Narrative:

On jul/wed/03, we taxied from the ramp at gtr to the active runway. Our position and intentions were announced 3 times from the ramp to the start of the takeoff phase. All position reporting was done on the CTAF of 122.80 as we believed the airfield to be uncontrolled. After announcing our intentions to depart runway 36 and while applying takeoff thrust, a controller's voice came over unicom notifying us that the field was controled and that we were cleared for takeoff. The thrust was immediately retarded to idle while we queried the controller. He restated that we were cleared for takeoff. After climbing through 10000 ft, a call was made back to talk to the tower controller. The controller informed us that the tower facilities were temporary and part-time with operations from mon-fri, XA00 to XH00. He also mentioned that the ASOS had been broadcasting the NOTAM about the tower in previous weeks, but had not been on there that day. I confirmed his statement by referencing my own transcription of the ASOS, and by listening to it again. In researching the tower at gtr, I have learned that the facility is operated by military controllers from columbus air force base. The tower will be removed at the end of jul 2003. Some contributing factors to our incursion might include, unclr NOTAMS on the company dispatch, crew unfamiliarity with the local airport, part-time tower operations, and no query from ground control on our taxi to the runway. The dispatch release made mention of a temporary tower, but the wording made it to sound as though it was not to be used for receiving clrncs. After repeated readings, and our experience, the meaning was clear. The meaning was that the temporary tower was not to be used to obtain IFR clrncs. Also, 'ground control' was used for ground control instead of 'ground' which is more commonly used as an abbreviation for 'ground.' the captain had not been to the airport in a couple of years and I had never been there before. As far as I knew, the field was the only airport in our system that does not have at least a part-time tower. The previous night, we talked with columbus approach on our way into the airport. It was necessary for us to activate the pilot controled lighting on the field and we canceled our flight plan on the ground with approach. Our mindset was that we were at an uncontrolled field and that carried on through the operations. The fact of the matter is that our arrival was after operations had ceased. In retrospect, it is also interesting to note that the ground controller never got our attention when we taxied all the way to the runway without a clearance to taxi. Had we recognized that there was a ground controller, we would have been more aware of other control on the field. As it relates to factors affecting the quality of human performance, I believe that CRM was fairly effective in spite of the incursion. Being that we thought that we were at an uncontrolled airport, we were more vigilant and took things slowly. It is interesting that we had the same misunderstanding of the fact that the field might actually be controled. The field was notamed for tower operations, but our notations on the release made us to believe that we were exempt. All of the charts including local and en route depict gtr as an uncontrolled field without exception. Things that could prevent future incursions could include, better NOTAMS and ASOS messages making pilots aware of the times of operation of the tower. Also, if in doubt, just try the frequency listed for ground control (ground control) or tower to see if anyone is there to respond.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY AND RWY INCURSION WHEN A CL65 FLT CREW TAXIES AND TAKES OFF WITHOUT TALKING WITH GND CTLR OR TWR AT GTR, MS.

Narrative: ON JUL/WED/03, WE TAXIED FROM THE RAMP AT GTR TO THE ACTIVE RWY. OUR POS AND INTENTIONS WERE ANNOUNCED 3 TIMES FROM THE RAMP TO THE START OF THE TKOF PHASE. ALL POS RPTING WAS DONE ON THE CTAF OF 122.80 AS WE BELIEVED THE AIRFIELD TO BE UNCTLED. AFTER ANNOUNCING OUR INTENTIONS TO DEPART RWY 36 AND WHILE APPLYING TKOF THRUST, A CTLR'S VOICE CAME OVER UNICOM NOTIFYING US THAT THE FIELD WAS CTLED AND THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. THE THRUST WAS IMMEDIATELY RETARDED TO IDLE WHILE WE QUERIED THE CTLR. HE RESTATED THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT, A CALL WAS MADE BACK TO TALK TO THE TWR CTLR. THE CTLR INFORMED US THAT THE TWR FACILITIES WERE TEMPORARY AND PART-TIME WITH OPS FROM MON-FRI, XA00 TO XH00. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE ASOS HAD BEEN BROADCASTING THE NOTAM ABOUT THE TWR IN PREVIOUS WEEKS, BUT HAD NOT BEEN ON THERE THAT DAY. I CONFIRMED HIS STATEMENT BY REFING MY OWN TRANSCRIPTION OF THE ASOS, AND BY LISTENING TO IT AGAIN. IN RESEARCHING THE TWR AT GTR, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE FACILITY IS OPERATED BY MIL CTLRS FROM COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE. THE TWR WILL BE REMOVED AT THE END OF JUL 2003. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO OUR INCURSION MIGHT INCLUDE, UNCLR NOTAMS ON THE COMPANY DISPATCH, CREW UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE LCL ARPT, PART-TIME TWR OPS, AND NO QUERY FROM GND CTL ON OUR TAXI TO THE RWY. THE DISPATCH RELEASE MADE MENTION OF A TEMPORARY TWR, BUT THE WORDING MADE IT TO SOUND AS THOUGH IT WAS NOT TO BE USED FOR RECEIVING CLRNCS. AFTER REPEATED READINGS, AND OUR EXPERIENCE, THE MEANING WAS CLR. THE MEANING WAS THAT THE TEMPORARY TWR WAS NOT TO BE USED TO OBTAIN IFR CLRNCS. ALSO, 'GC' WAS USED FOR GND CTL INSTEAD OF 'GND' WHICH IS MORE COMMONLY USED AS AN ABBREVIATION FOR 'GND.' THE CAPT HAD NOT BEEN TO THE ARPT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AND I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. AS FAR AS I KNEW, THE FIELD WAS THE ONLY ARPT IN OUR SYS THAT DOES NOT HAVE AT LEAST A PART-TIME TWR. THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, WE TALKED WITH COLUMBUS APCH ON OUR WAY INTO THE ARPT. IT WAS NECESSARY FOR US TO ACTIVATE THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING ON THE FIELD AND WE CANCELED OUR FLT PLAN ON THE GND WITH APCH. OUR MINDSET WAS THAT WE WERE AT AN UNCTLED FIELD AND THAT CARRIED ON THROUGH THE OPS. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT OUR ARR WAS AFTER OPS HAD CEASED. IN RETROSPECT, IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE GND CTLR NEVER GOT OUR ATTN WHEN WE TAXIED ALL THE WAY TO THE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC TO TAXI. HAD WE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS A GND CTLR, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF OTHER CTL ON THE FIELD. AS IT RELATES TO FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE, I BELIEVE THAT CRM WAS FAIRLY EFFECTIVE IN SPITE OF THE INCURSION. BEING THAT WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE AT AN UNCTLED ARPT, WE WERE MORE VIGILANT AND TOOK THINGS SLOWLY. IT IS INTERESTING THAT WE HAD THE SAME MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE FACT THAT THE FIELD MIGHT ACTUALLY BE CTLED. THE FIELD WAS NOTAMED FOR TWR OPS, BUT OUR NOTATIONS ON THE RELEASE MADE US TO BELIEVE THAT WE WERE EXEMPT. ALL OF THE CHARTS INCLUDING LCL AND ENRTE DEPICT GTR AS AN UNCTLED FIELD WITHOUT EXCEPTION. THINGS THAT COULD PREVENT FUTURE INCURSIONS COULD INCLUDE, BETTER NOTAMS AND ASOS MESSAGES MAKING PLTS AWARE OF THE TIMES OF OP OF THE TWR. ALSO, IF IN DOUBT, JUST TRY THE FREQ LISTED FOR GC (GND CTL) OR TWR TO SEE IF ANYONE IS THERE TO RESPOND.

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.