Narrative:

After picking up my passenger at sac metropolitan, received approval to taxi to runway 34R from ground control. While taxiing, ground control wanted to clarify my north#. I repeated my north#. With a quartering tailwind, I was taxiing quickly, trying not to lose directional control (conventional landing gear craft). Was told my squawk frequency and to contact departure on 124.5. The controller was talking quickly and I had to ask for the frequency again. I taxied to the run up area, holding short of the runway. There I tried to contact departure with no reply (several times). Recontacted ground control to see if I was to contact departure when I was in the air. Was told they would tell me when to change frequencys. After several more attempts with no response (departure control), I followed an small aircraft onto the runway and took off right behind him. After airborne, I realized I didn't get tower clearance and was too red faced to call them or departure control. Human factors: I was picking up my best man in my wedding for 3/sat/88. Decided to fly because of time savings. Normally don't fly into tower airports (last time was 7/87), but had a lot of things on my mind and things to do. Recommendations: 1) controller should talk slower to small aircraft pilots. 2) controller should give more information (refresh pilot's memory), ie, 'hold short of runway and contact tower (which I don't recall hearing at all). 3) pilots that have not landed at a tower controled airport within 6 months cannot land at TRSA or arsa airports until he lands at a tower controled airport. 4) if departure was hearing my request, 'ready for departure on 34R,' why didn't they tell me to contact the tower or that I was on the wrong frequency? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that he very seldom went to an airport with a control tower, much less one that had arsa. He admitted being completely in the dark about how to proceed after receiving arsa clearance. He was not aware that the control facility (mcc) for departure controller was many miles away and was confused when he could not contact departure control. He had no explanation as to why he did not contact the tower for takeoff clearance. It is suspected, but was not admitted to, that he thought he had radio problems and this, along with his confusion, only made him want to get away as fast as possible. He has been in contact with the sac FSDO and they have turned the matter over to FAA legal for some form of enforcement action. Reporter was briefed on the ASRS program and the accompanying immunity. Reporter was advised to seek out a competent flight instrument for some refresher training on how to fly at a controled airport and around and into an arsa. Reporter stated that he had already started on a program of retraining.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TOOK OFF WITHOUT TKOF CLRNC AND FAILED TO FOLLOW ARSA CLRNC OR CONTACT ARSA CTLING FAC.

Narrative: AFTER PICKING UP MY PAX AT SAC METRO, RECEIVED APPROVAL TO TAXI TO RWY 34R FROM GND CTL. WHILE TAXIING, GND CTL WANTED TO CLARIFY MY N#. I REPEATED MY N#. WITH A QUARTERING TAILWIND, I WAS TAXIING QUICKLY, TRYING NOT TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL CTL (CONVENTIONAL LNDG GEAR CRAFT). WAS TOLD MY SQUAWK FREQ AND TO CONTACT DEP ON 124.5. THE CTLR WAS TALKING QUICKLY AND I HAD TO ASK FOR THE FREQ AGAIN. I TAXIED TO THE RUN UP AREA, HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY. THERE I TRIED TO CONTACT DEP WITH NO REPLY (SEVERAL TIMES). RECONTACTED GND CTL TO SEE IF I WAS TO CONTACT DEP WHEN I WAS IN THE AIR. WAS TOLD THEY WOULD TELL ME WHEN TO CHANGE FREQS. AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS WITH NO RESPONSE (DEP CTL), I FOLLOWED AN SMA ONTO THE RWY AND TOOK OFF RIGHT BEHIND HIM. AFTER AIRBORNE, I REALIZED I DIDN'T GET TWR CLRNC AND WAS TOO RED FACED TO CALL THEM OR DEP CTL. HUMAN FACTORS: I WAS PICKING UP MY BEST MAN IN MY WEDDING FOR 3/SAT/88. DECIDED TO FLY BECAUSE OF TIME SAVINGS. NORMALLY DON'T FLY INTO TWR ARPTS (LAST TIME WAS 7/87), BUT HAD A LOT OF THINGS ON MY MIND AND THINGS TO DO. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) CTLR SHOULD TALK SLOWER TO SMA PLTS. 2) CTLR SHOULD GIVE MORE INFO (REFRESH PLT'S MEMORY), IE, 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY AND CONTACT TWR (WHICH I DON'T RECALL HEARING AT ALL). 3) PLTS THAT HAVE NOT LANDED AT A TWR CTLED ARPT WITHIN 6 MONTHS CANNOT LAND AT TRSA OR ARSA ARPTS UNTIL HE LANDS AT A TWR CTLED ARPT. 4) IF DEP WAS HEARING MY REQUEST, 'READY FOR DEP ON 34R,' WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL ME TO CONTACT THE TWR OR THAT I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT HE VERY SELDOM WENT TO AN ARPT WITH A CTL TWR, MUCH LESS ONE THAT HAD ARSA. HE ADMITTED BEING COMPLETELY IN THE DARK ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED AFTER RECEIVING ARSA CLRNC. HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE CTL FAC (MCC) FOR DEP CTLR WAS MANY MILES AWAY AND WAS CONFUSED WHEN HE COULD NOT CONTACT DEP CTL. HE HAD NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY HE DID NOT CONTACT THE TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC. IT IS SUSPECTED, BUT WAS NOT ADMITTED TO, THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD RADIO PROBS AND THIS, ALONG WITH HIS CONFUSION, ONLY MADE HIM WANT TO GET AWAY AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. HE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE SAC FSDO AND THEY HAVE TURNED THE MATTER OVER TO FAA LEGAL FOR SOME FORM OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION. RPTR WAS BRIEFED ON THE ASRS PROGRAM AND THE ACCOMPANYING IMMUNITY. RPTR WAS ADVISED TO SEEK OUT A COMPETENT FLT INSTR FOR SOME REFRESHER TRNING ON HOW TO FLY AT A CTLED ARPT AND AROUND AND INTO AN ARSA. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD ALREADY STARTED ON A PROGRAM OF RETRAINING.

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