GA small transport made early morning takeoff from closed airport.

Attributes
ACN	90901
Time
Date	198807
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : toa
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 460
ASRS Report	90901
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed day before for flight to phx departing from vny with stops at toa, orange county/john wayne to pick up passenger. Obtained WX briefing from santa barbara FSS and asked briefer if he had any information on toa being closed to departures at any hours as I was unable to see any in facility flight directory. He replied the only restrictions he was aware of were noise abatement. Upon returning from phx on an IFR flight plan into john wayne, I requested from coast approach a new plan to be filed, en route, to toa. I received new clearance on ground at john wayne to toa. Upon becoming airborne I requested another flight plan from toa to vny to be picked up on ground at toa. Coast approach advised me to contact la approach. On ground at toa, I was unable to raise la on radio so I taxied to a phone and was given a clearance to depart with a 15 min block time. After departing toa my passenger said, 'did you see that van? I think he was checking your airplane.' after arriving van nuys I again checked my facs directory and discovered that toa was in fact closed when I took off. My mistake had been that although I had read runway 29L was closed, I had missed the hours of airport operations. I'm surprised coast approach or la approach did not say anything to me about it, or deny me a clearance out. In the future I shall take great pains to triple check small printing in the facs directory. I think airport hours should be in bolder print.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT MADE EARLY MORNING TKOF FROM CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: DEPARTED DAY BEFORE FOR FLT TO PHX DEPARTING FROM VNY WITH STOPS AT TOA, ORANGE COUNTY/JOHN WAYNE TO PICK UP PAX. OBTAINED WX BRIEFING FROM SANTA BARBARA FSS AND ASKED BRIEFER IF HE HAD ANY INFO ON TOA BEING CLOSED TO DEPS AT ANY HRS AS I WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY IN FAC FLT DIRECTORY. HE REPLIED THE ONLY RESTRICTIONS HE WAS AWARE OF WERE NOISE ABATEMENT. UPON RETURNING FROM PHX ON AN IFR FLT PLAN INTO JOHN WAYNE, I REQUESTED FROM COAST APCH A NEW PLAN TO BE FILED, ENRTE, TO TOA. I RECEIVED NEW CLRNC ON GND AT JOHN WAYNE TO TOA. UPON BECOMING AIRBORNE I REQUESTED ANOTHER FLT PLAN FROM TOA TO VNY TO BE PICKED UP ON GND AT TOA. COAST APCH ADVISED ME TO CONTACT LA APCH. ON GND AT TOA, I WAS UNABLE TO RAISE LA ON RADIO SO I TAXIED TO A PHONE AND WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO DEPART WITH A 15 MIN BLOCK TIME. AFTER DEPARTING TOA MY PAX SAID, 'DID YOU SEE THAT VAN? I THINK HE WAS CHKING YOUR AIRPLANE.' AFTER ARRIVING VAN NUYS I AGAIN CHKED MY FACS DIRECTORY AND DISCOVERED THAT TOA WAS IN FACT CLOSED WHEN I TOOK OFF. MY MISTAKE HAD BEEN THAT ALTHOUGH I HAD READ RWY 29L WAS CLOSED, I HAD MISSED THE HRS OF ARPT OPS. I'M SURPRISED COAST APCH OR LA APCH DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT IT, OR DENY ME A CLRNC OUT. IN THE FUTURE I SHALL TAKE GREAT PAINS TO TRIPLE CHK SMALL PRINTING IN THE FACS DIRECTORY. I THINK ARPT HRS SHOULD BE IN BOLDER PRINT.

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.