING THE ASSIGNED ATC CODE. IT WAS VFR. I WAS FLYING AS THE COPLT AND IT WAS MY FLYING LEG. AFTER TKOF THE CAPT SWITCHED TO ASSIGNED CENTER FREQ AND CHECKED IN. THE CENTER SAID 'ARE YOU VFR?' AND 'WERE YOU RELEASED?' WE SAID WE HAD 'RECEIVED CLRNC ON THE GND AT CHARLOTTESVILLE' WHICH WAS TRUE, BUT WE TOOK OFF INADVERTENTLY WITHOUT AN ATC RELEASE AND WERE SQUAWKING THEIR ASSIGNED CODE RATHER THAN 1200. CENTER POINTED OUT AN ACR Y FLT 2 MI FROM US AND SLIGHTLY LOWER, WHICH WE NEVER SAW. CENTER PICKED US UP ON RADAR AND GAVE US OUR FURTHER CLRNC ENRTE. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY SLOWING DOWN, THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAD BEEN ACCEPTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE CLRNC, AND APPLYING A NEW MEANING TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE. NOT ONLY HOLD SHORT FOR TKOF, BUT ARE WE 'CLRED BY ATC, OR A 1200 SQUAWK, TO CROSS THIS LINE FOR TKOF'. WE HAD 30 PAX ON BOARD. I BELIEVE I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON ON THIS AND ALSO LEARNED THAT UNCTLED ARPTS, DEPS, AND ARRIVALS ARE DIFFICULT AND REQUIRE SPECIAL PROCS THAT MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY FAMILIAR TO PLTS WHO DO MOST OF THEIR FLYING IN AND OUT OF LARGER ARPTS THAT ARE CLOSELY CTLED BY ATC.

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.