Narrative:

I made a VFR flight in a cessna 152 from oakland-pontiac (ptk) direct to ann arbor municipal (arb) via the salem (svm) VORTAC. The flight there was uneventful as well as the pattern work I was doing at arb. After taking a break, I resumed working in the pattern. I had been cleared, by ground control, to taxi to the active (runway 06 was active at the time). After completing a runup, I taxied to the hold short line, tuned to the tower frequency, and made my initial call. Receiving no response, I made a second call. With negative response on the second call, I tried calling the aircraft behind me, again making no contact. Thinking I had a radio failure, I kept visual contact with the tower for light signals, but received none. I then cycled the microphone switch on the yoke several times and recognized the 'click' sound when released, so I didn't suspect the microphone to be sticking on transmit. I made a third call to the tower, again to no avail. By this time, 2 more aircraft had joined the line for departure. I had not room to taxi clear of the area. Feeling rushed and anxious, I incorrectly and stupidly assumed the tower had closed operations for the day. I then checked the pattern for any traffic, I also checked the final approach path for any possible landing traffic. After seeing no traffic, I then made a call to ann arbor traffic stating that I was taking the active and remaining in the pattern -- the procedure used at an uncontrolled field. Checking the pattern a final time, I taxied onto and departed from the runway. As soon as I became airborne, I heard the controller clear the aircraft that was waiting behind me for takeoff. It was then that I realized that I made a big mistake. Clearly annoyed, the controller stated that I just departed without clearance and that I had struck microphone. There was no traffic conflict, and everything proceeded as normal. Nothing else was said by the controller other than for normal communications in a class D airspace area. The return flight to oakland-pontiac was made without further problems. I realize what I did was wrong and could've been dangerous, I had let anxiety come over me because I had 3 airplanes behind me waiting to go and I had nowhere to taxi. Had I known that the microphone switch was stuck on, the correct procedure would have been to disconnect my headphones and use the secondary microphone/overhead speaker system. Although it's no excuse, I have never been trained for a stuck microphone situation. At least the good side to this story is that I will know what to do should this circumstance arise again. I did contact the tower by telephone 2 days later, and I spoke to the controller who was running operations at the time. She remembered the situation and we discussed it at length. The controller made no threats to 'turn me in' and I did apologize profusely, we both agreed that it was quite a learning experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT WITH STUCK MIKE DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I MADE A VFR FLT IN A CESSNA 152 FROM OAKLAND-PONTIAC (PTK) DIRECT TO ANN ARBOR MUNICIPAL (ARB) VIA THE SALEM (SVM) VORTAC. THE FLT THERE WAS UNEVENTFUL AS WELL AS THE PATTERN WORK I WAS DOING AT ARB. AFTER TAKING A BREAK, I RESUMED WORKING IN THE PATTERN. I HAD BEEN CLRED, BY GND CTL, TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE (RWY 06 WAS ACTIVE AT THE TIME). AFTER COMPLETING A RUNUP, I TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE, TUNED TO THE TWR FREQ, AND MADE MY INITIAL CALL. RECEIVING NO RESPONSE, I MADE A SECOND CALL. WITH NEGATIVE RESPONSE ON THE SECOND CALL, I TRIED CALLING THE ACFT BEHIND ME, AGAIN MAKING NO CONTACT. THINKING I HAD A RADIO FAILURE, I KEPT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TWR FOR LIGHT SIGNALS, BUT RECEIVED NONE. I THEN CYCLED THE MIKE SWITCH ON THE YOKE SEVERAL TIMES AND RECOGNIZED THE 'CLICK' SOUND WHEN RELEASED, SO I DIDN'T SUSPECT THE MIKE TO BE STICKING ON XMIT. I MADE A THIRD CALL TO THE TWR, AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. BY THIS TIME, 2 MORE ACFT HAD JOINED THE LINE FOR DEP. I HAD NOT ROOM TO TAXI CLR OF THE AREA. FEELING RUSHED AND ANXIOUS, I INCORRECTLY AND STUPIDLY ASSUMED THE TWR HAD CLOSED OPS FOR THE DAY. I THEN CHKED THE PATTERN FOR ANY TFC, I ALSO CHKED THE FINAL APCH PATH FOR ANY POSSIBLE LNDG TFC. AFTER SEEING NO TFC, I THEN MADE A CALL TO ANN ARBOR TFC STATING THAT I WAS TAKING THE ACTIVE AND REMAINING IN THE PATTERN -- THE PROC USED AT AN UNCTLED FIELD. CHKING THE PATTERN A FINAL TIME, I TAXIED ONTO AND DEPARTED FROM THE RWY. AS SOON AS I BECAME AIRBORNE, I HEARD THE CTLR CLR THE ACFT THAT WAS WAITING BEHIND ME FOR TKOF. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I MADE A BIG MISTAKE. CLRLY ANNOYED, THE CTLR STATED THAT I JUST DEPARTED WITHOUT CLRNC AND THAT I HAD STRUCK MIKE. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT, AND EVERYTHING PROCEEDED AS NORMAL. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID BY THE CTLR OTHER THAN FOR NORMAL COMS IN A CLASS D AIRSPACE AREA. THE RETURN FLT TO OAKLAND-PONTIAC WAS MADE WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. I REALIZE WHAT I DID WAS WRONG AND COULD'VE BEEN DANGEROUS, I HAD LET ANXIETY COME OVER ME BECAUSE I HAD 3 AIRPLANES BEHIND ME WAITING TO GO AND I HAD NOWHERE TO TAXI. HAD I KNOWN THAT THE MIKE SWITCH WAS STUCK ON, THE CORRECT PROC WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DISCONNECT MY HEADPHONES AND USE THE SECONDARY MIKE/OVERHEAD SPEAKER SYS. ALTHOUGH IT'S NO EXCUSE, I HAVE NEVER BEEN TRAINED FOR A STUCK MIKE SIT. AT LEAST THE GOOD SIDE TO THIS STORY IS THAT I WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO SHOULD THIS CIRCUMSTANCE ARISE AGAIN. I DID CONTACT THE TWR BY TELEPHONE 2 DAYS LATER, AND I SPOKE TO THE CTLR WHO WAS RUNNING OPS AT THE TIME. SHE REMEMBERED THE SIT AND WE DISCUSSED IT AT LENGTH. THE CTLR MADE NO THREATS TO 'TURN ME IN' AND I DID APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY, WE BOTH AGREED THAT IT WAS QUITE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

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.