Narrative:

The confusion started with us attempting to obtain an IFR clearance from the provided discrete frequency controled by nashville when the tower/ground services are closed at smyrna (mqy). My student made the initial call to nashville requesting the IFR clearance as we held short of runway 32 at the smyrna airport (mqy). We were given at the initial call up the following instruction from clearance del at nashville: 'hold for release, cleared as filed, mountain 3000 ft, expect 8000 in 10 mins, departure frequency 118.4, and squawk XXXY.' (not positive about squawk code but we did receive and use a squawk code). My student (repeated) the information back and the controller corrected him saying everything on the readback was correct except the expected altitude in 10 mins. He did not seem very happy having to repeat this information to us for the second time so I decided to step in and respond to further questions. We were asked shortly thereafter when we would be ready for departure and I replied by saying that we were ready for immediate departure. He replied by giving us the following: 'clearance void if not off by XA53Z, fly heading 270, maintain 3000 ft.' I replied by saying 'clearance for takeoff, clearance void if not off by XA53Z, 270 heading and 3000 ft.' he then replied back 'I am not releasing you, I cannot release you.' for a second or two I wandered why he said this so I paused and then responded 'roger we will hold for release.' he then replied 'the tower at smyrna is closed, when you depart is up to you.' he added to that a couple of seconds later 'you need to contact local traffic and call 118.4 on departure you're leaving the traffic patterns.' I took this final transmission as to say we were being released. We departed runway 32 at smyrna and with the exception of being informed that our transmission was initially weak and broken at first, the flight was uneventful. I understand that when I used the terminology 'cleared for takeoff' while reading back the clearance it was perceived as though I thought nashville was clearing us for takeoff as the tower would do if it had been open at smyrna. I understand that this improper use of terminology probably precipitated the rest of the confusing exchange. However, I couldn't' understand why he stated 'I am not releasing you, I cannot release you' after giving further instruction which included a void time. After departure my student and I discussed why he said this and could at first come up with only explanation which was him trying to tell us he could not release us for takeoff as the tower would. Then I thought it might be possible that he had actually not release us and maybe the void time issued was actually a release time instead. Thereby, explaining his comment of 'I am not releasing you, I can't release you.' I perceived the final comment regarding contacting local traffic and call when leaving the traffic pattern as further instruction releasing us. However, I did not clarify if that was further clearance or just what they expected or our release. I can hold no one else responsible for that action other than myself. In conclusion I am not certain that we were released for departure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CONFUSES IFR RELEASE AND TAKEOFF CLRNC PROC AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT.

Narrative: THE CONFUSION STARTED WITH US ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC FROM THE PROVIDED DISCRETE FREQUENCY CTLED BY NASHVILLE WHEN THE TWR/GND SERVICES ARE CLOSED AT SMYRNA (MQY). MY STUDENT MADE THE INITIAL CALL TO NASHVILLE REQUESTING THE IFR CLRNC AS WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 32 AT THE SMYRNA ARPT (MQY). WE WERE GIVEN AT THE INITIAL CALL UP THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTION FROM CLRNC DEL AT NASHVILLE: 'HOLD FOR RELEASE, CLRED AS FILED, MOUNTAIN 3000 FT, EXPECT 8000 IN 10 MINS, DEP FREQUENCY 118.4, AND SQUAWK XXXY.' (NOT POSITIVE ABOUT SQUAWK CODE BUT WE DID RECEIVE AND USE A SQUAWK CODE). MY STUDENT (REPEATED) THE INFORMATION BACK AND THE CTLR CORRECTED HIM SAYING EVERYTHING ON THE READBACK WAS CORRECT EXCEPT THE EXPECTED ALTITUDE IN 10 MINS. HE DID NOT SEEM VERY HAPPY HAVING TO REPEAT THIS INFO TO US FOR THE SECOND TIME SO I DECIDED TO STEP IN AND RESPOND TO FURTHER QUESTIONS. WE WERE ASKED SHORTLY THEREAFTER WHEN WE WOULD BE READY FOR DEP AND I REPLIED BY SAYING THAT WE WERE READY FOR IMMEDIATE DEP. HE REPLIED BY GIVING US THE FOLLOWING: 'CLRNC VOID IF NOT OFF BY XA53Z, FLY HEADING 270, MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' I REPLIED BY SAYING 'CLRNC FOR TAKEOFF, CLRNC VOID IF NOT OFF BY XA53Z, 270 HEADING AND 3000 FT.' HE THEN REPLIED BACK 'I AM NOT RELEASING YOU, I CANNOT RELEASE YOU.' FOR A SECOND OR TWO I WANDERED WHY HE SAID THIS SO I PAUSED AND THEN RESPONDED 'ROGER WE WILL HOLD FOR RELEASE.' HE THEN REPLIED 'THE TWR AT SMYRNA IS CLOSED, WHEN YOU DEPART IS UP TO YOU.' HE ADDED TO THAT A COUPLE OF SECONDS LATER 'YOU NEED TO CONTACT LCL TFC AND CALL 118.4 ON DEP YOU'RE LEAVING THE TFC PATTERNS.' I TOOK THIS FINAL TRANSMISSION AS TO SAY WE WERE BEING RELEASED. WE DEPARTED RWY 32 AT SMYRNA AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BEING INFORMED THAT OUR TRANSMISSION WAS INITIALLY WEAK AND BROKEN AT FIRST, THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN I USED THE TERMINOLOGY 'CLRED FOR TKOF' WHILE READING BACK THE CLRNC IT WAS PERCEIVED AS THOUGH I THOUGHT NASHVILLE WAS CLRING US FOR TAKEOFF AS THE TWR WOULD DO IF IT HAD BEEN OPEN AT SMYRNA. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IMPROPER USE OF TERMINOLOGY PROBABLY PRECIPITATED THE REST OF THE CONFUSING EXCHANGE. HOWEVER, I COULDN'T' UNDERSTAND WHY HE STATED 'I AM NOT RELEASING YOU, I CANNOT RELEASE YOU' AFTER GIVING FURTHER INSTRUCTION WHICH INCLUDED A VOID TIME. AFTER DEP MY STUDENT AND I DISCUSSED WHY HE SAID THIS AND COULD AT FIRST COME UP WITH ONLY EXPLANATION WHICH WAS HIM TRYING TO TELL US HE COULD NOT RELEASE US FOR TAKEOFF AS THE TWR WOULD. THEN I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE THAT HE HAD ACTUALLY NOT RELEASE US AND MAYBE THE VOID TIME ISSUED WAS ACTUALLY A RELEASE TIME INSTEAD. THEREBY, EXPLAINING HIS COMMENT OF 'I AM NOT RELEASING YOU, I CAN'T RELEASE YOU.' I PERCEIVED THE FINAL COMMENT REGARDING CONTACTING LCL TFC AND CALL WHEN LEAVING THE TFC PATTERN AS FURTHER INSTRUCTION RELEASING US. HOWEVER, I DID NOT CLARIFY IF THAT WAS FURTHER CLRNC OR JUST WHAT THEY EXPECTED OR OUR RELEASE. I CAN HOLD NO ONE ELSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ACTION OTHER THAN MYSELF. IN CONCLUSION I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT WE WERE RELEASED FOR 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.