After attempting communications on the ground control, and tower frequencys, the pilot of a light ai...

Attributes
ACN	298646
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mcn
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2950 flight time type : 375
ASRS Report	298646
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I attempted to contact ground control twice, and tower, 1 time and after no answer, I assumed that they had closed for the night. I taxied to the runway, (but not on the runway), and I tried to contact the tower again, this time the controller answered and he was very unhappy that I taxied without permission, and accused me of taxiing onto the runway, when I was not on the runway. He must have been asleep, or gone to get coffee, and was mad. After he gave me my takeoff instructions, he didn't say cleared for takeoff. So I asked what I should do next, he shouted 'cleared for takeoff.' so I took off -- my assigned heading was 180 degrees after takeoff, but he didn't give me due time to turn, this man had a bad attitude. I was the only aircraft moving on this airport , and in the traffic pattern. Supplemental information from acn 298460: although I was a passenger, my rating (ATP) is higher than the pilot's (commercial). I know that the FAA says that the highest rating in the airplane is the PIC. As the pilot taxied, I checked the airport facility directory. It indicated that the tower was open until XD00 Z. I told the pilot that I thought the tower should be open now. The pilot called tower again. The tower replied. The controller stated that we were on the active runway. We told him that we were, in fact, on a blue lighted taxiway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER ATTEMPTING COMS ON THE GND CTL, AND TWR FREQS, THE PLT OF A LIGHT ACFT ASSUMED THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THE PLT TAXIED TO THE RWY, AND PRIOR TO TKOF, DISCOVERED THAT THE TWR WAS NOT CLOSED.

Narrative: I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT GND CTL TWICE, AND TWR, 1 TIME AND AFTER NO ANSWER, I ASSUMED THAT THEY HAD CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT. I TAXIED TO THE RWY, (BUT NOT ON THE RWY), AND I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR AGAIN, THIS TIME THE CTLR ANSWERED AND HE WAS VERY UNHAPPY THAT I TAXIED WITHOUT PERMISSION, AND ACCUSED ME OF TAXIING ONTO THE RWY, WHEN I WAS NOT ON THE RWY. HE MUST HAVE BEEN ASLEEP, OR GONE TO GET COFFEE, AND WAS MAD. AFTER HE GAVE ME MY TKOF INSTRUCTIONS, HE DIDN'T SAY CLRED FOR TKOF. SO I ASKED WHAT I SHOULD DO NEXT, HE SHOUTED 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' SO I TOOK OFF -- MY ASSIGNED HDG WAS 180 DEGS AFTER TKOF, BUT HE DIDN'T GIVE ME DUE TIME TO TURN, THIS MAN HAD A BAD ATTITUDE. I WAS THE ONLY ACFT MOVING ON THIS ARPT , AND IN THE TFC PATTERN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 298460: ALTHOUGH I WAS A PAX, MY RATING (ATP) IS HIGHER THAN THE PLT'S (COMMERCIAL). I KNOW THAT THE FAA SAYS THAT THE HIGHEST RATING IN THE AIRPLANE IS THE PIC. AS THE PLT TAXIED, I CHKED THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY. IT INDICATED THAT THE TWR WAS OPEN UNTIL XD00 Z. I TOLD THE PLT THAT I THOUGHT THE TWR SHOULD BE OPEN NOW. THE PLT CALLED TWR AGAIN. THE TWR REPLIED. THE CTLR STATED THAT WE WERE ON THE ACTIVE RWY. WE TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE, IN FACT, ON A BLUE LIGHTED TXWY.

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.

After attempting communications on the ground control, and tower frequencys, the pilot of a light aircraft assumed that the tower was closed. The pilot taxied to the runway, and prior to takeoff, discovered that the tower was not closed.