Narrative:

Reporter had been overflying this airport for approximately 10 yrs to a regular destination approximately 20 mi away, but had never landed at the incident airport. Reporter had specific recall of the closing of the runway at incident airport approximately 8 yrs prior, and had no knowledge of its reopening also for several yrs after the closing, commercial charts and plates had continued to list the airport as having an operating tower when in fact it was closed (this information was confirmed by the tower supervisor in a phone conversation after the incident). Filed flight plan by phone, then after starting engines attempted to contact center by radio on the ground; had cancelled with center on ground after landing the previous evening. Unable to contact center by radio while taxiing so planned to takeoff VFR and pick up clearance in-flight. While taxiing to departure runway it became necessary to back taxi on runway due to construction on taxiway. Switched to CTAF frequency listed on approach chart (which was in fact tower frequency) to announce intention to back taxi. Upon reaching end of runway performed runup while attempting to contact center again. At this time FBO responded to our transmission and informed us we were transmitting on unicom and suggested we call ground or tower. At this time we became aware that in fact the tower was operational. The reason we were unable to contact center or that the tower did not respond to our back taxi announcement was that the previous evening the copilot had switched her microphone to the #2 transmitter to call FBO and had not switched back; I did not notice this switch position and was therefore transmitting every time on unicom, even though I was repositioning the #1 radio switch between CTAF and center frequency. Since there was no other traffic and, due to the announcement by the FBO, no conflict arose.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP SMT PLT, UNDER IMPRESSION THAT STRIKE-CLOSED TWR HAD NEVER BEEN REOPENED, USED NON-TWR ARPT DEP PROC AND COMMITTED RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: RPTR HAD BEEN OVERFLYING THIS ARPT FOR APPROX 10 YRS TO A REGULAR DEST APPROX 20 MI AWAY, BUT HAD NEVER LANDED AT THE INCIDENT ARPT. RPTR HAD SPECIFIC RECALL OF THE CLOSING OF THE RWY AT INCIDENT ARPT APPROX 8 YRS PRIOR, AND HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ITS REOPENING ALSO FOR SEVERAL YRS AFTER THE CLOSING, COMMERCIAL CHARTS AND PLATES HAD CONTINUED TO LIST THE ARPT AS HAVING AN OPERATING TWR WHEN IN FACT IT WAS CLOSED (THIS INFO WAS CONFIRMED BY THE TWR SUPVR IN A PHONE CONVERSATION AFTER THE INCIDENT). FILED FLT PLAN BY PHONE, THEN AFTER STARTING ENGS ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT CTR BY RADIO ON THE GND; HAD CANCELLED WITH CTR ON GND AFTER LNDG THE PREVIOUS EVENING. UNABLE TO CONTACT CTR BY RADIO WHILE TAXIING SO PLANNED TO TKOF VFR AND PICK UP CLRNC INFLT. WHILE TAXIING TO DEP RWY IT BECAME NECESSARY TO BACK TAXI ON RWY DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON TXWY. SWITCHED TO CTAF FREQ LISTED ON APCH CHART (WHICH WAS IN FACT TWR FREQ) TO ANNOUNCE INTENTION TO BACK TAXI. UPON REACHING END OF RWY PERFORMED RUNUP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT CTR AGAIN. AT THIS TIME FBO RESPONDED TO OUR XMISSION AND INFORMED US WE WERE XMITTING ON UNICOM AND SUGGESTED WE CALL GND OR TWR. AT THIS TIME WE BECAME AWARE THAT IN FACT THE TWR WAS OPERATIONAL. THE REASON WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT CTR OR THAT THE TWR DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR BACK TAXI ANNOUNCEMENT WAS THAT THE PREVIOUS EVENING THE COPLT HAD SWITCHED HER MICROPHONE TO THE #2 XMITTER TO CALL FBO AND HAD NOT SWITCHED BACK; I DID NOT NOTICE THIS SWITCH POS AND WAS THEREFORE XMITTING EVERY TIME ON UNICOM, EVEN THOUGH I WAS REPOSITIONING THE #1 RADIO SWITCH BTWN CTAF AND CTR FREQ. SINCE THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AND, DUE TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE FBO, NO CONFLICT AROSE.

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.