Narrative:

Briefing: while planning a trip to an evening seminar at a nearby airport; ash to orh I got a briefing. Expecting fog; I had to drag out of the briefer the tempo conditions for the period an hour before my departure and 2 hours after my planned arrival on my return flight. These indicated fog and low clouds forming. After I checked in with my co-pilot (a CFI although not performing this function on this flight) I decided it would be a good idea to file an insurance IFR flight plan for my return which I did on a second call. Flight to the seminar went without incident and good VFR. The setup: the seminar ran late. Monitoring WX visually. The airport appeared to have good visibility and I could see stars and saw clouds forming below us (airport is at 1000 ft with town below). On walk to plane; tower closed. I had a distracting concern regarding security (transient pilots not allowed back on airport after FBO closed). So in rush; tried to have FSS find phone number for nashua AWOS WX since we were just before hourly report for neighboring mht (nashua tower also closed) does not exist yet. Departure: after quick preflight and run-up; I noticed another airplane start up. I keyed CTAF to turn on lights; taxied to runway 29 intersection while quickly listening to ATIS frequency on #2 radio which is AWOS after tower closes. I heard '8 mi visibility; 500 scattered' which coincided with my observation. Distraction: the other airplane was evidently surprised tower was closed and inquired same on CTAF. We noticed something strange to us; yellow flashing lights at IFR hold line. While debating whether they affected our planned VFR takeoff other pilot told us he could not reach clearance delivery. I gave him the frequency 126.85 from my VFR GPS database. (Same as in IFR clearance.) I decided to taxi full length and encountered another set of flashing lights. Takeoff: I decided to follow plan (in part since other pilot could not contact clearance and because our observation showed airport VFR); takeoff VFR and contact approach for flight following or IFR clearance as necessary when airborne. I took off leaving other airplane mumbling something about 'look up.' looked both ways; no airplane in sight. I took off climbing thru scattered layer (no reflection from our strobes) to 2500 ft; contacted approach requesting 'departed VFR; want to pick up my IFR clearance.' I was told to squawk code; identify; 'radar identified; stand by.' he then took a request from the pilot on the ground for an IFR clearance and gave it to him and told him to hold for release. Then back to me with my clearance and we proceeded on our way. My concern: upon reviewing the reported WX at a wsi terminal upon landing it appears the field went IFR before the tower closed (8 and 500 broken speci augmented) and we may have taken off in IFR conditions without a clearance. Corrective actions: we were confused and distracted by the flashing yellow lights and the other pilot's vague 'look up' instruction and inability to contact clearance. Upon further investigation in airport facilities directory (which we had on board but did not use) we found that clearance delivery reverts to approach frequency when tower closes and oddly this can be reached on ground. Since ATIS reverts to AWOS without frequency instructions (unlike at our home airport; where it reverts to instructions to contact clearance delivery on frequency); it explained why other pilot was lost. 1) stop with all the additional complexities (flashing yellow lights at hold line at an airport with no commercial service and very limited GA). Six different versions of what is allowable VFR at night. No one can get this right all the time. 2) better listing in airport facilities directory of clearance delivery frequency so it is not so hard to find when it reverts to something else. 3) better and more up to date VFR GPS databases. I found the information in aim; 2-1-9D; about those yellow flashing lights. They are 'runway guard lights' installed at taxiway/runway intxns; and 'are primarily used to enhance the conspicuity of taxiway/runway intxns during low visibility conditions; but may be used in all WX conditions.' they are in contrast to red 'stop bar lights;' used to confirm the ATC clearance to enter or cross a runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was still not sure about the WX at his departure time; but that he thought it could have been below VFR. That belief prompted his report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT DEPARTED ORH VFR WITH A 500 FT BROKEN CEILING AND OBTAINED IFR AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: BRIEFING: WHILE PLANNING A TRIP TO AN EVENING SEMINAR AT A NEARBY ARPT; ASH TO ORH I GOT A BRIEFING. EXPECTING FOG; I HAD TO DRAG OUT OF THE BRIEFER THE TEMPO CONDITIONS FOR THE PERIOD AN HOUR BEFORE MY DEP AND 2 HRS AFTER MY PLANNED ARR ON MY RETURN FLT. THESE INDICATED FOG AND LOW CLOUDS FORMING. AFTER I CHKED IN WITH MY CO-PLT (A CFI ALTHOUGH NOT PERFORMING THIS FUNCTION ON THIS FLT) I DECIDED IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO FILE AN INSURANCE IFR FLT PLAN FOR MY RETURN WHICH I DID ON A SECOND CALL. FLT TO THE SEMINAR WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT AND GOOD VFR. THE SETUP: THE SEMINAR RAN LATE. MONITORING WX VISUALLY. THE ARPT APPEARED TO HAVE GOOD VISIBILITY AND I COULD SEE STARS AND SAW CLOUDS FORMING BELOW US (ARPT IS AT 1000 FT WITH TOWN BELOW). ON WALK TO PLANE; TWR CLOSED. I HAD A DISTRACTING CONCERN REGARDING SECURITY (TRANSIENT PLTS NOT ALLOWED BACK ON ARPT AFTER FBO CLOSED). SO IN RUSH; TRIED TO HAVE FSS FIND PHONE NUMBER FOR NASHUA AWOS WX SINCE WE WERE JUST BEFORE HOURLY RPT FOR NEIGHBORING MHT (NASHUA TWR ALSO CLOSED) DOES NOT EXIST YET. DEPARTURE: AFTER QUICK PREFLT AND RUN-UP; I NOTICED ANOTHER AIRPLANE START UP. I KEYED CTAF TO TURN ON LIGHTS; TAXIED TO RWY 29 INTXN WHILE QUICKLY LISTENING TO ATIS FREQUENCY ON #2 RADIO WHICH IS AWOS AFTER TWR CLOSES. I HEARD '8 MI VISIBILITY; 500 SCATTERED' WHICH COINCIDED WITH MY OBSERVATION. DISTRACTION: THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS EVIDENTLY SURPRISED TWR WAS CLOSED AND INQUIRED SAME ON CTAF. WE NOTICED SOMETHING STRANGE TO US; YELLOW FLASHING LIGHTS AT IFR HOLD LINE. WHILE DEBATING WHETHER THEY AFFECTED OUR PLANNED VFR TKOF OTHER PLT TOLD US HE COULD NOT REACH CLRNC DELIVERY. I GAVE HIM THE FREQUENCY 126.85 FROM MY VFR GPS DATABASE. (SAME AS IN IFR CLRNC.) I DECIDED TO TAXI FULL LENGTH AND ENCOUNTERED ANOTHER SET OF FLASHING LIGHTS. TAKEOFF: I DECIDED TO FOLLOW PLAN (IN PART SINCE OTHER PLT COULD NOT CONTACT CLRNC AND BECAUSE OUR OBSERVATION SHOWED ARPT VFR); TKOF VFR AND CONTACT APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING OR IFR CLRNC AS NECESSARY WHEN AIRBORNE. I TOOK OFF LEAVING OTHER AIRPLANE MUMBLING SOMETHING ABOUT 'LOOK UP.' LOOKED BOTH WAYS; NO AIRPLANE IN SIGHT. I TOOK OFF CLBING THRU SCATTERED LAYER (NO REFLECTION FROM OUR STROBES) TO 2500 FT; CONTACTED APCH REQUESTING 'DEPARTED VFR; WANT TO PICK UP MY IFR CLRNC.' I WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK CODE; IDENT; 'RADAR IDENTIFIED; STAND BY.' HE THEN TOOK A REQUEST FROM THE PLT ON THE GND FOR AN IFR CLRNC AND GAVE IT TO HIM AND TOLD HIM TO HOLD FOR RELEASE. THEN BACK TO ME WITH MY CLRNC AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY. MY CONCERN: UPON REVIEWING THE RPTED WX AT A WSI TERMINAL UPON LNDG IT APPEARS THE FIELD WENT IFR BEFORE THE TWR CLOSED (8 AND 500 BROKEN SPECI AUGMENTED) AND WE MAY HAVE TAKEN OFF IN IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A CLRNC. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: WE WERE CONFUSED AND DISTRACTED BY THE FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS AND THE OTHER PLT'S VAGUE 'LOOK UP' INSTRUCTION AND INABILITY TO CONTACT CLRNC. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IN ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY (WHICH WE HAD ON BOARD BUT DID NOT USE) WE FOUND THAT CLRNC DELIVERY REVERTS TO APCH FREQUENCY WHEN TWR CLOSES AND ODDLY THIS CAN BE REACHED ON GND. SINCE ATIS REVERTS TO AWOS WITHOUT FREQUENCY INSTRUCTIONS (UNLIKE AT OUR HOME ARPT; WHERE IT REVERTS TO INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY ON FREQUENCY); IT EXPLAINED WHY OTHER PLT WAS LOST. 1) STOP WITH ALL THE ADDITIONAL COMPLEXITIES (FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS AT HOLD LINE AT AN ARPT WITH NO COMMERCIAL SVC AND VERY LIMITED GA). SIX DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF WHAT IS ALLOWABLE VFR AT NIGHT. NO ONE CAN GET THIS RIGHT ALL THE TIME. 2) BETTER LISTING IN ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY OF CLRNC DELIVERY FREQUENCY SO IT IS NOT SO HARD TO FIND WHEN IT REVERTS TO SOMETHING ELSE. 3) BETTER AND MORE UP TO DATE VFR GPS DATABASES. I FOUND THE INFO IN AIM; 2-1-9D; ABOUT THOSE YELLOW FLASHING LIGHTS. THEY ARE 'RWY GUARD LIGHTS' INSTALLED AT TXWY/RWY INTXNS; AND 'ARE PRIMARILY USED TO ENHANCE THE CONSPICUITY OF TXWY/RWY INTXNS DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS; BUT MAY BE USED IN ALL WX CONDITIONS.' THEY ARE IN CONTRAST TO RED 'STOP BAR LIGHTS;' USED TO CONFIRM THE ATC CLRNC TO ENTER OR CROSS A RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS STILL NOT SURE ABOUT THE WX AT HIS DEP TIME; BUT THAT HE THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE BEEN BELOW VFR. THAT BELIEF PROMPTED HIS RPT.

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.