2 wing men in a flight of 3 taxi and takeoff without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	177666
Time
Date	199105
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cma
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cma
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 6245 flight time type : 375
ASRS Report	177666
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The problem: I departed as a wing man in a flight of 3 aircraft of the same type west/O proper clearance from the control tower. The problem came about when departing cma during an open house event. There were many departing and the taxi line was very long. The flight leader was able to contact ground control after many attempts. He idented the flight of 3, requested taxi for takeoff and was cleared to taxi. I assumed we had been cleared as a flight. There was little delay in the #1 position for takeoff. The flight leader quickly moved to takeoff position. At this point, I had not changed to the tower frequency. I quickly moved to my assigned position on the right side. I did not attempt to change frequency while maneuvering the aircraft. The flight leader began his takeoff as I was changing to the tower frequency. I completed the frequency change and applied takeoff power. I did not hear any of the instructions to the lead aircraft. I was satisfied that a safe and legal takeoff was accomplished. Cma is a former USAF facility having a very wide and clear runway. Upon arrival at our destination, the pilot of the lead aircraft informed the other wing man and me that the tower had told him that the wing men were in violation if we departed as a flight. This appears to be a violation in that the wing men departed west/O clearance from the tower. I was not aware that takeoff as a flight was not allowed. There was no intent to violate regulations or policy. I am very embarrassed and humbled by this experienced. Contributing factors: 1) extremely busy tower and ground control operators. 2) very long taxi line. 3) failure to determine prior to taxi that departure as a flight was not allowed. 4) ATIS did not address departures as a flight. 5) ground control did not state that operations as a flight were not allowed when the lead aircraft called in as a flight. 6) delay in switching to tower frequency. Corrective actions: 1) determine in advance that specific flight operations are allowed at visited airports. 2) recommend that during special airport events that operational restrictions be announced on the ATIS. 3) post signs in the runup areas re: restrictions to specific flight operations. 4) point out incidents of this nature in all training environments. 5) profit from this experience by being alert to the possibility of this type incident in future operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 WING MEN IN A FLT OF 3 TAXI AND TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THE PROB: I DEPARTED AS A WING MAN IN A FLT OF 3 ACFT OF THE SAME TYPE W/O PROPER CLRNC FROM THE CTL TWR. THE PROB CAME ABOUT WHEN DEPARTING CMA DURING AN OPEN HOUSE EVENT. THERE WERE MANY DEPARTING AND THE TAXI LINE WAS VERY LONG. THE FLT LEADER WAS ABLE TO CONTACT GND CTL AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS. HE IDENTED THE FLT OF 3, REQUESTED TAXI FOR TKOF AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI. I ASSUMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED AS A FLT. THERE WAS LITTLE DELAY IN THE #1 POS FOR TKOF. THE FLT LEADER QUICKLY MOVED TO TKOF POS. AT THIS POINT, I HAD NOT CHANGED TO THE TWR FREQ. I QUICKLY MOVED TO MY ASSIGNED POS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CHANGE FREQ WHILE MANEUVERING THE ACFT. THE FLT LEADER BEGAN HIS TKOF AS I WAS CHANGING TO THE TWR FREQ. I COMPLETED THE FREQ CHANGE AND APPLIED TKOF PWR. I DID NOT HEAR ANY OF THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LEAD ACFT. I WAS SATISFIED THAT A SAFE AND LEGAL TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED. CMA IS A FORMER USAF FAC HAVING A VERY WIDE AND CLR RWY. UPON ARR AT OUR DEST, THE PLT OF THE LEAD ACFT INFORMED THE OTHER WING MAN AND ME THAT THE TWR HAD TOLD HIM THAT THE WING MEN WERE IN VIOLATION IF WE DEPARTED AS A FLT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VIOLATION IN THAT THE WING MEN DEPARTED W/O CLRNC FROM THE TWR. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT TKOF AS A FLT WAS NOT ALLOWED. THERE WAS NO INTENT TO VIOLATE REGS OR POLICY. I AM VERY EMBARRASSED AND HUMBLED BY THIS EXPERIENCED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) EXTREMELY BUSY TWR AND GND CTL OPERATORS. 2) VERY LONG TAXI LINE. 3) FAILURE TO DETERMINE PRIOR TO TAXI THAT DEP AS A FLT WAS NOT ALLOWED. 4) ATIS DID NOT ADDRESS DEPS AS A FLT. 5) GND CTL DID NOT STATE THAT OPS AS A FLT WERE NOT ALLOWED WHEN THE LEAD ACFT CALLED IN AS A FLT. 6) DELAY IN SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) DETERMINE IN ADVANCE THAT SPECIFIC FLT OPS ARE ALLOWED AT VISITED ARPTS. 2) RECOMMEND THAT DURING SPECIAL ARPT EVENTS THAT OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONS BE ANNOUNCED ON THE ATIS. 3) POST SIGNS IN THE RUNUP AREAS RE: RESTRICTIONS TO SPECIFIC FLT OPS. 4) POINT OUT INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE IN ALL TRNING ENVIRONMENTS. 5) PROFIT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE BY BEING ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS TYPE INCIDENT IN FUTURE OPS.

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.