Narrative:

I was preparing to leave eyw on the morning of 1/sun/92. I had contacted flight service several times since 1/thu/92 due to the major storm system over the east coast. That storm had caused me to cancel our planned trip home to gai on both 1/fri and 1/sat. The last time I contacted flight service was about XA30 am on 1/sun. I received a complete briefing and filed a VFR plan for the first leg of our trip to sav. After loading I started up and tried to contact ground control and the tower. It was about XC15 am. There was no response. I did not try unicom as the FBO was still closed. At about SC25 I taxied to the runway stopping short to do a complete run up. At the completion, I again tried to contact the tower without response. I looked at the tower, didn't see any movement and concluded that nobody was there. I commented to my passengers that it was unusual since the tower was supposed to be in operation at that hour. We were concerned that our radios hadn't been checked but I decided I could quickly check them after takeoff. At XC35 I took runway 9 and took off. At XC41 I contacted miami radio on 122.2, using both the #1 and #2 radios to open the flight plan and requested flight following. I was told to contact miami center on 132.2. Center assigned a transponder code for flight following. A short time later miami center contacted me with the message that eyw tower wanted my name and address so they could write me up for taxiing and taking off without clearance. I told center what had happened and that eyw tower could get my name and address from the flight plan I had filed. Center then said that the tower requested to know why I had disregarded the red light they gave me prior to takeoff. I never saw that light when I was looking at the tower from the tie down area, the run up area, the taxiway, or when I last tried to contact them prior to takeoff. I also advised center that once on the runway I did not look at the tower as I was concentrating on the takeoff and had no reason to expect a light from the tower. There was no further comment from center, although I did have trouble communicating with them and never did get the handoff to ft meyer approach. I contacted ft meyer on my own after losing communication with center and ft meyer picked me up for the continuation of my flight. They had been expecting me. I believe that everything I did in preparation for the flight, in the takeoff, flight and subsequent communications was proper for both safety and according to regulations. The miss in communications with eyw tower was because they did not respond to my calls on either the ground or tower frequencys, not because of my disregard for their efforts. I have been in and out of eyw many times and I am familiar with the operations there. I would not have entered controled areas on the ground, or taken off without contacting ground control or the tower. It was their miss, not mine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TAXIED AND MADE AN UNAUTH TKOF FROM EYW WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TWR.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE EYW ON THE MORNING OF 1/SUN/92. I HAD CONTACTED FLT SVC SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 1/THU/92 DUE TO THE MAJOR STORM SYS OVER THE E COAST. THAT STORM HAD CAUSED ME TO CANCEL OUR PLANNED TRIP HOME TO GAI ON BOTH 1/FRI AND 1/SAT. THE LAST TIME I CONTACTED FLT SVC WAS ABOUT XA30 AM ON 1/SUN. I RECEIVED A COMPLETE BRIEFING AND FILED A VFR PLAN FOR THE FIRST LEG OF OUR TRIP TO SAV. AFTER LOADING I STARTED UP AND TRIED TO CONTACT GND CTL AND THE TWR. IT WAS ABOUT XC15 AM. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I DID NOT TRY UNICOM AS THE FBO WAS STILL CLOSED. AT ABOUT SC25 I TAXIED TO THE RWY STOPPING SHORT TO DO A COMPLETE RUN UP. AT THE COMPLETION, I AGAIN TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR WITHOUT RESPONSE. I LOOKED AT THE TWR, DIDN'T SEE ANY MOVEMENT AND CONCLUDED THAT NOBODY WAS THERE. I COMMENTED TO MY PAXS THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL SINCE THE TWR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN OP AT THAT HOUR. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT OUR RADIOS HADN'T BEEN CHKED BUT I DECIDED I COULD QUICKLY CHK THEM AFTER TKOF. AT XC35 I TOOK RWY 9 AND TOOK OFF. AT XC41 I CONTACTED MIAMI RADIO ON 122.2, USING BOTH THE #1 AND #2 RADIOS TO OPEN THE FLT PLAN AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT MIAMI CTR ON 132.2. CTR ASSIGNED A XPONDER CODE FOR FLT FOLLOWING. A SHORT TIME LATER MIAMI CTR CONTACTED ME WITH THE MESSAGE THAT EYW TWR WANTED MY NAME AND ADDRESS SO THEY COULD WRITE ME UP FOR TAXIING AND TAKING OFF WITHOUT CLRNC. I TOLD CTR WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT EYW TWR COULD GET MY NAME AND ADDRESS FROM THE FLT PLAN I HAD FILED. CTR THEN SAID THAT THE TWR REQUESTED TO KNOW WHY I HAD DISREGARDED THE RED LIGHT THEY GAVE ME PRIOR TO TKOF. I NEVER SAW THAT LIGHT WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE TWR FROM THE TIE DOWN AREA, THE RUN UP AREA, THE TAXIWAY, OR WHEN I LAST TRIED TO CONTACT THEM PRIOR TO TKOF. I ALSO ADVISED CTR THAT ONCE ON THE RWY I DID NOT LOOK AT THE TWR AS I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE TKOF AND HAD NO REASON TO EXPECT A LIGHT FROM THE TWR. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM CTR, ALTHOUGH I DID HAVE TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM AND NEVER DID GET THE HDOF TO FT MEYER APCH. I CONTACTED FT MEYER ON MY OWN AFTER LOSING COM WITH CTR AND FT MEYER PICKED ME UP FOR THE CONTINUATION OF MY FLT. THEY HAD BEEN EXPECTING ME. I BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING I DID IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLT, IN THE TKOF, FLT AND SUBSEQUENT COMS WAS PROPER FOR BOTH SAFETY AND ACCORDING TO REGS. THE MISS IN COMS WITH EYW TWR WAS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT RESPOND TO MY CALLS ON EITHER THE GND OR TWR FREQS, NOT BECAUSE OF MY DISREGARD FOR THEIR EFFORTS. I HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF EYW MANY TIMES AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE OPS THERE. I WOULD NOT HAVE ENTERED CTLED AREAS ON THE GND, OR TAKEN OFF WITHOUT CONTACTING GND CTL OR THE TWR. IT WAS THEIR MISS, NOT MINE.

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.