Narrative:

To depart airport, I tuned into ATIS, made notes of what was at this time information xx, then tuned to clearance delivery. I made my initial call up and waited and did not receive a reply. I tried several more calls and likewise received no reply. Because ATIS came in clear and promptly, I did not suspect a problem with my radios. I dialed ground frequency. They gave no reply. Then I tried tower frequency. No reply. These frequencys I tried several times of course, waiting between calls. Then I tried departure from a nearby class B, which I got no reply, but justified because of my distance from them and that I was still on the ground. My reference for frequencys was both airport facility directory and an appropriate sectional. After these failed attempts did I mistakenly deduct what my problem was. I reconsidered the current time in 24 hour time and came to the conclusion based on these sources that the airport was no longer class D, but had become class east. I scolded myself for lack of perception, tuned to CTAF and began my departure for class east. On takeoff, after proper radio calls, asking any traffic to please advise, I realized the top latch was not tightly secured and a noisy draft began on climb. I immediately called for a close pattern for the runway which I was using and came back around promptly, but wide enough and high enough to be safe (not too close to active should an aircraft without radio inbound become a factor or too far out where an obstruction could be standing). I landed short. I knew I had 5800 ft of runway. I relatched door, physically striking to verify, which I neglected to do on first departure -- having only placed my hand on it and finding it in the right position. I called that I was on the go and announced northwest departure, or if not those words, something to the effect that I would depart towards the downtown. I climbed to 2500 ft contacted departure for the nearby class B and almost immediately got a reply. I gave my intentions for 5500 ft through class B and direct to airport destination. After clearance, squawk code, controller gave me a phone number and asked that I contact the tower at the airport I just left. I couldn't imagine why, except for what I immediately feared. I had departed class D thinking it was class east. Something told me then that this was the case, that I had mistakenly overlooked something. As it turned out, this was the case, and likewise I did overlook something. My airport facility directory was expired. My sectional was current, actually just purchased early in the evening for the purpose of the flight, but was nevertheless 13 days from expiring, therefore making a current airport facility directory a more accurate source. Had I had one, I would not have readily assumed class east and would not have departed using CTAF. I would have investigated at greater length why I could not make radio contact with the frequencys. It was march, the effective hours for 24 hour class D were made in january. I was given NOTAMS for FSS when requesting a standard briefing for VFR flight to the airport and back. I learned when calling tower next day the severity of my mistake. When I departed I cut in front of a falcon jet on long final, though not dangerously close. If he would have been closer, if he would not have heard my calls on CTAF, which happened to be tower frequency, then things could have been much worse. And all of this because of poor preparedness. A more close review of my materials before departure could have avoided everything. And as to why I could not make contact with the clearance delivery in the first place, an answer to that I might also have.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA DEPARTS FTY, GA, WITH RADIOS NOT TUNED TO PROPER FREQS AND NEVER RECEIVES ANY CLRNC FOR TKOF.

Narrative: TO DEPART ARPT, I TUNED INTO ATIS, MADE NOTES OF WHAT WAS AT THIS TIME INFO XX, THEN TUNED TO CLRNC DELIVERY. I MADE MY INITIAL CALL UP AND WAITED AND DID NOT RECEIVE A REPLY. I TRIED SEVERAL MORE CALLS AND LIKEWISE RECEIVED NO REPLY. BECAUSE ATIS CAME IN CLR AND PROMPTLY, I DID NOT SUSPECT A PROB WITH MY RADIOS. I DIALED GND FREQ. THEY GAVE NO REPLY. THEN I TRIED TWR FREQ. NO REPLY. THESE FREQS I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES OF COURSE, WAITING BTWN CALLS. THEN I TRIED DEP FROM A NEARBY CLASS B, WHICH I GOT NO REPLY, BUT JUSTIFIED BECAUSE OF MY DISTANCE FROM THEM AND THAT I WAS STILL ON THE GND. MY REF FOR FREQS WAS BOTH ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY AND AN APPROPRIATE SECTIONAL. AFTER THESE FAILED ATTEMPTS DID I MISTAKENLY DEDUCT WHAT MY PROB WAS. I RECONSIDERED THE CURRENT TIME IN 24 HR TIME AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION BASED ON THESE SOURCES THAT THE ARPT WAS NO LONGER CLASS D, BUT HAD BECOME CLASS E. I SCOLDED MYSELF FOR LACK OF PERCEPTION, TUNED TO CTAF AND BEGAN MY DEP FOR CLASS E. ON TKOF, AFTER PROPER RADIO CALLS, ASKING ANY TFC TO PLEASE ADVISE, I REALIZED THE TOP LATCH WAS NOT TIGHTLY SECURED AND A NOISY DRAFT BEGAN ON CLB. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR A CLOSE PATTERN FOR THE RWY WHICH I WAS USING AND CAME BACK AROUND PROMPTLY, BUT WIDE ENOUGH AND HIGH ENOUGH TO BE SAFE (NOT TOO CLOSE TO ACTIVE SHOULD AN ACFT WITHOUT RADIO INBOUND BECOME A FACTOR OR TOO FAR OUT WHERE AN OBSTRUCTION COULD BE STANDING). I LANDED SHORT. I KNEW I HAD 5800 FT OF RWY. I RELATCHED DOOR, PHYSICALLY STRIKING TO VERIFY, WHICH I NEGLECTED TO DO ON FIRST DEP -- HAVING ONLY PLACED MY HAND ON IT AND FINDING IT IN THE RIGHT POS. I CALLED THAT I WAS ON THE GO AND ANNOUNCED NW DEP, OR IF NOT THOSE WORDS, SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT I WOULD DEPART TOWARDS THE DOWNTOWN. I CLBED TO 2500 FT CONTACTED DEP FOR THE NEARBY CLASS B AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY GOT A REPLY. I GAVE MY INTENTIONS FOR 5500 FT THROUGH CLASS B AND DIRECT TO ARPT DEST. AFTER CLRNC, SQUAWK CODE, CTLR GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER AND ASKED THAT I CONTACT THE TWR AT THE ARPT I JUST LEFT. I COULDN'T IMAGINE WHY, EXCEPT FOR WHAT I IMMEDIATELY FEARED. I HAD DEPARTED CLASS D THINKING IT WAS CLASS E. SOMETHING TOLD ME THEN THAT THIS WAS THE CASE, THAT I HAD MISTAKENLY OVERLOOKED SOMETHING. AS IT TURNED OUT, THIS WAS THE CASE, AND LIKEWISE I DID OVERLOOK SOMETHING. MY ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY WAS EXPIRED. MY SECTIONAL WAS CURRENT, ACTUALLY JUST PURCHASED EARLY IN THE EVENING FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT, BUT WAS NEVERTHELESS 13 DAYS FROM EXPIRING, THEREFORE MAKING A CURRENT ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY A MORE ACCURATE SOURCE. HAD I HAD ONE, I WOULD NOT HAVE READILY ASSUMED CLASS E AND WOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED USING CTAF. I WOULD HAVE INVESTIGATED AT GREATER LENGTH WHY I COULD NOT MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE FREQS. IT WAS MARCH, THE EFFECTIVE HRS FOR 24 HR CLASS D WERE MADE IN JANUARY. I WAS GIVEN NOTAMS FOR FSS WHEN REQUESTING A STANDARD BRIEFING FOR VFR FLT TO THE ARPT AND BACK. I LEARNED WHEN CALLING TWR NEXT DAY THE SEVERITY OF MY MISTAKE. WHEN I DEPARTED I CUT IN FRONT OF A FALCON JET ON LONG FINAL, THOUGH NOT DANGEROUSLY CLOSE. IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSER, IF HE WOULD NOT HAVE HEARD MY CALLS ON CTAF, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE TWR FREQ, THEN THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. AND ALL OF THIS BECAUSE OF POOR PREPAREDNESS. A MORE CLOSE REVIEW OF MY MATERIALS BEFORE DEP COULD HAVE AVOIDED EVERYTHING. AND AS TO WHY I COULD NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE CLRNC DELIVERY IN THE FIRST PLACE, AN ANSWER TO THAT I MIGHT ALSO HAVE.

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.