Narrative:

I and 3 other guests were readying for a departure. I loaded passenger; my neighbors; for their first flight with me. I briefed them on the aircraft and the emergency egress procedure for my bonanza. I then started the engine and listened to the ATIS. I then called addison ground and advised them that I was requesting flight following at 3500 ft. There was no response. I then called again; to no response. I concluded the tower was not open yet. Though I had checked the night before on a website to learn the tower operating hours; it was dark and there was no activity at the airport. I then switched to the tower frequency on the same radio and called the tower. There was no response. So I figured I got the hours of operation wrong. I decided to taxi and announce my intentions as the airport tower was closed. I announced taxiing to runway 33. At the departure end I completed my engine run-up and before takeoff checklist. I then announced my departure to area traffic on the tower frequency and also mentioned I would be a north departure. I then taxied onto the runway for departure. As I lined up on the runway I noticed in the darkness a bright red light shining at me from the control tower. I was startled that anyone was in the tower. I quickly taxied off the runway. I stopped and then put the tower frequency in the #2 radio. I called the tower and they immediately responded to me. The tower controller said he heard all of my calls. Then he said don't worry about it and you are cleared for takeoff; have a good trip. I then went to my #1 radio and determined the volume was turned all the way down. I could not believe it. I never questioned the possibility I had a radio adjustment problem. I had gone to the airport previously and sat in the airplane to practice using my new garmin 496 GPS. I turned my radios on with the avionics master switch. While I was practicing with my new GPS I had turned off all other avionics individually to reduce the battery draw. After 20-30 mins of review on the new GPS; I turned on all the avionics including the #1 garmin 430; but I must have just turned it on and I did not adjust the volume. I then turned off the avionics master switch. I have a partner in the aircraft; but he has not been to the airplane since I was last. I did not question there was anything wrong with the #1 radio. I made the incorrect assumption the airport tower was closed. My direction from the tower while taxiing was away from the tower; and only when I turned onto the runway was I looking toward the tower. In retrospect; it should have tumbled to me the tower was open by the fact that ATIS was on. My only explanation for this is I fly professionally from another local airport. At that airport they have an ASOS. It always is on whether the tower is operating or not. We also have operations that depart before the tower opens in which we just announce our intentions on the tower frequency. It wasn't until that next evening did I even think about the ATIS and how that should have tipped me off to the tower being open.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BONANZA PLT ASSUMED TWR WAS CLOSED WHEN NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM HIS RADIO TRANSMISSIONS. AS HE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY; HE DISCOVERED THAT THE TWR WAS OPERATING; BUT HIS RADIO VOLUME WAS TURNED DOWN

Narrative: I AND 3 OTHER GUESTS WERE READYING FOR A DEP. I LOADED PAX; MY NEIGHBORS; FOR THEIR FIRST FLT WITH ME. I BRIEFED THEM ON THE ACFT AND THE EMER EGRESS PROC FOR MY BONANZA. I THEN STARTED THE ENG AND LISTENED TO THE ATIS. I THEN CALLED ADDISON GND AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING AT 3500 FT. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I THEN CALLED AGAIN; TO NO RESPONSE. I CONCLUDED THE TWR WAS NOT OPEN YET. THOUGH I HAD CHKED THE NIGHT BEFORE ON A WEBSITE TO LEARN THE TWR OPERATING HRS; IT WAS DARK AND THERE WAS NO ACTIVITY AT THE ARPT. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ ON THE SAME RADIO AND CALLED THE TWR. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. SO I FIGURED I GOT THE HRS OF OP WRONG. I DECIDED TO TAXI AND ANNOUNCE MY INTENTIONS AS THE ARPT TWR WAS CLOSED. I ANNOUNCED TAXIING TO RWY 33. AT THE DEP END I COMPLETED MY ENG RUN-UP AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. I THEN ANNOUNCED MY DEP TO AREA TFC ON THE TWR FREQ AND ALSO MENTIONED I WOULD BE A N DEP. I THEN TAXIED ONTO THE RWY FOR DEP. AS I LINED UP ON THE RWY I NOTICED IN THE DARKNESS A BRIGHT RED LIGHT SHINING AT ME FROM THE CTL TWR. I WAS STARTLED THAT ANYONE WAS IN THE TWR. I QUICKLY TAXIED OFF THE RWY. I STOPPED AND THEN PUT THE TWR FREQ IN THE #2 RADIO. I CALLED THE TWR AND THEY IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO ME. THE TWR CTLR SAID HE HEARD ALL OF MY CALLS. THEN HE SAID DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT AND YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF; HAVE A GOOD TRIP. I THEN WENT TO MY #1 RADIO AND DETERMINED THE VOLUME WAS TURNED ALL THE WAY DOWN. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. I NEVER QUESTIONED THE POSSIBILITY I HAD A RADIO ADJUSTMENT PROB. I HAD GONE TO THE ARPT PREVIOUSLY AND SAT IN THE AIRPLANE TO PRACTICE USING MY NEW GARMIN 496 GPS. I TURNED MY RADIOS ON WITH THE AVIONICS MASTER SWITCH. WHILE I WAS PRACTICING WITH MY NEW GPS I HAD TURNED OFF ALL OTHER AVIONICS INDIVIDUALLY TO REDUCE THE BATTERY DRAW. AFTER 20-30 MINS OF REVIEW ON THE NEW GPS; I TURNED ON ALL THE AVIONICS INCLUDING THE #1 GARMIN 430; BUT I MUST HAVE JUST TURNED IT ON AND I DID NOT ADJUST THE VOLUME. I THEN TURNED OFF THE AVIONICS MASTER SWITCH. I HAVE A PARTNER IN THE ACFT; BUT HE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE AIRPLANE SINCE I WAS LAST. I DID NOT QUESTION THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE #1 RADIO. I MADE THE INCORRECT ASSUMPTION THE ARPT TWR WAS CLOSED. MY DIRECTION FROM THE TWR WHILE TAXIING WAS AWAY FROM THE TWR; AND ONLY WHEN I TURNED ONTO THE RWY WAS I LOOKING TOWARD THE TWR. IN RETROSPECT; IT SHOULD HAVE TUMBLED TO ME THE TWR WAS OPEN BY THE FACT THAT ATIS WAS ON. MY ONLY EXPLANATION FOR THIS IS I FLY PROFESSIONALLY FROM ANOTHER LCL ARPT. AT THAT ARPT THEY HAVE AN ASOS. IT ALWAYS IS ON WHETHER THE TWR IS OPERATING OR NOT. WE ALSO HAVE OPS THAT DEPART BEFORE THE TWR OPENS IN WHICH WE JUST ANNOUNCE OUR INTENTIONS ON THE TWR FREQ. IT WASN'T UNTIL THAT NEXT EVENING DID I EVEN THINK ABOUT THE ATIS AND HOW THAT SHOULD HAVE TIPPED ME OFF TO THE TWR BEING OPEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.