Combined tower controller for both ground and local, inadvertently failed to provide the flight crew of cpr helicopter with the transponder code and departure altitude limit after takeoff. The mistake became known after the controller noticed reporter's overshooting departure altitude and not squawking the appropriate departure code.

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Attributes
ACN	520613
Time
Date	200108
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hya.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hya.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	520613
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Called ground for taxi and clearance. Ground control cleared aircraft 'SVFR out of control zone to the northwest and clear for takeoff.' sic asked if controller wished aircraft to go over to tower and his reply was he was 'working all the frequencys.' on climb out, controller said we were above 1000 ft and not squawking the appropriate code. We were not issued an altitude limit or given a squawk on our frequency, which was still ground frequency. Possibly clearance limits were given on tower frequency and our being on ground frequency caused the miscom. Possible solution would be to keep like traffic on the same frequencys (ie, taxi on ground then over to tower for takeoff) even if the controller is 'working all frequencys' after descending to 1000 ft MSL and squawking the code, we were switched from ground frequency to radar approach frequency and continued on our flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMBINED TWR CTLR FOR BOTH GND AND LCL, INADVERTENTLY FAILED TO PROVIDE THE FLC OF CPR HELI WITH THE XPONDER CODE AND DEP ALT LIMIT AFTER TKOF. THE MISTAKE BECAME KNOWN AFTER THE CTLR NOTICED RPTR'S OVERSHOOTING DEP ALT AND NOT SQUAWKING THE APPROPRIATE DEP CODE.

Narrative: CALLED GND FOR TAXI AND CLRNC. GND CTL CLRED ACFT 'SVFR OUT OF CTL ZONE TO THE NW AND CLR FOR TKOF.' SIC ASKED IF CTLR WISHED ACFT TO GO OVER TO TWR AND HIS REPLY WAS HE WAS 'WORKING ALL THE FREQS.' ON CLBOUT, CTLR SAID WE WERE ABOVE 1000 FT AND NOT SQUAWKING THE APPROPRIATE CODE. WE WERE NOT ISSUED AN ALT LIMIT OR GIVEN A SQUAWK ON OUR FREQ, WHICH WAS STILL GND FREQ. POSSIBLY CLRNC LIMITS WERE GIVEN ON TWR FREQ AND OUR BEING ON GND FREQ CAUSED THE MISCOM. POSSIBLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO KEEP LIKE TFC ON THE SAME FREQS (IE, TAXI ON GND THEN OVER TO TWR FOR TKOF) EVEN IF THE CTLR IS 'WORKING ALL FREQS' AFTER DSNDING TO 1000 FT MSL AND SQUAWKING THE CODE, WE WERE SWITCHED FROM GND FREQ TO RADAR APCH FREQ AND CONTINUED ON OUR FLT.

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.