Narrative:

Taxi and takeoff clearance was received on tower frequency 118.9. After our takeoff we called the tower back to see if the controller wanted us to switch to departure control. His response was, 'I cancelled your takeoff clearance and gave you a red light!' this captain and first officer heard no such clearance. When taxi clearance was received we were told to taxi to runway 27 via B2 midfield intersection for back-taxi for takeoff on runway 27, but to hold short of runway 27 for landing traffic. We complied and after the traffic landed tower cleared us to back-taxi and call ready. The first officer stated we were ready as soon as we made the 180 degree turn on the active. The tower controller at this time cleared us for takeoff and to turn right to 300 degree heading. That was the last communication from the tower we heard or expected to hear for a normal IFR departure. If I would have heard a cancellation of takeoff I would have complied. Our radio equipment appeared to work normally. I believe tower was controling both ground and tower frequencys at the same time and had the wrong button pushed. Supplemental information from acn 159688: passing through 2500' I called the local controller and asked if he wanted us on departure control. He stated that he had been calling us for several mins, had cancelled our takeoff clearance, and flashed us the red light. The captain and I had not heard any of those calls. We were switched to departure control and continued to our destination or ord. Thinking back I realize I broke a long standing habit of reconfirming the departure clearance just prior to commencing the takeoff roll. This was our seventh segment of the day following a short over night (8 hours total), which I'm sure played a factor in my forgetting to reconfirm the takeoff clearance. As for missing the red light from the tower, with the PNF monitoring appropriate gauges and the PF maintaining directional control outside, we are too busy to check out the light gun signals from the tower. In fact the control tower is usually not in the PF's immediate scan down the runway. As we were not aware of a communications problem we did not even think of checking for a light gun signal. I also missed the fact that the tower frequency was very quiet during our entire departure, from after giving the F/a briefing till I called passing through 2500'. Whether one of the microphone switches was partially stuck, there are 6 total, from switched from P/a to intercom this has happened to me before on this equipment and other equipment I have flown. Whatever the problem was it sure cleared up when I pressed the switch to query the controller about a change to departure control. I could have eliminated the entire problem by reconfirming the departure clearance after completing the back-taxi. I was not operating at 100% by the seventh segment of the day.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH UNCOORDINATED TKOF.

Narrative: TAXI AND TKOF CLRNC WAS RECEIVED ON TWR FREQ 118.9. AFTER OUR TKOF WE CALLED THE TWR BACK TO SEE IF THE CTLR WANTED US TO SWITCH TO DEP CTL. HIS RESPONSE WAS, 'I CANCELLED YOUR TKOF CLRNC AND GAVE YOU A RED LIGHT!' THIS CAPT AND F/O HEARD NO SUCH CLRNC. WHEN TAXI CLRNC WAS RECEIVED WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 27 VIA B2 MIDFIELD INTXN FOR BACK-TAXI FOR TKOF ON RWY 27, BUT TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27 FOR LNDG TFC. WE COMPLIED AND AFTER THE TFC LANDED TWR CLRED US TO BACK-TAXI AND CALL READY. THE F/O STATED WE WERE READY AS SOON AS WE MADE THE 180 DEG TURN ON THE ACTIVE. THE TWR CTLR AT THIS TIME CLRED US FOR TKOF AND TO TURN RIGHT TO 300 DEG HDG. THAT WAS THE LAST COM FROM THE TWR WE HEARD OR EXPECTED TO HEAR FOR A NORMAL IFR DEP. IF I WOULD HAVE HEARD A CANCELLATION OF TKOF I WOULD HAVE COMPLIED. OUR RADIO EQUIP APPEARED TO WORK NORMALLY. I BELIEVE TWR WAS CTLING BOTH GND AND TWR FREQS AT THE SAME TIME AND HAD THE WRONG BUTTON PUSHED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 159688: PASSING THROUGH 2500' I CALLED THE LCL CTLR AND ASKED IF HE WANTED US ON DEP CTL. HE STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN CALLING US FOR SEVERAL MINS, HAD CANCELLED OUR TKOF CLRNC, AND FLASHED US THE RED LIGHT. THE CAPT AND I HAD NOT HEARD ANY OF THOSE CALLS. WE WERE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND CONTINUED TO OUR DEST OR ORD. THINKING BACK I REALIZE I BROKE A LONG STANDING HABIT OF RECONFIRMING THE DEP CLRNC JUST PRIOR TO COMMENCING THE TKOF ROLL. THIS WAS OUR SEVENTH SEGMENT OF THE DAY FOLLOWING A SHORT OVER NIGHT (8 HRS TOTAL), WHICH I'M SURE PLAYED A FACTOR IN MY FORGETTING TO RECONFIRM THE TKOF CLRNC. AS FOR MISSING THE RED LIGHT FROM THE TWR, WITH THE PNF MONITORING APPROPRIATE GAUGES AND THE PF MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CTL OUTSIDE, WE ARE TOO BUSY TO CHK OUT THE LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. IN FACT THE CTL TWR IS USUALLY NOT IN THE PF'S IMMEDIATE SCAN DOWN THE RWY. AS WE WERE NOT AWARE OF A COMS PROB WE DID NOT EVEN THINK OF CHKING FOR A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL. I ALSO MISSED THE FACT THAT THE TWR FREQ WAS VERY QUIET DURING OUR ENTIRE DEP, FROM AFTER GIVING THE F/A BRIEFING TILL I CALLED PASSING THROUGH 2500'. WHETHER ONE OF THE MIC SWITCHES WAS PARTIALLY STUCK, THERE ARE 6 TOTAL, FROM SWITCHED FROM P/A TO INTERCOM THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE ON THIS EQUIP AND OTHER EQUIP I HAVE FLOWN. WHATEVER THE PROB WAS IT SURE CLRED UP WHEN I PRESSED THE SWITCH TO QUERY THE CTLR ABOUT A CHANGE TO DEP CTL. I COULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE ENTIRE PROB BY RECONFIRMING THE DEP CLRNC AFTER COMPLETING THE BACK-TAXI. I WAS NOT OPERATING AT 100% BY THE SEVENTH SEGMENT OF THE DAY.

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.