Tzr tower closed while a beech jet with IFR clearance was taxiing out for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	531798
Time
Date	200112
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tzr.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cyyz.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Beechjet 400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	531798
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain received clearance from boltan tower at XA05 pm local. Set up aircraft for departure, ie, transponder. At XA29 ground control cleared us for taxi. At XA30, during taxi tower closed. Copilot suggested getting clearance in the air (from columbus departure). Not distinguishing between clearance and release, I followed suggestion and departed with XXXX in transponder. Immediately after departure contact with columbus was made and we were told to identify. 'Oh I see you're on XXXX' and asked if we released ourselves. We said 'no we departed VFR.' meteorological conditions were clear. We were asked a total of 3 times if we released ourselves. We should have obtained a release on the ground rather than depart VFR with a code of other than 1200 in the transponder. There was a moment of confusion (with the tower closing and already having a clearance) with preoccupation of aircraft system checks during taxi the detail of release and subsequent departure with XXXX in transponder were attended to properly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TZR TWR CLOSED WHILE A BEECH JET WITH IFR CLRNC WAS TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF.

Narrative: CAPT RECEIVED CLRNC FROM BOLTAN TWR AT XA05 PM LCL. SET UP ACFT FOR DEP, IE, XPONDER. AT XA29 GND CTL CLRED US FOR TAXI. AT XA30, DURING TAXI TWR CLOSED. COPLT SUGGESTED GETTING CLRNC IN THE AIR (FROM COLUMBUS DEP). NOT DISTINGUISHING BTWN CLRNC AND RELEASE, I FOLLOWED SUGGESTION AND DEPARTED WITH XXXX IN XPONDER. IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP CONTACT WITH COLUMBUS WAS MADE AND WE WERE TOLD TO IDENT. 'OH I SEE YOU'RE ON XXXX' AND ASKED IF WE RELEASED OURSELVES. WE SAID 'NO WE DEPARTED VFR.' METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE CLR. WE WERE ASKED A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES IF WE RELEASED OURSELVES. WE SHOULD HAVE OBTAINED A RELEASE ON THE GND RATHER THAN DEPART VFR WITH A CODE OF OTHER THAN 1200 IN THE XPONDER. THERE WAS A MOMENT OF CONFUSION (WITH THE TWR CLOSING AND ALREADY HAVING A CLRNC) WITH PREOCCUPATION OF ACFT SYS CHKS DURING TAXI THE DETAIL OF RELEASE AND SUBSEQUENT DEP WITH XXXX IN XPONDER WERE ATTENDED TO PROPERLY.

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.