Reporter flight may or may not have departed without proper clearance.

Attributes
ACN	113002
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bfm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	113002
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Brookley field, mobile has a non federal control tower that is not in full time operation. Quite often while flying with a student in the traffic pattern, the controller, a city employee, has ceased operation west/O any notice, when quitting time came. The tower is located mid-field and seeing a car driving away from the tower confirmed that operations had ended. On jun/sun/89, I flew into brookley with normal radio communications, tower and ground control. Sometime later when leaving, I was unable to contact ground control or tower. While taxiing out, I observed a car leaving the tower area and concluded even though I did not have the time, that the tower was in fact closed. I tried several contacts with ground and tower using 2 different radios and got no response. After seeing no light signal I used the CTAF, tower frequency, to broadcast my intentions, and took off. While climbing out, I noticed a car parked at the tower. When I contacted mobile approach, there was no problem with my radio. The controller was either asleep or had a radio problem. There was absolutely no traffic and safety was not compromised by my action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FLT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DEPARTED WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: BROOKLEY FIELD, MOBILE HAS A NON FEDERAL CTL TWR THAT IS NOT IN FULL TIME OPERATION. QUITE OFTEN WHILE FLYING WITH A STUDENT IN THE TFC PATTERN, THE CTLR, A CITY EMPLOYEE, HAS CEASED OPERATION W/O ANY NOTICE, WHEN QUITTING TIME CAME. THE TWR IS LOCATED MID-FIELD AND SEEING A CAR DRIVING AWAY FROM THE TWR CONFIRMED THAT OPERATIONS HAD ENDED. ON JUN/SUN/89, I FLEW INTO BROOKLEY WITH NORMAL RADIO COMS, TWR AND GND CTL. SOMETIME LATER WHEN LEAVING, I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT GND CTL OR TWR. WHILE TAXIING OUT, I OBSERVED A CAR LEAVING THE TWR AREA AND CONCLUDED EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT HAVE THE TIME, THAT THE TWR WAS IN FACT CLOSED. I TRIED SEVERAL CONTACTS WITH GND AND TWR USING 2 DIFFERENT RADIOS AND GOT NO RESPONSE. AFTER SEEING NO LIGHT SIGNAL I USED THE CTAF, TWR FREQ, TO BROADCAST MY INTENTIONS, AND TOOK OFF. WHILE CLIMBING OUT, I NOTICED A CAR PARKED AT THE TWR. WHEN I CONTACTED MOBILE APCH, THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH MY RADIO. THE CTLR WAS EITHER ASLEEP OR HAD A RADIO PROBLEM. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO TFC AND SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED BY MY ACTION.

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.