Narrative:

I listened to the lns ATIS. The recording was the last of the night before, the tower closes at XY00 pm and re-opens at XB00 am. I said to the pilot in the right seat, the tower is probably open and I picked up the hand microphone and called ground, no reply, I called again and still no reply. I said I guess they are not in. I taxied to runway 31 for run-up. I completed my run-up and called tower, no reply, I called again, no reply. I said I guess they are still not in. I broadcast in the blind, lancaster traffic, aircraft X departing runway 31. I took-off normally made a right turn toward allentown, my destination of 50 mi. I called reading approach for radar service since I would be close to their airspace. I got no reply. I said something is not working although I was hearing my sidetone in the speaker. I tried the other communication still no reply. It must be the microphone. I plugged in another microphone and called allentown approach, they answered and I approached and landed normally. It was a bad microphone. As I was rolling out, allentown tower said, can you copy a telephone number lancaster tower wants to talk to you. I called lancaster tower from the FBO. I explained the situation, they said that's not the problem, we had an airplane taxiing with a clearance. They asked my certificate number and said you can expect to hear from the FAA. I should have questioned why they did not answer being so close to XB00 am, but it did not seem that unreasonable. The WX was clear but a very cold 12 degrees fahrenheit. In the future I will certainly question any no reply from the tower and try all mikes and all communications before assuming they are not there. Supplemental information from acn 296099: lns ATCT opens at XB00L, I came in tower at XA45L. No runway or taxiway lights were on from pilot activation. I did ATIS, changed lights to tower control and activate on, selected frequencys and at XB00L announced tower opening. As I returned to local control position, I observed another aircraft about to rotate, departing runway 31. Aircraft very possibly could have called on 120.9 CTAF prior to XB00 as to taxi. I initiated radar tracking by mdt to rdg to abe. I requested pilot call lns tower. Pilot called and stated, he didn't know how runway lights came on but he had broadcast on 120.9. Cause; poor pltage, training, currency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INOP MIKE LEADS TO PLTDEV.

Narrative: I LISTENED TO THE LNS ATIS. THE RECORDING WAS THE LAST OF THE NIGHT BEFORE, THE TWR CLOSES AT XY00 PM AND RE-OPENS AT XB00 AM. I SAID TO THE PLT IN THE R SEAT, THE TWR IS PROBABLY OPEN AND I PICKED UP THE HAND MIKE AND CALLED GND, NO REPLY, I CALLED AGAIN AND STILL NO REPLY. I SAID I GUESS THEY ARE NOT IN. I TAXIED TO RWY 31 FOR RUN-UP. I COMPLETED MY RUN-UP AND CALLED TWR, NO REPLY, I CALLED AGAIN, NO REPLY. I SAID I GUESS THEY ARE STILL NOT IN. I BROADCAST IN THE BLIND, LANCASTER TFC, ACFT X DEPARTING RWY 31. I TOOK-OFF NORMALLY MADE A R TURN TOWARD ALLENTOWN, MY DEST OF 50 MI. I CALLED READING APCH FOR RADAR SVC SINCE I WOULD BE CLOSE TO THEIR AIRSPACE. I GOT NO REPLY. I SAID SOMETHING IS NOT WORKING ALTHOUGH I WAS HEARING MY SIDETONE IN THE SPEAKER. I TRIED THE OTHER COM STILL NO REPLY. IT MUST BE THE MIKE. I PLUGGED IN ANOTHER MIKE AND CALLED ALLENTOWN APCH, THEY ANSWERED AND I APCHED AND LANDED NORMALLY. IT WAS A BAD MIKE. AS I WAS ROLLING OUT, ALLENTOWN TWR SAID, CAN YOU COPY A TELEPHONE NUMBER LANCASTER TWR WANTS TO TALK TO YOU. I CALLED LANCASTER TWR FROM THE FBO. I EXPLAINED THE SIT, THEY SAID THAT'S NOT THE PROB, WE HAD AN AIRPLANE TAXIING WITH A CLRNC. THEY ASKED MY CERTIFICATE NUMBER AND SAID YOU CAN EXPECT TO HEAR FROM THE FAA. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED WHY THEY DID NOT ANSWER BEING SO CLOSE TO XB00 AM, BUT IT DID NOT SEEM THAT UNREASONABLE. THE WX WAS CLR BUT A VERY COLD 12 DEGS FAHRENHEIT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL CERTAINLY QUESTION ANY NO REPLY FROM THE TWR AND TRY ALL MIKES AND ALL COMS BEFORE ASSUMING THEY ARE NOT THERE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 296099: LNS ATCT OPENS AT XB00L, I CAME IN TWR AT XA45L. NO RWY OR TXWY LIGHTS WERE ON FROM PLT ACTIVATION. I DID ATIS, CHANGED LIGHTS TO TWR CTL AND ACTIVATE ON, SELECTED FREQS AND AT XB00L ANNOUNCED TWR OPENING. AS I RETURNED TO LC POS, I OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT ABOUT TO ROTATE, DEPARTING RWY 31. ACFT VERY POSSIBLY COULD HAVE CALLED ON 120.9 CTAF PRIOR TO XB00 AS TO TAXI. I INITIATED RADAR TRACKING BY MDT TO RDG TO ABE. I REQUESTED PLT CALL LNS TWR. PLT CALLED AND STATED, HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW RWY LIGHTS CAME ON BUT HE HAD BROADCAST ON 120.9. CAUSE; POOR PLTAGE, TRAINING, CURRENCY.

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.