Narrative:

In preparation for departure, I (PIC) was PNF, picked up ATIS. ATIS stated, '...jackson tower has suspended operations. TAS on 120.7...' I announced taxi intentions from the ramp to runway 24 and PF (a CFI) began the taxi. Upon reaching center taxiway, tower called my aircraft and asked intentions, stating tower would be closing shortly. I replied that we were intending to depart runway 24 and had learned from ATIS that tower was closed. Tower responded that they were indeed in operation, and we were not the first to be confused by the ATIS. Contributing factors: ATIS specifically stated tower had suspended operations. We announced taxi on CTAF which was tower frequency. Tower did not, upon our broadcast, acknowledge the transmission nor inform us they were operating. Our phraseology was standard uncontrolled field terminology 'jackson traffic, north... Ramp taxi takeoff runway 24 jackson.' discovery: jxn tower called us after we were 2/3 way to runway to ask our intentions. ATC probably should not turn on last ATIS until actually closed. Believe it or not, some of us actually do listen before taxi/arrs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Analyst had questions with incident dates not matching on both reports. Reporter states that the secondary report date is correct. Reporter also contacted tower manager and reviewed ATIS confusion. Supposedly the manager is looking into it. Call to facility revealed that ATIS is broadcast 5-10 mins before the controller closes the tower, however, there is a closing and opening time also included in the ATIS. In this case the tower closes at 2100 and opens at 0600, which was on the ATIS when incident occurred. Apparently, the rptrs did not hear the times stated. Supplemental information from acn 219767. We monitored ATIS, which stated that ATC services had been suspended at 9 pm. Tower indicated that they put this final ATIS at 5-10 mins early, that this had caused confusion before with other pilots, and that the facility probably should internally discuss this policy.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATIS STATES THAT TWR IS CLOSED FOR NIGHT. ACFT TAXI'S OUT WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR ONLY TO FIND THAT TWR IS STILL OPEN.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR DEP, I (PIC) WAS PNF, PICKED UP ATIS. ATIS STATED, '...JACKSON TWR HAS SUSPENDED OPS. TAS ON 120.7...' I ANNOUNCED TAXI INTENTIONS FROM THE RAMP TO RWY 24 AND PF (A CFI) BEGAN THE TAXI. UPON REACHING CTR TAXIWAY, TWR CALLED MY ACFT AND ASKED INTENTIONS, STATING TWR WOULD BE CLOSING SHORTLY. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE INTENDING TO DEPART RWY 24 AND HAD LEARNED FROM ATIS THAT TWR WAS CLOSED. TWR RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE INDEED IN OP, AND WE WERE NOT THE FIRST TO BE CONFUSED BY THE ATIS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ATIS SPECIFICALLY STATED TWR HAD SUSPENDED OPS. WE ANNOUNCED TAXI ON CTAF WHICH WAS TWR FREQ. TWR DID NOT, UPON OUR BROADCAST, ACKNOWLEDGE THE XMISSION NOR INFORM US THEY WERE OPERATING. OUR PHRASEOLOGY WAS STANDARD UNCTLED FIELD TERMINOLOGY 'JACKSON TFC, N... RAMP TAXI TKOF RWY 24 JACKSON.' DISCOVERY: JXN TWR CALLED US AFTER WE WERE 2/3 WAY TO RWY TO ASK OUR INTENTIONS. ATC PROBABLY SHOULD NOT TURN ON LAST ATIS UNTIL ACTUALLY CLOSED. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SOME OF US ACTUALLY DO LISTEN BEFORE TAXI/ARRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. ANALYST HAD QUESTIONS WITH INCIDENT DATES NOT MATCHING ON BOTH RPTS. RPTR STATES THAT THE SECONDARY RPT DATE IS CORRECT. RPTR ALSO CONTACTED TWR MGR AND REVIEWED ATIS CONFUSION. SUPPOSEDLY THE MGR IS LOOKING INTO IT. CALL TO FACILITY REVEALED THAT ATIS IS BROADCAST 5-10 MINS BEFORE THE CTLR CLOSES THE TWR, HOWEVER, THERE IS A CLOSING AND OPENING TIME ALSO INCLUDED IN THE ATIS. IN THIS CASE THE TWR CLOSES AT 2100 AND OPENS AT 0600, WHICH WAS ON THE ATIS WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED. APPARENTLY, THE RPTRS DID NOT HEAR THE TIMES STATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 219767. WE MONITORED ATIS, WHICH STATED THAT ATC SVCS HAD BEEN SUSPENDED AT 9 PM. TWR INDICATED THAT THEY PUT THIS FINAL ATIS AT 5-10 MINS EARLY, THAT THIS HAD CAUSED CONFUSION BEFORE WITH OTHER PLTS, AND THAT THE FACILITY PROBABLY SHOULD INTERNALLY DISCUSS THIS POLICY.

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.