Narrative:

After preflight and setting instruments and listening to ATIS. I tuned to clearance delivery another aircraft was trying contact clearance delivery and he could not get a response after a min I tried. No response. I then tried ground then tower no response. I then taxiied to runway 17R runup area. Finished runup called tower again no response. Then check visibility at tower. All in dark and no movement seen. I checked for traffic in pattern, announced on unicom of departure on runway 17R I pulled onto runway visually look about runway I placed my airport directory on top of panel. Upon climb out I turned a heading of 240 degree with eagle lake VOR tuned in. This would give clearance to miss entering TCA. I tuned 2ND VOR to victoria. Which would not show a navigation signal. After about 10 min still unable to pick-up victoria, I switched the 2ND VOR to eagle lake also and noticed approximately 14 degree error between the 2 VOR's. I checked the compass and noticed a difference between the VOR bearing and magnetic heading as to our position. I removed the airport guide and the vertical card. Compass changed approximately 35 degree after resetting and checking position we continued on trip. I found no other problems on the trip and had no radio problems, other than navigation reception was very poor between VOR's. The FBO called me tue and told me of the problems with unauthorized takeoff and busting TCA. I should have not taken off west/O checking radio for proper operation and checked on tower with FBO. I should have never dialed anything on top of panel especially west/O checking for compass interference. Maybe FBO's should placard planes for this. It might also help if rental aircraft would have a list of squawks for the past 30 days and show if repaired or not. This aircraft had just had a radio and VOR change and some avionic work since the last time I used this plane. However the audio panel switch knob for the transmitter was still loose the D/G still had to be reset every 4 to 6 mins. A problem with the compass was repaired a couple of mos ago for interference from radios and other instruments.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA-SMA UNAUTH TKOF FROM DWH FOLLOWED BY UNAUTH PENETRATION OF IAH TCA.

Narrative: AFTER PREFLT AND SETTING INSTRUMENTS AND LISTENING TO ATIS. I TUNED TO CLRNC DELIVERY ANOTHER ACFT WAS TRYING CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY AND HE COULD NOT GET A RESPONSE AFTER A MIN I TRIED. NO RESPONSE. I THEN TRIED GND THEN TWR NO RESPONSE. I THEN TAXIIED TO RWY 17R RUNUP AREA. FINISHED RUNUP CALLED TWR AGAIN NO RESPONSE. THEN CHK VIS AT TWR. ALL IN DARK AND NO MOVEMENT SEEN. I CHKED FOR TFC IN PATTERN, ANNOUNCED ON UNICOM OF DEP ON RWY 17R I PULLED ONTO RWY VISUALLY LOOK ABOUT RWY I PLACED MY ARPT DIRECTORY ON TOP OF PANEL. UPON CLB OUT I TURNED A HDG OF 240 DEG WITH EAGLE LAKE VOR TUNED IN. THIS WOULD GIVE CLRNC TO MISS ENTERING TCA. I TUNED 2ND VOR TO VICTORIA. WHICH WOULD NOT SHOW A NAV SIGNAL. AFTER ABOUT 10 MIN STILL UNABLE TO PICK-UP VICTORIA, I SWITCHED THE 2ND VOR TO EAGLE LAKE ALSO AND NOTICED APPROX 14 DEG ERROR BTWN THE 2 VOR'S. I CHKED THE COMPASS AND NOTICED A DIFFERENCE BTWN THE VOR BEARING AND MAG HDG AS TO OUR POS. I REMOVED THE ARPT GUIDE AND THE VERTICAL CARD. COMPASS CHANGED APPROX 35 DEG AFTER RESETTING AND CHKING POS WE CONTINUED ON TRIP. I FOUND NO OTHER PROBS ON THE TRIP AND HAD NO RADIO PROBS, OTHER THAN NAV RECEPTION WAS VERY POOR BTWN VOR'S. THE FBO CALLED ME TUE AND TOLD ME OF THE PROBS WITH UNAUTH TKOF AND BUSTING TCA. I SHOULD HAVE NOT TAKEN OFF W/O CHKING RADIO FOR PROPER OPERATION AND CHKED ON TWR WITH FBO. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER DIALED ANYTHING ON TOP OF PANEL ESPECIALLY W/O CHKING FOR COMPASS INTERFERENCE. MAYBE FBO'S SHOULD PLACARD PLANES FOR THIS. IT MIGHT ALSO HELP IF RENTAL ACFT WOULD HAVE A LIST OF SQUAWKS FOR THE PAST 30 DAYS AND SHOW IF REPAIRED OR NOT. THIS ACFT HAD JUST HAD A RADIO AND VOR CHANGE AND SOME AVIONIC WORK SINCE THE LAST TIME I USED THIS PLANE. HOWEVER THE AUDIO PANEL SWITCH KNOB FOR THE XMITTER WAS STILL LOOSE THE D/G STILL HAD TO BE RESET EVERY 4 TO 6 MINS. A PROB WITH THE COMPASS WAS REPAIRED A COUPLE OF MOS AGO FOR INTERFERENCE FROM RADIOS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.