Narrative:

On the morning of feb/thu/95 at approximately XA30 am, having completed my runup and with ATIS information, I contacted ground control at dpa on 120.9. Ground and tower position were combined. The controller gave me a choice of runways in use (runway 1L or runway 28). I chose runway 28 and being cleared, I taxied toward runway 28. Although there seemed to be no traffic at the airport, I advised the controller that I was crossing runway 33 on my way to runway 28, and received a somewhat facetious (I perceived) 'thanks' reply from the controller. Arriving at runway 28 I held short and heard another aircraft contact the controller and request taxi to runway 28. The controller cleared him. To my knowledge there had been no other conversation from arriving aircraft, departing aircraft, or taxiing aircraft during this time period on frequency 120.9. I then told the controller that I (small aircraft X) was ready at runway 28. After waiting quite some time for a reply but not receiving one, I believed that I must have been cleared for runway 28. At this time I continued to monitor 120.9, and hearing no arriving aircraft, looking out my windows and seeing no aircraft in the pattern, I slowly proceeded onto runway 28, paused, then began my takeoff roll. Shortly after my wheels left the ground, the controller came back on 120.9 and asked if he could ask me a question. I replied yes. He then asked if I had ever heard him clear me for takeoff. I believe I responded 'no, not specifically,' but thought to myself that neither had I ever heard him tell me to hold short. I promptly apologized for the error in judgement and then suggested that it must have been my mistake. He then said that he was going to give me a phone number either now or when I landed, and asked if I was ready to take down that number. Having one hand on the yoke and one hand on the throttle, 300-400 ft AGL, I responded that I would prefer to contact him upon my return in approximately 1 1/2 hours. Upon my return to dpa at approximately XB00 that same morning, I went to the control tower to consult with the controller. I was admitted up to the control room where I met the supervisor. She advised me that the controller had filed a report regarding the matter. She noted that she had been on a coffee break at the time of the situation, but understood that no other aircraft were in the area, and that the controller was obligated to file a report. At her request I filled out my name, address and pilot's certificate number. I then asked her for the controller's name, but she refused to give me this information, only that 'his initials are XXX, and they'll know who that is.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X VIOLATION FAR RWY INCURSION MADE TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC. COMBINED POS OP.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF FEB/THU/95 AT APPROX XA30 AM, HAVING COMPLETED MY RUNUP AND WITH ATIS INFO, I CONTACTED GND CTL AT DPA ON 120.9. GND AND TWR POS WERE COMBINED. THE CTLR GAVE ME A CHOICE OF RWYS IN USE (RWY 1L OR RWY 28). I CHOSE RWY 28 AND BEING CLRED, I TAXIED TOWARD RWY 28. ALTHOUGH THERE SEEMED TO BE NO TFC AT THE ARPT, I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WAS XING RWY 33 ON MY WAY TO RWY 28, AND RECEIVED A SOMEWHAT FACETIOUS (I PERCEIVED) 'THANKS' REPLY FROM THE CTLR. ARRIVING AT RWY 28 I HELD SHORT AND HEARD ANOTHER ACFT CONTACT THE CTLR AND REQUEST TAXI TO RWY 28. THE CTLR CLRED HIM. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE HAD BEEN NO OTHER CONVERSATION FROM ARRIVING ACFT, DEPARTING ACFT, OR TAXIING ACFT DURING THIS TIME PERIOD ON FREQ 120.9. I THEN TOLD THE CTLR THAT I (SMA X) WAS READY AT RWY 28. AFTER WAITING QUITE SOME TIME FOR A REPLY BUT NOT RECEIVING ONE, I BELIEVED THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR RWY 28. AT THIS TIME I CONTINUED TO MONITOR 120.9, AND HEARING NO ARRIVING ACFT, LOOKING OUT MY WINDOWS AND SEEING NO ACFT IN THE PATTERN, I SLOWLY PROCEEDED ONTO RWY 28, PAUSED, THEN BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL. SHORTLY AFTER MY WHEELS LEFT THE GND, THE CTLR CAME BACK ON 120.9 AND ASKED IF HE COULD ASK ME A QUESTION. I REPLIED YES. HE THEN ASKED IF I HAD EVER HEARD HIM CLR ME FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE I RESPONDED 'NO, NOT SPECIFICALLY,' BUT THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT NEITHER HAD I EVER HEARD HIM TELL ME TO HOLD SHORT. I PROMPTLY APOLOGIZED FOR THE ERROR IN JUDGEMENT AND THEN SUGGESTED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN MY MISTAKE. HE THEN SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME A PHONE NUMBER EITHER NOW OR WHEN I LANDED, AND ASKED IF I WAS READY TO TAKE DOWN THAT NUMBER. HAVING ONE HAND ON THE YOKE AND ONE HAND ON THE THROTTLE, 300-400 FT AGL, I RESPONDED THAT I WOULD PREFER TO CONTACT HIM UPON MY RETURN IN APPROX 1 1/2 HRS. UPON MY RETURN TO DPA AT APPROX XB00 THAT SAME MORNING, I WENT TO THE CTL TWR TO CONSULT WITH THE CTLR. I WAS ADMITTED UP TO THE CTL ROOM WHERE I MET THE SUPVR. SHE ADVISED ME THAT THE CTLR HAD FILED A RPT REGARDING THE MATTER. SHE NOTED THAT SHE HAD BEEN ON A COFFEE BREAK AT THE TIME OF THE SIT, BUT UNDERSTOOD THAT NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA, AND THAT THE CTLR WAS OBLIGATED TO FILE A RPT. AT HER REQUEST I FILLED OUT MY NAME, ADDRESS AND PLT'S CERTIFICATE NUMBER. I THEN ASKED HER FOR THE CTLR'S NAME, BUT SHE REFUSED TO GIVE ME THIS INFO, ONLY THAT 'HIS INITIALS ARE XXX, AND THEY'LL KNOW WHO THAT IS.'

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.