Narrative:

On may/thu/97, I was on taxiway before runway 34 at fleming field. After doing the run-up I was ready to pick up clearance from the control tower, so I changed to radio #2 in aircraft. The frequency I had on was the temporary control tower frequency at fleming field. There was another aircraft in front of me. I waited for that pilot to call the tower. After a few mins, I decided to call the tower. Then, I heard the pilot of the aircraft in front of me advising that she was ready for takeoff. I heard the pilot in front of me calling again. I did not hear the tower calling back. I waited for a few mins. I called the tower again. No answer. All of a sudden, I saw the aircraft in front of me taxiing onto the runway and taking off. I never heard the tower clearing her for takeoff. I waited a few mins. I saw a twin coming on final for runway 34 for landing. I held short on taxiway. I did not have a wrist watch so I looked at the clock in the aircraft. It was XA10. I realized the control tower was closed. I thought that was why the control tower did not get back to me or the pilot in front of me. The temporary control tower closes at XA00. I changed to radio #1, and I tuned the frequency of the CTAF at fleming. I waited for a few mins in order to listen to traffic. Then, I advised I was going to move onto the runway 34 and hold. I did. Then, I kept listening for other possible traffic. I announced my departure from runway 34 at fleming field. Few mins after departure, someone was calling me on the radio. It was the traffic controller telling me I took off without a clearance. I explained to him that I had called several times over the tower frequency but I obtained no answer. Also, I explained they close at XA00 and that the clock on the aircraft was displaying XA10 at the time I did not hear him calling me back on the tower frequency. He said it was XA20 or so. I realized that the clock of the aircraft was 1 hour faster and that radio #2 was not in proper working conditions. It is the time of the yr that you cannot tell if it is XA00 or XB00. I did not know what to do. The traffic controller did not mention anything else. I thought the best would be to fly the airplane and continue with my itinerary. I did not use radio #2 anymore. Next day, I spoke with the pilot who flew the same aircraft just before me that day. I briefly explained the situation to him and asked him about radio #2. He acknowledged and told me that he had problems with radio #2 during his cross country, and that he had chosen not to use it anymore. He forgot to tell people at the FBO about the malfunction of radio #2.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL TOOK OFF WITHOUT CLRNC FROM TWR CTLED ARPT DUE TO AN UNKNOWN RADIO MALFUNCTION. RPTR BELIEVED THAT THE TWR HAD CLOSED SINCE HE HEARD NO REPLY AND HIS ACFT CLOCK WAS 1 HR ADVANCED.

Narrative: ON MAY/THU/97, I WAS ON TXWY BEFORE RWY 34 AT FLEMING FIELD. AFTER DOING THE RUN-UP I WAS READY TO PICK UP CLRNC FROM THE CTL TWR, SO I CHANGED TO RADIO #2 IN ACFT. THE FREQ I HAD ON WAS THE TEMPORARY CTL TWR FREQ AT FLEMING FIELD. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF ME. I WAITED FOR THAT PLT TO CALL THE TWR. AFTER A FEW MINS, I DECIDED TO CALL THE TWR. THEN, I HEARD THE PLT OF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME ADVISING THAT SHE WAS READY FOR TKOF. I HEARD THE PLT IN FRONT OF ME CALLING AGAIN. I DID NOT HEAR THE TWR CALLING BACK. I WAITED FOR A FEW MINS. I CALLED THE TWR AGAIN. NO ANSWER. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I SAW THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME TAXIING ONTO THE RWY AND TAKING OFF. I NEVER HEARD THE TWR CLRING HER FOR TKOF. I WAITED A FEW MINS. I SAW A TWIN COMING ON FINAL FOR RWY 34 FOR LNDG. I HELD SHORT ON TXWY. I DID NOT HAVE A WRIST WATCH SO I LOOKED AT THE CLOCK IN THE ACFT. IT WAS XA10. I REALIZED THE CTL TWR WAS CLOSED. I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHY THE CTL TWR DID NOT GET BACK TO ME OR THE PLT IN FRONT OF ME. THE TEMPORARY CTL TWR CLOSES AT XA00. I CHANGED TO RADIO #1, AND I TUNED THE FREQ OF THE CTAF AT FLEMING. I WAITED FOR A FEW MINS IN ORDER TO LISTEN TO TFC. THEN, I ADVISED I WAS GOING TO MOVE ONTO THE RWY 34 AND HOLD. I DID. THEN, I KEPT LISTENING FOR OTHER POSSIBLE TFC. I ANNOUNCED MY DEP FROM RWY 34 AT FLEMING FIELD. FEW MINS AFTER DEP, SOMEONE WAS CALLING ME ON THE RADIO. IT WAS THE TFC CTLR TELLING ME I TOOK OFF WITHOUT A CLRNC. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I HAD CALLED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE TWR FREQ BUT I OBTAINED NO ANSWER. ALSO, I EXPLAINED THEY CLOSE AT XA00 AND THAT THE CLOCK ON THE ACFT WAS DISPLAYING XA10 AT THE TIME I DID NOT HEAR HIM CALLING ME BACK ON THE TWR FREQ. HE SAID IT WAS XA20 OR SO. I REALIZED THAT THE CLOCK OF THE ACFT WAS 1 HR FASTER AND THAT RADIO #2 WAS NOT IN PROPER WORKING CONDITIONS. IT IS THE TIME OF THE YR THAT YOU CANNOT TELL IF IT IS XA00 OR XB00. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. THE TFC CTLR DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ELSE. I THOUGHT THE BEST WOULD BE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND CONTINUE WITH MY ITINERARY. I DID NOT USE RADIO #2 ANYMORE. NEXT DAY, I SPOKE WITH THE PLT WHO FLEW THE SAME ACFT JUST BEFORE ME THAT DAY. I BRIEFLY EXPLAINED THE SIT TO HIM AND ASKED HIM ABOUT RADIO #2. HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD PROBS WITH RADIO #2 DURING HIS XCOUNTRY, AND THAT HE HAD CHOSEN NOT TO USE IT ANYMORE. HE FORGOT TO TELL PEOPLE AT THE FBO ABOUT THE MALFUNCTION OF RADIO #2.

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.