Narrative:

I took off IFR from cpr at xa:57 local. Tower closes at xb:00 local. At about 100 KTS in our 727; tower closed; no handoff to den center...nothing...he is gone. My question is; what kind of clearance do I now have? We had an IFR clearance and we were cleared for takeoff; but did the IFR clearance expire when the tower closed? We assumed yes and proceeded on the departure procedure; then contacted den center; who never knew any different. This is not a safe practice; and in my 25 yrs of flying; this is the only place I have seen this happen; and this happens regularly in cpr; as our flight is scheduled to departure at xb:06 local. When we departure any airport; we brief and set up the departure clearance. In this case; it changed at 100 KTS; changing from cleared as filed; cleared for takeoff; to executing the departure procedure. This is not acceptable; and if this were standard procedure around the us; we would have airplanes hitting mountains because of it. You have to know what you are doing before you takeoff; and it shouldn't change halfway down the runway. When I have encountered similar circumstances anywhere else; the tower has always done what it needed to ensure we were handed off to departure or center; then closed; even if it meant staying open a minute ot two extra. Another issue I have with the cpr tower is; if you call for taxi and request an IFR clearance; and it is not greater than 10 minutes from closing; he will not give you a clearance. This has happened to me twice. His reason is it is too much trouble to coordinate. This is also unacceptable and I have never seen this anywhere but cpr. Most controllers bend over backwards to help us out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES THAT CPR TWR CLOSES ABRUPTLY AT XB:00 AND DOES NOT COORDINATE ACFT TRANSITIONS TO ATC AT OR AFTER THIS MINUTE.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF IFR FROM CPR AT XA:57 LOCAL. TWR CLOSES AT XB:00 LOCAL. AT ABOUT 100 KTS IN OUR 727; TWR CLOSED; NO HANDOFF TO DEN CTR...NOTHING...HE IS GONE. MY QUESTION IS; WHAT KIND OF CLRNC DO I NOW HAVE? WE HAD AN IFR CLRNC AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF; BUT DID THE IFR CLRNC EXPIRE WHEN THE TWR CLOSED? WE ASSUMED YES AND PROCEEDED ON THE DEP PROC; THEN CONTACTED DEN CTR; WHO NEVER KNEW ANY DIFFERENT. THIS IS NOT A SAFE PRACTICE; AND IN MY 25 YRS OF FLYING; THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN; AND THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY IN CPR; AS OUR FLT IS SCHEDULED TO DEP AT XB:06 LOCAL. WHEN WE DEP ANY ARPT; WE BRIEF AND SET UP THE DEP CLRNC. IN THIS CASE; IT CHANGED AT 100 KTS; CHANGING FROM CLRED AS FILED; CLRED FOR TKOF; TO EXECUTING THE DEP PROC. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE; AND IF THIS WERE STANDARD PROC AROUND THE US; WE WOULD HAVE AIRPLANES HITTING MOUNTAINS BECAUSE OF IT. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING BEFORE YOU TKOF; AND IT SHOULDN'T CHANGE HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY. WHEN I HAVE ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES ANYWHERE ELSE; THE TWR HAS ALWAYS DONE WHAT IT NEEDED TO ENSURE WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP OR CTR; THEN CLOSED; EVEN IF IT MEANT STAYING OPEN A MINUTE OT TWO EXTRA. ANOTHER ISSUE I HAVE WITH THE CPR TWR IS; IF YOU CALL FOR TAXI AND REQUEST AN IFR CLRNC; AND IT IS NOT GREATER THAN 10 MINUTES FROM CLOSING; HE WILL NOT GIVE YOU A CLRNC. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE. HIS REASON IS IT IS TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO COORDINATE. THIS IS ALSO UNACCEPTABLE AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS ANYWHERE BUT CPR. MOST CTLRS BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO HELP US OUT.

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.