Narrative:

I'm a pilot that was working at andrews AFB aeronautical club as a flight instructor. My girlfriend needed to go to elizabethton, tn, for business and chose to have me fly her there. I rented a C-177 from adw aeronautical club and off we went. Flight to elizabethton, tn, was uneventful except that the heater was inoperative, and we froze. The problem arose when we were to depart elizabethton. The airport was open when I arrived to preflight. It had snowed the night before and I needed to scrape ice and snow off my wings. 2-HRS later I was ready to fly but the WX started to get bad as I started my engine. I had an IFR clearance from tri-city, but the snow was really coming down. The airport manager decided to close the airport due to snow and ice, he called over the unicom. To relay this to me and I agreed that this was a good decision. After shutdown I asked the manager what it would take to reopen the runway, he said the sun would need to come out and melt some snow and ice on the runway. Later that day the sun came out. So I went to the airport. In short. The manager of the airport had gone home for the day and I decided to go after a good look at the runway and a high speed taxi on it. I decided the runway was safe and took off from an uncontrolled airport that was notamed closed by the airport manager. I always thought uncontrolled meant uncontrolled, but I was wrong. Just because an airport is uncontrolled, if it is notamed closed even without an X on the runway, you cannot take off or land. The manager of elizabethton called my manager at andrews and I lost my job. Now I have no flying -- job, I just hope I don't lose my pilot certificates over this. Bad day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI PERFORMS AN UNAUTH TKOF FROM CLOSED RWY ARPT.

Narrative: I'M A PLT THAT WAS WORKING AT ANDREWS AFB AERO CLUB AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR. MY GIRLFRIEND NEEDED TO GO TO ELIZABETHTON, TN, FOR BUSINESS AND CHOSE TO HAVE ME FLY HER THERE. I RENTED A C-177 FROM ADW AERO CLUB AND OFF WE WENT. FLT TO ELIZABETHTON, TN, WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT THAT THE HEATER WAS INOP, AND WE FROZE. THE PROB AROSE WHEN WE WERE TO DEPART ELIZABETHTON. THE ARPT WAS OPEN WHEN I ARRIVED TO PREFLT. IT HAD SNOWED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I NEEDED TO SCRAPE ICE AND SNOW OFF MY WINGS. 2-HRS LATER I WAS READY TO FLY BUT THE WX STARTED TO GET BAD AS I STARTED MY ENG. I HAD AN IFR CLRNC FROM TRI-CITY, BUT THE SNOW WAS REALLY COMING DOWN. THE ARPT MGR DECIDED TO CLOSE THE ARPT DUE TO SNOW AND ICE, HE CALLED OVER THE UNICOM. TO RELAY THIS TO ME AND I AGREED THAT THIS WAS A GOOD DECISION. AFTER SHUTDOWN I ASKED THE MGR WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO REOPEN THE RWY, HE SAID THE SUN WOULD NEED TO COME OUT AND MELT SOME SNOW AND ICE ON THE RWY. LATER THAT DAY THE SUN CAME OUT. SO I WENT TO THE ARPT. IN SHORT. THE MGR OF THE ARPT HAD GONE HOME FOR THE DAY AND I DECIDED TO GO AFTER A GOOD LOOK AT THE RWY AND A HIGH SPD TAXI ON IT. I DECIDED THE RWY WAS SAFE AND TOOK OFF FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT THAT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED BY THE ARPT MGR. I ALWAYS THOUGHT UNCTLED MEANT UNCTLED, BUT I WAS WRONG. JUST BECAUSE AN ARPT IS UNCTLED, IF IT IS NOTAMED CLOSED EVEN WITHOUT AN X ON THE RWY, YOU CANNOT TAKE OFF OR LAND. THE MGR OF ELIZABETHTON CALLED MY MGR AT ANDREWS AND I LOST MY JOB. NOW I HAVE NO FLYING -- JOB, I JUST HOPE I DON'T LOSE MY PLT CERTIFICATES OVER THIS. BAD DAY.

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