Narrative:

Another couple, my wife and I flew to owensboro from louisville for an outing. It was decided that my friend would fly down to owensboro and I would fly back to louisville. Everything was uneventful on the first leg of our trip except for radio difficulty -- the receiver was full of static and at times very difficult to understand. Then we were ready to return. I did the usual preflight and everything was in order and ready to go. I called the tower twice and there was no response. My friend said maybe the tower is closed, since it was dusk and no activity. He asked if I was pushing the correct button on the yoke. There are 2 buttons, one for trim and 1 for the radio and I assured him I had the proper button as I demonstrated to him which one I was pushing. I then called the tower a third time with no response. So, since the windsock was totally limp and there was no activity on the airport, I decided to move out to what had been the active runway when we arrived. I did a thorough visual search of the area, I did the required run up and preflight check of instruments and controls and thought I was ready to go. I turned the knobs on the radio again to try the tower again and all of a sudden I heard the tower call and ask 'cherokee just where do you think you are going?' I then told the controller briefly what I just described. Then I thought, as well as 2 others in my airplane who had headsets on, that I was cleared for takeoff. So I proceeded out on the runway. The tower came on again and asked my intentions. I told the controller I thought I heard I was cleared for takeoff. The controller said I was not, but since I was out there to go ahead and takeoff. I was then asked where I was based and told him louisville. The controller told me to report to the FSS at bowman when I arrived. When I got back to bowman, I reported to the FSS and gave my name, address and certificate number. I know now I should have probably checked to be sure the tower was in operation and then telephoned to let them know I was having radio reception difficulty. This is the first incident I have had since I have been flying for 29 yrs and I hope it is the last one.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS RADIO PROB, TAXIES WITHOUT CLRNC, ENTERS RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ANOTHER COUPLE, MY WIFE AND I FLEW TO OWENSBORO FROM LOUISVILLE FOR AN OUTING. IT WAS DECIDED THAT MY FRIEND WOULD FLY DOWN TO OWENSBORO AND I WOULD FLY BACK TO LOUISVILLE. EVERYTHING WAS UNEVENTFUL ON THE FIRST LEG OF OUR TRIP EXCEPT FOR RADIO DIFFICULTY -- THE RECEIVER WAS FULL OF STATIC AND AT TIMES VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. THEN WE WERE READY TO RETURN. I DID THE USUAL PREFLT AND EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER AND READY TO GO. I CALLED THE TWR TWICE AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. MY FRIEND SAID MAYBE THE TWR IS CLOSED, SINCE IT WAS DUSK AND NO ACTIVITY. HE ASKED IF I WAS PUSHING THE CORRECT BUTTON ON THE YOKE. THERE ARE 2 BUTTONS, ONE FOR TRIM AND 1 FOR THE RADIO AND I ASSURED HIM I HAD THE PROPER BUTTON AS I DEMONSTRATED TO HIM WHICH ONE I WAS PUSHING. I THEN CALLED THE TWR A THIRD TIME WITH NO RESPONSE. SO, SINCE THE WINDSOCK WAS TOTALLY LIMP AND THERE WAS NO ACTIVITY ON THE ARPT, I DECIDED TO MOVE OUT TO WHAT HAD BEEN THE ACTIVE RWY WHEN WE ARRIVED. I DID A THOROUGH VISUAL SEARCH OF THE AREA, I DID THE REQUIRED RUN UP AND PREFLT CHK OF INSTS AND CTLS AND THOUGHT I WAS READY TO GO. I TURNED THE KNOBS ON THE RADIO AGAIN TO TRY THE TWR AGAIN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD THE TWR CALL AND ASK 'CHEROKEE JUST WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?' I THEN TOLD THE CTLR BRIEFLY WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED. THEN I THOUGHT, AS WELL AS 2 OTHERS IN MY AIRPLANE WHO HAD HEADSETS ON, THAT I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. SO I PROCEEDED OUT ON THE RWY. THE TWR CAME ON AGAIN AND ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD THE CTLR I THOUGHT I HEARD I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. THE CTLR SAID I WAS NOT, BUT SINCE I WAS OUT THERE TO GO AHEAD AND TKOF. I WAS THEN ASKED WHERE I WAS BASED AND TOLD HIM LOUISVILLE. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO RPT TO THE FSS AT BOWMAN WHEN I ARRIVED. WHEN I GOT BACK TO BOWMAN, I RPTED TO THE FSS AND GAVE MY NAME, ADDRESS AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. I KNOW NOW I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY CHKED TO BE SURE THE TWR WAS IN OP AND THEN TELEPHONED TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS HAVING RADIO RECEPTION DIFFICULTY. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT I HAVE HAD SINCE I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 29 YRS AND I HOPE IT IS THE LAST ONE.

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.