A C172 PLT CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER THE TWR WAS OPERATIONAL; TOOK OFF WITHOUT A CLRNC.
Synopsis
A C172 PLT CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER THE TWR WAS OPERATIONAL; TOOK OFF WITHOUT A CLRNC.
Narrative
I PLANNED A PLEASURE FLT IN A RENTED C172 FROM GLENDALE; AZ; TO THE NORTHERN PART OF ARIZONA. ON THE MORNING OF DEC/MON/00; I CALLED PRESCOTT FSS FOR WX BRIEFING FOR MY FLT; DEPARTING ABOUT XA00. I WAS TOLD TWR WOULD NOT BE OPEN. AT XB00 I TAXIED AND INFORMED CTAF (121.0) IN ADVANCE; WHEN I GOT AN ANSWER TO CALL GND FOR A TAXI CLRNC. I DID SO; AND GOT MY CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 1. I WAS A BIT CONFUSED ABOUT THAT. IT TOOK ME ABOUT 10-15 MINS TO TAXI TO THE RWY; DO THE RUN-UP; ETC. WHEN HOLDING SHORT; I TRIED TO CALL TWR TO GET A TKOF CLRNC; BUT COULD NOT RECEIVE ANYONE. A SWITCHED TO THE SECOND RADIO; AND EVEN ON THE GND FREQ I COULD NOT RECEIVE ANYONE. CONFUSED AGAIN; I THOUGHT THE TWR MUST HAVE CLOSED DURING MY TAXI AND RUN-UP. I VERIFIED A MOONEY ON FINAL AND IN THE TFC PATTERN WHO COULD BE ENDANGERED; ADVISED ON CTAF THAT I WOULD LINE UP RWY 1 AND DEPARTED. SHORTLY AFTER AIRBORNE; I RECEIVED TWR CALLING ME; NEEDED AGAIN SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE TWR. LANDED IN SEDONA. I CALLED PRESCOTT FSS AGAIN TO GET THE TWR'S TELEPHONE NUMBER (NOT IN THE AFD); AND AGAIN GOT THE INFO 'THERE WON'T E ANYONE ON THE TWR.' I CALLED THE TWR PERSONNEL AND APOLOGIZED FOR MY MISTAKE. I DO NOT KNOW THE REASON FOR THE COM PROB; MAYBE A XMISSION PROB. IT CAN ALSO BE THAT I MISTOOK THE PUSH-TO-TALK BUTTON WITH THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGE BUTTON. BOTH WERE ARRANGED CLOSE TO EACH OTHER ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE YOLK. I CAUGHT MYSELF ONE TIME DURING FLT DOING SO. ON THE REST OF THE FLT THERE WERE NO PROBS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.