Narrative:

At approximately xa:00 CST on july/sat/2005; I attempted to contact tki tower for taxi and takeoff clearance. After receiving no answer from tower on the designated frequency I assumed tower had closed at xa:00 pm. I taxied to the threshold of runway 17 where I began my pre-flight run up procedures; traffic checks; and announced over the CTAF that I was taking off with departure to the south as I would at any other uncontrolled airport; all with no response from tower. After leaving tki; I continued on to my destination of 51TE. In the course of this trip I had to transition several non-twred airports including hqz where I contacted another aircraft in flight to avoid them. After speaking with the aircraft in the vicinity of hqz; I conducted the rest of my flight without incident. Upon my return to tki on july/mon/2005 I was instructed to call tower upon shutdown. When I began speaking with mr X; apparently a senior controller; I was informed that the tower tried several times to contact me on the evening of july/sat/2005; including with a light gun advising me not to takeoff. I was told that tower received all of my traffic calls but did not understand why I did not respond to their instructions; and they wanted an explanation. During the course of the conversation; mr X expressed his frustrations with my actions due to the frequency of similar events at tki; none of which I had previously been involved in. Mr X told me he was sick of people ignoring the tower and that on the day of july/sun/2005; two more such incidents occurred. The frequency of the events combined with the number of different aircraft leads me to believe that fault lies with not just a single pilot; controller; or aircraft. There may be other issues to which I am not privy. My clrnces into and out of the two different controled airspaces offers support to my position that nothing is physically wrong with my aircraft or its radios. This will serve to be a substantial learning experience hopefully never to be repeated. Addendum: july/mon/2005; xa:40 pm; tki. After startup I received taxi clearance to runway 17. Upon completing my standard run-up and additional pre-flight checks; I attempted to contact tower for takeoff clearance. I made three radio calls for takeoff clearance; after approximately 2 min; the controller came over the radio and asked if I had made my call yet. I informed him that I had and he cleared me for takeoff after apologizing for the delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT AT TKI IS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH TWR AND DEPARTED WITHOUT ATC APPROVAL.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA:00 CST ON JULY/SAT/2005; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TKI TWR FOR TAXI AND TKOF CLRNC. AFTER RECEIVING NO ANSWER FROM TWR ON THE DESIGNATED FREQ I ASSUMED TWR HAD CLOSED AT XA:00 PM. I TAXIED TO THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 17 WHERE I BEGAN MY PRE-FLT RUN UP PROCS; TFC CHKS; AND ANNOUNCED OVER THE CTAF THAT I WAS TAKING OFF WITH DEP TO THE S AS I WOULD AT ANY OTHER UNCTLED ARPT; ALL WITH NO RESPONSE FROM TWR. AFTER LEAVING TKI; I CONTINUED ON TO MY DEST OF 51TE. IN THE COURSE OF THIS TRIP I HAD TO TRANSITION SEVERAL NON-TWRED ARPTS INCLUDING HQZ WHERE I CONTACTED ANOTHER ACFT IN FLT TO AVOID THEM. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF HQZ; I CONDUCTED THE REST OF MY FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON MY RETURN TO TKI ON JULY/MON/2005 I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL TWR UPON SHUTDOWN. WHEN I BEGAN SPEAKING WITH MR X; APPARENTLY A SENIOR CTLR; I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TWR TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT ME ON THE EVENING OF JULY/SAT/2005; INCLUDING WITH A LIGHT GUN ADVISING ME NOT TO TKOF. I WAS TOLD THAT TWR RECEIVED ALL OF MY TFC CALLS BUT DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I DID NOT RESPOND TO THEIR INSTRUCTIONS; AND THEY WANTED AN EXPLANATION. DURING THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION; MR X EXPRESSED HIS FRUSTRATIONS WITH MY ACTIONS DUE TO THE FREQUENCY OF SIMILAR EVENTS AT TKI; NONE OF WHICH I HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED IN. MR X TOLD ME HE WAS SICK OF PEOPLE IGNORING THE TWR AND THAT ON THE DAY OF JULY/SUN/2005; TWO MORE SUCH INCIDENTS OCCURRED. THE FREQUENCY OF THE EVENTS COMBINED WITH THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACFT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT FAULT LIES WITH NOT JUST A SINGLE PLT; CTLR; OR ACFT. THERE MAY BE OTHER ISSUES TO WHICH I AM NOT PRIVY. MY CLRNCES INTO AND OUT OF THE TWO DIFFERENT CTLED AIRSPACES OFFERS SUPPORT TO MY POSITION THAT NOTHING IS PHYSICALLY WRONG WITH MY ACFT OR ITS RADIOS. THIS WILL SERVE TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE HOPEFULLY NEVER TO BE REPEATED. ADDENDUM: JULY/MON/2005; XA:40 PM; TKI. AFTER STARTUP I RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 17. UPON COMPLETING MY STANDARD RUN-UP AND ADDITIONAL PRE-FLT CHKS; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC. I MADE THREE RADIO CALLS FOR TKOF CLRNC; AFTER APPROX 2 MIN; THE CTLR CAME OVER THE RADIO AND ASKED IF I HAD MADE MY CALL YET. I INFORMED HIM THAT I HAD AND HE CLRED ME FOR TKOF AFTER APOLOGIZING FOR THE DELAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.