Narrative:

I was taxiing without clearance from ATC. I had planned out a cross country from cys to abq. I filed a VFR flight and proceeded on, preflight and then started the aircraft (C-172). I then turned on radios and got the ATIS information. I set the instruments and then I tried to contact cys ground. (Cys ground at FBO with information ready to taxi.) I then heard ATC say, turn left and taxi to runway 30. Active runways on ATIS were runway 26/30. I acknowledged ATC. At this time I did not know I was not transmitting. I thought something was wrong, but there was no other aircraft on the airport moving. I didn't think to try contacting ATC again, it's what I should have done. I continued to taxi to runway 30 and did normal procedures before takeoff. When I was complete, I tried to contact the tower for takeoff. I tried contacting the tower twice and then I heard something like cleared to takeoff runway 30. I thought because the tower is temporarily displaced, because of the work being done to the tower, they (ATC) could not hear me. Then I saw a maintenance vehicle crossing runway 30 and I then realized who ATC was talking to. I again tried several times to contact ATC but was unable to make radio contact. I proceeded back to the ramp, parking, shutting down the aircraft. I went into the office and asked the mechanics there to check out the radio. The lady there told me I would have to go to the radio shop if I had radio problems. I then asked another pilot nearby if he could help me out, check to see what might be wrong. We proceeded back to the aircraft and he called for a radio check. He thought maybe the switches were not in the correct position because the radio check was good. I then started my procedures all over again. I did make positive contact with ground and the tower and continued on with the flight. I didn't experience any more radio problems during the flight. I have not flown since. I think a contributing factor may have been fatigue, because I stayed up late planning the flight, trying to gather as much information about the flight as I could. Another factor was I have not very many hours in that aircraft and have only 1 solo flight since apr/75 which was in this aircraft (2.7 hour cross country). My plans are to get further instruction before attempting another solo flight. I have had 4.1 hours in a C-172 to complete biannual flight review (nov/94), but I want additional instruction. I will seek further training. I know a lot of things have changed since 1975. Also, the voice activated head set is something new to me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TAXI. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING WITHOUT CLRNC FROM ATC. I HAD PLANNED OUT A XCOUNTRY FROM CYS TO ABQ. I FILED A VFR FLT AND PROCEEDED ON, PREFLT AND THEN STARTED THE ACFT (C-172). I THEN TURNED ON RADIOS AND GOT THE ATIS INFO. I SET THE INSTS AND THEN I TRIED TO CONTACT CYS GND. (CYS GND AT FBO WITH INFO READY TO TAXI.) I THEN HEARD ATC SAY, TURN L AND TAXI TO RWY 30. ACTIVE RWYS ON ATIS WERE RWY 26/30. I ACKNOWLEDGED ATC. AT THIS TIME I DID NOT KNOW I WAS NOT XMITTING. I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT ON THE ARPT MOVING. I DIDN'T THINK TO TRY CONTACTING ATC AGAIN, IT'S WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE. I CONTINUED TO TAXI TO RWY 30 AND DID NORMAL PROCS BEFORE TKOF. WHEN I WAS COMPLETE, I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR TKOF. I TRIED CONTACTING THE TWR TWICE AND THEN I HEARD SOMETHING LIKE CLRED TO TKOF RWY 30. I THOUGHT BECAUSE THE TWR IS TEMPORARILY DISPLACED, BECAUSE OF THE WORK BEING DONE TO THE TWR, THEY (ATC) COULD NOT HEAR ME. THEN I SAW A MAINT VEHICLE XING RWY 30 AND I THEN REALIZED WHO ATC WAS TALKING TO. I AGAIN TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT ATC BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT. I PROCEEDED BACK TO THE RAMP, PARKING, SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT. I WENT INTO THE OFFICE AND ASKED THE MECHS THERE TO CHK OUT THE RADIO. THE LADY THERE TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE RADIO SHOP IF I HAD RADIO PROBS. I THEN ASKED ANOTHER PLT NEARBY IF HE COULD HELP ME OUT, CHK TO SEE WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG. WE PROCEEDED BACK TO THE ACFT AND HE CALLED FOR A RADIO CHK. HE THOUGHT MAYBE THE SWITCHES WERE NOT IN THE CORRECT POS BECAUSE THE RADIO CHK WAS GOOD. I THEN STARTED MY PROCS ALL OVER AGAIN. I DID MAKE POSITIVE CONTACT WITH GND AND THE TWR AND CONTINUED ON WITH THE FLT. I DIDN'T EXPERIENCE ANY MORE RADIO PROBS DURING THE FLT. I HAVE NOT FLOWN SINCE. I THINK A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN FATIGUE, BECAUSE I STAYED UP LATE PLANNING THE FLT, TRYING TO GATHER AS MUCH INFO ABOUT THE FLT AS I COULD. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS I HAVE NOT VERY MANY HRS IN THAT ACFT AND HAVE ONLY 1 SOLO FLT SINCE APR/75 WHICH WAS IN THIS ACFT (2.7 HR XCOUNTRY). MY PLANS ARE TO GET FURTHER INSTRUCTION BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANOTHER SOLO FLT. I HAVE HAD 4.1 HRS IN A C-172 TO COMPLETE BIANNUAL FLT REVIEW (NOV/94), BUT I WANT ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION. I WILL SEEK FURTHER TRAINING. I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 1975. ALSO, THE VOICE ACTIVATED HEAD SET IS SOMETHING NEW TO ME.

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.