Narrative:

During departure sequence of our mission from gpt, the control tower closed. We were advised by the tower controller before he shut down operations to contact greenwood radio for our ATC clearance to lax on 122.1, then listen on the gpt VOR frequency 109.0 copy the clearance. We were unable to get greenwood radio on any frequency, and I asked the first officer to attempt contact with any VHF frequency for nearby keesler AFB as a possible relay. That too failed so we attempted to use the CTAF for a relay to ZHU. That also failed. Since we still had our ground handler aboard the aircraft, I asked the first officer to get his cell phone and call greenwood. He did that, put our clearance on request, and I watched him copy the clearance on our computer flight plan. Since we had to resort to cell phone use, neither the flight engineer nor myself was able to listen to the greenwood radio operator read the clearance from houston. We were cleared as filed to maintain 4000 ft, expect FL350 within 10 mins, squawk xyzw, clearance void time XA45, contact houston 127.65 once airborne. The WX was VFR and I saw no conflict with the arriving aircraft, the first officer used CTAF procedures to advise our departure and I noted the time as XA43. After departure, we contacted houston and the controller advised us that we had made a pilot deviation because our clearance void time was XA40 and to call a phone number on arrival at lax. We were pretty busy doing our climb checks and I advised houston that our clearance void time was XA45, not XA40 and I asked houston to stand by. About 7 mins passed as we ran our checklists, the houston controller advised me to cancel the telephone request because the arriving commuter aircraft had canceled his IFR clearance prior to our departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACFT HAD DIFFICULTIES PICKING UP AN IFR CLRNC, WITH A CLRNC VOID TIME, AT A CLASS G ARPT. IFR CLRNC IS FINALLY RECEIVED BY CELLULAR PHONE.

Narrative: DURING DEP SEQUENCE OF OUR MISSION FROM GPT, THE CTL TWR CLOSED. WE WERE ADVISED BY THE TWR CTLR BEFORE HE SHUT DOWN OPS TO CONTACT GREENWOOD RADIO FOR OUR ATC CLRNC TO LAX ON 122.1, THEN LISTEN ON THE GPT VOR FREQ 109.0 COPY THE CLRNC. WE WERE UNABLE TO GET GREENWOOD RADIO ON ANY FREQ, AND I ASKED THE FO TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH ANY VHF FREQ FOR NEARBY KEESLER AFB AS A POSSIBLE RELAY. THAT TOO FAILED SO WE ATTEMPTED TO USE THE CTAF FOR A RELAY TO ZHU. THAT ALSO FAILED. SINCE WE STILL HAD OUR GND HANDLER ABOARD THE ACFT, I ASKED THE FO TO GET HIS CELL PHONE AND CALL GREENWOOD. HE DID THAT, PUT OUR CLRNC ON REQUEST, AND I WATCHED HIM COPY THE CLRNC ON OUR COMPUTER FLT PLAN. SINCE WE HAD TO RESORT TO CELL PHONE USE, NEITHER THE FE NOR MYSELF WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO THE GREENWOOD RADIO OPERATOR READ THE CLRNC FROM HOUSTON. WE WERE CLRED AS FILED TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT, EXPECT FL350 WITHIN 10 MINS, SQUAWK XYZW, CLRNC VOID TIME XA45, CONTACT HOUSTON 127.65 ONCE AIRBORNE. THE WX WAS VFR AND I SAW NO CONFLICT WITH THE ARRIVING ACFT, THE FO USED CTAF PROCS TO ADVISE OUR DEP AND I NOTED THE TIME AS XA43. AFTER DEP, WE CONTACTED HOUSTON AND THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE HAD MADE A PLTDEV BECAUSE OUR CLRNC VOID TIME WAS XA40 AND TO CALL A PHONE NUMBER ON ARR AT LAX. WE WERE PRETTY BUSY DOING OUR CLB CHKS AND I ADVISED HOUSTON THAT OUR CLRNC VOID TIME WAS XA45, NOT XA40 AND I ASKED HOUSTON TO STAND BY. ABOUT 7 MINS PASSED AS WE RAN OUR CHKLISTS, THE HOUSTON CTLR ADVISED ME TO CANCEL THE TELEPHONE REQUEST BECAUSE THE ARRIVING COMMUTER ACFT HAD CANCELED HIS IFR CLRNC PRIOR TO OUR DEP.

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.