SMA PLT WITH STUCK MIKE DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

I MADE A VFR FLT IN A CESSNA 152 FROM OAKLAND-PONTIAC (PTK) DIRECT TO ANN ARBOR MUNICIPAL (ARB) VIA THE SALEM (SVM) VORTAC. THE FLT THERE WAS UNEVENTFUL AS WELL AS THE PATTERN WORK I WAS DOING AT ARB. AFTER TAKING A BREAK; I RESUMED WORKING IN THE PATTERN. I HAD BEEN CLRED; BY GND CTL; TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE (RWY 06 WAS ACTIVE AT THE TIME). AFTER COMPLETING A RUNUP; I TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE; TUNED TO THE TWR FREQ; AND MADE MY INITIAL CALL. RECEIVING NO RESPONSE; I MADE A SECOND CALL. WITH NEGATIVE RESPONSE ON THE SECOND CALL; I TRIED CALLING THE ACFT BEHIND ME; AGAIN MAKING NO CONTACT. THINKING I HAD A RADIO FAILURE; I KEPT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TWR FOR LIGHT SIGNALS; BUT RECEIVED NONE. I THEN CYCLED THE MIKE SWITCH ON THE YOKE SEVERAL TIMES AND RECOGNIZED THE 'CLICK' SOUND WHEN RELEASED; SO I DIDN'T SUSPECT THE MIKE TO BE STICKING ON XMIT. I MADE A THIRD CALL TO THE TWR; AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. BY THIS TIME; 2 MORE ACFT HAD JOINED THE LINE FOR DEP. I HAD NOT ROOM TO TAXI CLR OF THE AREA. FEELING RUSHED AND ANXIOUS; I INCORRECTLY AND STUPIDLY ASSUMED THE TWR HAD CLOSED OPS FOR THE DAY. I THEN CHKED THE PATTERN FOR ANY TFC; I ALSO CHKED THE FINAL APCH PATH FOR ANY POSSIBLE LNDG TFC. AFTER SEEING NO TFC; I THEN MADE A CALL TO ANN ARBOR TFC STATING THAT I WAS TAKING THE ACTIVE AND REMAINING IN THE PATTERN -- THE PROC USED AT AN UNCTLED FIELD. CHKING THE PATTERN A FINAL TIME; I TAXIED ONTO AND DEPARTED FROM THE RWY. AS SOON AS I BECAME AIRBORNE; I HEARD THE CTLR CLR THE ACFT THAT WAS WAITING BEHIND ME FOR TKOF. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I MADE A BIG MISTAKE. CLRLY ANNOYED; THE CTLR STATED THAT I JUST DEPARTED WITHOUT CLRNC AND THAT I HAD STRUCK MIKE. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT; AND EVERYTHING PROCEEDED AS NORMAL. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID BY THE CTLR OTHER THAN FOR NORMAL COMS IN A CLASS D AIRSPACE AREA. THE RETURN FLT TO OAKLAND-PONTIAC WAS MADE WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. I REALIZE WHAT I DID WAS WRONG AND COULD'VE BEEN DANGEROUS; I HAD LET ANXIETY COME OVER ME BECAUSE I HAD 3 AIRPLANES BEHIND ME WAITING TO GO AND I HAD NOWHERE TO TAXI. HAD I KNOWN THAT THE MIKE SWITCH WAS STUCK ON; THE CORRECT PROC WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DISCONNECT MY HEADPHONES AND USE THE SECONDARY MIKE/OVERHEAD SPEAKER SYS. ALTHOUGH IT'S NO EXCUSE; I HAVE NEVER BEEN TRAINED FOR A STUCK MIKE SIT. AT LEAST THE GOOD SIDE TO THIS STORY IS THAT I WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO SHOULD THIS CIRCUMSTANCE ARISE AGAIN. I DID CONTACT THE TWR BY TELEPHONE 2 DAYS LATER; AND I SPOKE TO THE CTLR WHO WAS RUNNING OPS AT THE TIME. SHE REMEMBERED THE SIT AND WE DISCUSSED IT AT LENGTH. THE CTLR MADE NO THREATS TO 'TURN ME IN' AND I DID APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY; WE BOTH AGREED THAT IT WAS QUITE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.