DC9 crew departed bis before the tower opened.

Attributes
ACN	424250
Time
Date	199812
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bis
State Reference	ND
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	424250
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Tower at bis doesn't open until XB00 local. Captain and I picked up clearance over gfk FSS. We planned to contact ZMP before we departed, but at the end of the runway we could not make radio contact. Our fom states that we can depart VFR if no ATC service is available. We took off without incident and contacted ZMP. We were radar idented while still VFR (approximately 9000 ft MSL). The question is: should we have recontacted gfk FSS to obtain departure release? I plan to call my air carrier training department and ask. In any case, I plan to see what can be done to have instructions more clearly written, second possible problem was that we received a runway report. It had just stopped snowing. We were deiced. We could see a thin (1/2 - 1 inch) layer of snow on all airport services and assumed the runway to be the same. It did not dawn on us until after takeoff that runway could have been covered with more snow or that a snow plow could have been on runway without lights. We were using CTAF and with a visibility of over 3 mi could clearly see the end of the runway and felt safe (at the time) without all of our actions. I plan to bring this up to my training department. At this point I feel we should have had the runway inspected somehow. At the most it would have been a 45 min delay until the tower opened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW DEPARTED BIS BEFORE THE TWR OPENED.

Narrative: TWR AT BIS DOESN'T OPEN UNTIL XB00 LCL. CAPT AND I PICKED UP CLRNC OVER GFK FSS. WE PLANNED TO CONTACT ZMP BEFORE WE DEPARTED, BUT AT THE END OF THE RWY WE COULD NOT MAKE RADIO CONTACT. OUR FOM STATES THAT WE CAN DEPART VFR IF NO ATC SVC IS AVAILABLE. WE TOOK OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CONTACTED ZMP. WE WERE RADAR IDENTED WHILE STILL VFR (APPROX 9000 FT MSL). THE QUESTION IS: SHOULD WE HAVE RECONTACTED GFK FSS TO OBTAIN DEP RELEASE? I PLAN TO CALL MY ACR TRAINING DEPT AND ASK. IN ANY CASE, I PLAN TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HAVE INSTRUCTIONS MORE CLRLY WRITTEN, SECOND POSSIBLE PROB WAS THAT WE RECEIVED A RWY RPT. IT HAD JUST STOPPED SNOWING. WE WERE DEICED. WE COULD SEE A THIN (1/2 - 1 INCH) LAYER OF SNOW ON ALL ARPT SVCS AND ASSUMED THE RWY TO BE THE SAME. IT DID NOT DAWN ON US UNTIL AFTER TKOF THAT RWY COULD HAVE BEEN COVERED WITH MORE SNOW OR THAT A SNOW PLOW COULD HAVE BEEN ON RWY WITHOUT LIGHTS. WE WERE USING CTAF AND WITH A VISIBILITY OF OVER 3 MI COULD CLRLY SEE THE END OF THE RWY AND FELT SAFE (AT THE TIME) WITHOUT ALL OF OUR ACTIONS. I PLAN TO BRING THIS UP TO MY TRAINING DEPT. AT THIS POINT I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THE RWY INSPECTED SOMEHOW. AT THE MOST IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A 45 MIN DELAY UNTIL THE TWR OPENED.

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.