Narrative:

On wednesday, I was the captain of air carrier flight XXXX operated by company ZZZ to ZZZ2. I boarded the aircraft at XA40 after preflting the aircraft. The first officer and the flight attendant were already on board. I did the first flight checklist. I reviewed the commercial approach chart 11-1, and noted the asterisk next to the tower and ground control which I knew referred to the hours of operation. Nowhere on the approach plate did it document the hours of operation. Nowhere was the information found on my flight release and there was no mention of the operation hours on the ASOS/ATIS. At XA55, when we were ready to taxi, the first officer told me that he tried calling the ZZZ1 ground control, then the tower 15 mins earlier but no one answered. I told him that we would taxi out and get the clearance when the tower opened. As we taxied out, we made an announcement on frequency that we were taxiing out to runway 9, which the tower denies that they heard. Which means the tower had their radio off/down or the first officer transmitted on the company frequency. As we were taxiing to runway 9, I observed a man running from the FBO motioning his hands for us to stop. A red pickup truck, which was a good distance away from us, positioned itself to block the taxiway. Please note: when the captain is taxiing, his left hand is on the steering, his right hand is on the power levers, he cannot transmit. After stopping, we were able to talk to the tower. My radio was always on frequency. The tower never called us on the tower frequency when we were taxiing out. They either tried on the ground frequency or never called us at all. At this point we established communications and I was told to call the tower when I got to ZZZ1. The controller said he thought that we might have been hijacked. Please note when I called company X after the incident, dispatch did not know the hours of operation, they were going to call the tower. Additionally, the tower did not broadcast on both frequencys, the tower and the ground frequency. The tower assumed that we had not made any attempt to communicate to them, and the controller imagined the worst. I personally think the tower overreacted and right now they are trying to violate me. We were the only aircraft operating at the airport at this time. The chain of events described above could have easily been prevented if first, the commercial approach plates noted the hours of operation of the tower. Secondary if the ASOS/ATIS broadcasted the hours of the tower. Thirdly, if the information was on the flight release. Additionally, the tower should announce on all frequencys that the tower and the control zone are now in operation (which the first officer never heard while monitoring the radios). Other company Y pilots, including our dispatch, assumed that the tower opened at XB00. The airport directory is very confusing as to the hours of operation. I was told later that the tower is open XA30 to XQ30.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTAF TWR OPERATING HRS.

Narrative: ON WEDNESDAY, I WAS THE CAPT OF ACR FLT XXXX OPERATED BY COMPANY ZZZ TO ZZZ2. I BOARDED THE ACFT AT XA40 AFTER PREFLTING THE ACFT. THE FO AND THE FLT ATTENDANT WERE ALREADY ON BOARD. I DID THE FIRST FLT CHKLIST. I REVIEWED THE COMMERCIAL APCH CHART 11-1, AND NOTED THE ASTERISK NEXT TO THE TWR AND GND CTL WHICH I KNEW REFERRED TO THE HRS OF OP. NOWHERE ON THE APCH PLATE DID IT DOCUMENT THE HRS OF OP. NOWHERE WAS THE INFO FOUND ON MY FLT RELEASE AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE OP HRS ON THE ASOS/ATIS. AT XA55, WHEN WE WERE READY TO TAXI, THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE TRIED CALLING THE ZZZ1 GND CTL, THEN THE TWR 15 MINS EARLIER BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD TAXI OUT AND GET THE CLRNC WHEN THE TWR OPENED. AS WE TAXIED OUT, WE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON FREQ THAT WE WERE TAXIING OUT TO RWY 9, WHICH THE TWR DENIES THAT THEY HEARD. WHICH MEANS THE TWR HAD THEIR RADIO OFF/DOWN OR THE FO XMITTED ON THE COMPANY FREQ. AS WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 9, I OBSERVED A MAN RUNNING FROM THE FBO MOTIONING HIS HANDS FOR US TO STOP. A RED PICKUP TRUCK, WHICH WAS A GOOD DISTANCE AWAY FROM US, POSITIONED ITSELF TO BLOCK THE TXWY. PLEASE NOTE: WHEN THE CAPT IS TAXIING, HIS L HAND IS ON THE STEERING, HIS R HAND IS ON THE PWR LEVERS, HE CANNOT XMIT. AFTER STOPPING, WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO THE TWR. MY RADIO WAS ALWAYS ON FREQ. THE TWR NEVER CALLED US ON THE TWR FREQ WHEN WE WERE TAXIING OUT. THEY EITHER TRIED ON THE GND FREQ OR NEVER CALLED US AT ALL. AT THIS POINT WE ESTABLISHED COMS AND I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I GOT TO ZZZ1. THE CTLR SAID HE THOUGHT THAT WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIJACKED. PLEASE NOTE WHEN I CALLED COMPANY X AFTER THE INCIDENT, DISPATCH DID NOT KNOW THE HRS OF OP, THEY WERE GOING TO CALL THE TWR. ADDITIONALLY, THE TWR DID NOT BROADCAST ON BOTH FREQS, THE TWR AND THE GND FREQ. THE TWR ASSUMED THAT WE HAD NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE TO THEM, AND THE CTLR IMAGINED THE WORST. I PERSONALLY THINK THE TWR OVERREACTED AND RIGHT NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO VIOLATE ME. WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT OPERATING AT THE ARPT AT THIS TIME. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS DESCRIBED ABOVE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN PREVENTED IF FIRST, THE COMMERCIAL APCH PLATES NOTED THE HRS OF OP OF THE TWR. SECONDARY IF THE ASOS/ATIS BROADCASTED THE HRS OF THE TWR. THIRDLY, IF THE INFO WAS ON THE FLT RELEASE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TWR SHOULD ANNOUNCE ON ALL FREQS THAT THE TWR AND THE CTL ZONE ARE NOW IN OP (WHICH THE FO NEVER HEARD WHILE MONITORING THE RADIOS). OTHER COMPANY Y PLTS, INCLUDING OUR DISPATCH, ASSUMED THAT THE TWR OPENED AT XB00. THE ARPT DIRECTORY IS VERY CONFUSING AS TO THE HRS OF OP. I WAS TOLD LATER THAT THE TWR IS OPEN XA30 TO XQ30.

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.