Narrative:

My first officer and I were prepared for an XA45 departure from lgb. The tower was closed and no remote communications sites were available for FSS or ATC, but pre-taxi, we were able to contact socal departure on 127.2 to request an IFR clearance. The response was 'clearance on request' and we began taxi. After several unsuccessful attempts, then sitting at the hold short line of runway 12 with taxi checks complete, we again heard from socal departure and received our IFR clearance. We were, however unable to confirm 'readback correct.' at XA45 lgb was a class G airspace and we could see well beyond the end of the 10000 ft runway (no current ATIS or ASOS was being broadcast), thus determining that we had the required 3 SM visibility to depart visually. Taking runway 12 and departing visually, but squawking the transponder code issued by socal departure, the events went as follows: our sops identify a 400 ft AGL callout for 'flaps up/after takeoff check.' before this callout was complete my sic had already contacted socal departure, and since we were squawking the ATC assigned transponder code, the words 'radar contact' were spoken immediately and we proceeded on up to 1000 ft AGL before entering the clouds (I remember because I reached up and turned off the anti-collision strobes and the radar altimeter was reading 1000 ft AGL). Thus we departed visually from a class G airspace airport (under class B) at night with the required 3 mi and clear of clouds. We also were 'radar contact' 600 ft before entering the clouds. Upon being xferred to the next socal approach sector, the controller remarked something to the effect of 'you know you were illegal departing from long beach without a clearance readback or a release.' my sic and I knew we had already considered the issues affecting that determination and felt very sure we were in fact legal, but we weren't going to debate the issue over the radio. Our company uses commercial charting X approach and navigation charts. At airports with no remote communication sites, either FSS or ATC, it would be nice to have on the airport diagram plate some place, a local contact number for the controling ATC facility that can be reached by cell phone. As it is the cell phone system is set up such that calling 800 wxbrief sends me back to my local FSS in my cell phone's area code (fort dodge FSS has about as much trouble contacting socal approach at XA45 as I do sitting at the end of the runway in lgb, ca). Also, at airports with part-time towers, the only determination of that is an asterisk in the tower frequency box (indicating a part-time control tower). For flight planning purposes, a simple hours of operation notation would be helpful (not that I was expecting them to be open at XA45).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MU7-30 CREW WAS ACCUSED BY SCT CTLR OF DEPARTING LGB WITHOUT ATC RELEASE. THE CREW WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, HAD A CLRNC, AND IN RADAR CONTACT WITH SCT.

Narrative: MY FO AND I WERE PREPARED FOR AN XA45 DEP FROM LGB. THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND NO REMOTE COMS SITES WERE AVAILABLE FOR FSS OR ATC, BUT PRE-TAXI, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT SOCAL DEP ON 127.2 TO REQUEST AN IFR CLRNC. THE RESPONSE WAS 'CLRNC ON REQUEST' AND WE BEGAN TAXI. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS, THEN SITTING AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 12 WITH TAXI CHKS COMPLETE, WE AGAIN HEARD FROM SOCAL DEP AND RECEIVED OUR IFR CLRNC. WE WERE, HOWEVER UNABLE TO CONFIRM 'READBACK CORRECT.' AT XA45 LGB WAS A CLASS G AIRSPACE AND WE COULD SEE WELL BEYOND THE END OF THE 10000 FT RWY (NO CURRENT ATIS OR ASOS WAS BEING BROADCAST), THUS DETERMINING THAT WE HAD THE REQUIRED 3 SM VISIBILITY TO DEPART VISUALLY. TAKING RWY 12 AND DEPARTING VISUALLY, BUT SQUAWKING THE XPONDER CODE ISSUED BY SOCAL DEP, THE EVENTS WENT AS FOLLOWS: OUR SOPS IDENT A 400 FT AGL CALLOUT FOR 'FLAPS UP/AFTER TKOF CHK.' BEFORE THIS CALLOUT WAS COMPLETE MY SIC HAD ALREADY CONTACTED SOCAL DEP, AND SINCE WE WERE SQUAWKING THE ATC ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE, THE WORDS 'RADAR CONTACT' WERE SPOKEN IMMEDIATELY AND WE PROCEEDED ON UP TO 1000 FT AGL BEFORE ENTERING THE CLOUDS (I REMEMBER BECAUSE I REACHED UP AND TURNED OFF THE ANTI-COLLISION STROBES AND THE RADAR ALTIMETER WAS READING 1000 FT AGL). THUS WE DEPARTED VISUALLY FROM A CLASS G AIRSPACE ARPT (UNDER CLASS B) AT NIGHT WITH THE REQUIRED 3 MI AND CLR OF CLOUDS. WE ALSO WERE 'RADAR CONTACT' 600 FT BEFORE ENTERING THE CLOUDS. UPON BEING XFERRED TO THE NEXT SOCAL APCH SECTOR, THE CTLR REMARKED SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF 'YOU KNOW YOU WERE ILLEGAL DEPARTING FROM LONG BEACH WITHOUT A CLRNC READBACK OR A RELEASE.' MY SIC AND I KNEW WE HAD ALREADY CONSIDERED THE ISSUES AFFECTING THAT DETERMINATION AND FELT VERY SURE WE WERE IN FACT LEGAL, BUT WE WEREN'T GOING TO DEBATE THE ISSUE OVER THE RADIO. OUR COMPANY USES COMMERCIAL CHARTING X APCH AND NAV CHARTS. AT ARPTS WITH NO REMOTE COM SITES, EITHER FSS OR ATC, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM PLATE SOME PLACE, A LCL CONTACT NUMBER FOR THE CTLING ATC FACILITY THAT CAN BE REACHED BY CELL PHONE. AS IT IS THE CELL PHONE SYS IS SET UP SUCH THAT CALLING 800 WXBRIEF SENDS ME BACK TO MY LCL FSS IN MY CELL PHONE'S AREA CODE (FORT DODGE FSS HAS ABOUT AS MUCH TROUBLE CONTACTING SOCAL APCH AT XA45 AS I DO SITTING AT THE END OF THE RWY IN LGB, CA). ALSO, AT ARPTS WITH PART-TIME TWRS, THE ONLY DETERMINATION OF THAT IS AN ASTERISK IN THE TWR FREQ BOX (INDICATING A PART-TIME CTL TWR). FOR FLT PLANNING PURPOSES, A SIMPLE HRS OF OP NOTATION WOULD BE HELPFUL (NOT THAT I WAS EXPECTING THEM TO BE OPEN AT XA45).

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.