Narrative:

Our aircraft, light transport X, was chartered by an air carrier company to take 2 mechanics from miami, fl, to mbpv to repair an air carrier large transport Y. We landed about xx:00 and cleared customs and immigration. We went to the control tower to pay landing and overtime fees. The control tower operator collected his overtime pay and advised us he would stay until xy:30 for our departure. At this time he obtained an IFR clearance from miami ARTCC with a void time of xy:30. At xx:45 the controller walked down onto the ramp where our aircraft was parked and advised us the airport was closed. Our crew, the air carrier, crew and the control tower operator had a heated discussion about our paying him, and his word to stay until xy:30. He then agreed to stay until xy:00. At xx:55 we started our engines and called tower for taxi. I could see the operators light on in the tower but he would not answer repeated radio calls. We taxied to runway 10, and commenced our takeoff. At some point near V1, the runway lighting was turned off. It was a clear, moonlit night, and our aircraft lighting was more than sufficient to continue the takeoff rather than abort on a dark runway. I feel this was an extortion attempt on the part of the controller to force us into paying a lot of cash. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter said the controller took his money and agreed to stay open until after he departure, but suspects controller had some after thoughts later and wanted more money. Reporter also thinks there was something going on between the controller and airport people to get more money from the air carrier on the ground. Reporter says tower filed a report because he received an inquiry from fll FSDO within 2 days after the incident. Reporter stated he gave FSDO a copy of ASRS report only. He was later informed by FSDO that no further action would be taken. Reporter said that the airport is open 24 hours a day with runway lights, but is not sure how long tower stays open. Reporter indicated they paid the controller $200, but this may have been both landing fee and overtime pay. Reporter taxied out and was airborne before the agreed time. Reporter doesn't know what country the airport is in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR TURNED OFF RWY LIGHTS AS AN ACFT WAS BEGINNING ITS TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: OUR ACFT, LTT X, WAS CHARTERED BY AN AIR CARRIER COMPANY TO TAKE 2 MECHS FROM MIAMI, FL, TO MBPV TO REPAIR AN ACR LGT Y. WE LANDED ABOUT XX:00 AND CLRED CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION. WE WENT TO THE CTL TWR TO PAY LNDG AND OVERTIME FEES. THE CTL TWR OPERATOR COLLECTED HIS OVERTIME PAY AND ADVISED US HE WOULD STAY UNTIL XY:30 FOR OUR DEP. AT THIS TIME HE OBTAINED AN IFR CLRNC FROM MIAMI ARTCC WITH A VOID TIME OF XY:30. AT XX:45 THE CTLR WALKED DOWN ONTO THE RAMP WHERE OUR ACFT WAS PARKED AND ADVISED US THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. OUR CREW, THE ACR, CREW AND THE CTL TWR OPERATOR HAD A HEATED DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR PAYING HIM, AND HIS WORD TO STAY UNTIL XY:30. HE THEN AGREED TO STAY UNTIL XY:00. AT XX:55 WE STARTED OUR ENGS AND CALLED TWR FOR TAXI. I COULD SEE THE OPERATORS LIGHT ON IN THE TWR BUT HE WOULD NOT ANSWER REPEATED RADIO CALLS. WE TAXIED TO RWY 10, AND COMMENCED OUR TKOF. AT SOME POINT NEAR V1, THE RWY LIGHTING WAS TURNED OFF. IT WAS A CLR, MOONLIT NIGHT, AND OUR ACFT LIGHTING WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO CONTINUE THE TKOF RATHER THAN ABORT ON A DARK RWY. I FEEL THIS WAS AN EXTORTION ATTEMPT ON THE PART OF THE CTLR TO FORCE US INTO PAYING A LOT OF CASH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SAID THE CTLR TOOK HIS MONEY AND AGREED TO STAY OPEN UNTIL AFTER HE DEP, BUT SUSPECTS CTLR HAD SOME AFTER THOUGHTS LATER AND WANTED MORE MONEY. RPTR ALSO THINKS THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON BTWN THE CTLR AND ARPT PEOPLE TO GET MORE MONEY FROM THE ACR ON THE GND. RPTR SAYS TWR FILED A RPT BECAUSE HE RECEIVED AN INQUIRY FROM FLL FSDO WITHIN 2 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT. RPTR STATED HE GAVE FSDO A COPY OF ASRS RPT ONLY. HE WAS LATER INFORMED BY FSDO THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. RPTR SAID THAT THE ARPT IS OPEN 24 HRS A DAY WITH RWY LIGHTS, BUT IS NOT SURE HOW LONG TWR STAYS OPEN. RPTR INDICATED THEY PAID THE CTLR $200, BUT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN BOTH LNDG FEE AND OVERTIME PAY. RPTR TAXIED OUT AND WAS AIRBORNE BEFORE THE AGREED TIME. RPTR DOESN'T KNOW WHAT COUNTRY THE ARPT IS IN.

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.