Narrative:

I was flying as captain/instrument on an medium large transport training flight from atl to ags (remaining in the local area for training) to atl, with 2 of our new first officer's. As we neared the takeoff position we were still on ground control and stopped the aircraft in position to ensure we were ready to go. As all of the remaining checklist was accomplished, we received a call asking us how much longer we would be, since there was an air carrier small transport behind us ready to go. I remember feeling somewhat pressured to try and help out by getting off as soon as possible. We apparently failed to switch to tower frequency and somehow misinterpreted the call to hurry up as our takeoff clearance. At approximately 500-700' AGL we received a radio call telling us to contact tower on 118.7. Both the first officer and I realized immediately what had happened. The small transport took off and we had the entire airport to ourselves once again. After about 20 mins of no comment from the tower, I finally couldn't stand the suspense any longer and asked, 'was our takeoff about 20 mins ago going to create any problem?' the answer was, 'I don't know, we are discussing that at this very moment.' we continued to train until we stopped to refuel. I asked ground control if it would be possible to come up to the tower and they told me how to do so. I spoke at length with tower controller who was not a supervisor, but was in charge, since all the supervisors were gone. He had tried to contact one of his supervisors by phone, but was unable. He stated that since the small transport had made some comment to the effect, 'doesn't air carrier X need a clearance to takeoff?', he felt obligated to report to someone. (He also said that if small transport had not said anything, nothing would have been reported.) instead of contacting a higher up in the ATC system, tower controller elected to contact the FAA air carrier office in atlanta and seek their advice. They told him that he would have to file a report. Tower controller stated that his supervisor would be in the following morning and listen to the tapes. Tower controller said that he wanted to listen to the tapes himself since he didn't know if any controller training was in progress. I spoke with supervisor the next day and he told me how badly he felt about the entire matter, but since tower controller had already contacted the FAA in atlanta that as the supervisor he felt he needed to file the report. He also stated that an experienced supervisor would not have called the air carrier office and would have handled the matter in an entirely different manner. I realize full well that I bear the full responsibility for my actions. I can't help but wonder why the ground controller didn't tell me to contact tower after he told me to hurry up. Why didn't the tower call me and ask what I was doing? (I have found out later that the tower called us 5 or 6 times on 118.7.) with only 2 aircraft to control on the entire airport and sitting right next to the ground controller-- assuming he was not working both frequencys himself, why didn't he think to have ground control call me? After the second call on tower frequency with no response, even a new controller should have realized that we were still on the ground control frequency. When the ground controller told us to contact tower on 118.7 after out takeoff, he knew that I was not the only person who had screwed up. He obviously knew I was on his frequency the entire time!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG UNAUTH TKOF FROM AGS WHILE ON A TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS CAPT/INSTR ON AN MLG TRNING FLT FROM ATL TO AGS (REMAINING IN THE LCL AREA FOR TRNING) TO ATL, WITH 2 OF OUR NEW F/O'S. AS WE NEARED THE TKOF POS WE WERE STILL ON GND CTL AND STOPPED THE ACFT IN POS TO ENSURE WE WERE READY TO GO. AS ALL OF THE REMAINING CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED, WE RECEIVED A CALL ASKING US HOW MUCH LONGER WE WOULD BE, SINCE THERE WAS AN ACR SMT BEHIND US READY TO GO. I REMEMBER FEELING SOMEWHAT PRESSURED TO TRY AND HELP OUT BY GETTING OFF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE APPARENTLY FAILED TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ AND SOMEHOW MISINTERPRETED THE CALL TO HURRY UP AS OUR TKOF CLRNC. AT APPROX 500-700' AGL WE RECEIVED A RADIO CALL TELLING US TO CONTACT TWR ON 118.7. BOTH THE F/O AND I REALIZED IMMEDIATELY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE SMT TOOK OFF AND WE HAD THE ENTIRE ARPT TO OURSELVES ONCE AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS OF NO COMMENT FROM THE TWR, I FINALLY COULDN'T STAND THE SUSPENSE ANY LONGER AND ASKED, 'WAS OUR TKOF ABOUT 20 MINS AGO GOING TO CREATE ANY PROB?' THE ANSWER WAS, 'I DON'T KNOW, WE ARE DISCUSSING THAT AT THIS VERY MOMENT.' WE CONTINUED TO TRAIN UNTIL WE STOPPED TO REFUEL. I ASKED GND CTL IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO COME UP TO THE TWR AND THEY TOLD ME HOW TO DO SO. I SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH TWR CTLR WHO WAS NOT A SUPVR, BUT WAS IN CHARGE, SINCE ALL THE SUPVRS WERE GONE. HE HAD TRIED TO CONTACT ONE OF HIS SUPVRS BY PHONE, BUT WAS UNABLE. HE STATED THAT SINCE THE SMT HAD MADE SOME COMMENT TO THE EFFECT, 'DOESN'T ACR X NEED A CLRNC TO TKOF?', HE FELT OBLIGATED TO RPT TO SOMEONE. (HE ALSO SAID THAT IF SMT HAD NOT SAID ANYTHING, NOTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN RPTED.) INSTEAD OF CONTACTING A HIGHER UP IN THE ATC SYS, TWR CTLR ELECTED TO CONTACT THE FAA AIR CARRIER OFFICE IN ATLANTA AND SEEK THEIR ADVICE. THEY TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO FILE A RPT. TWR CTLR STATED THAT HIS SUPVR WOULD BE IN THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND LISTEN TO THE TAPES. TWR CTLR SAID THAT HE WANTED TO LISTEN TO THE TAPES HIMSELF SINCE HE DIDN'T KNOW IF ANY CTLR TRNING WAS IN PROGRESS. I SPOKE WITH SUPVR THE NEXT DAY AND HE TOLD ME HOW BADLY HE FELT ABOUT THE ENTIRE MATTER, BUT SINCE TWR CTLR HAD ALREADY CONTACTED THE FAA IN ATLANTA THAT AS THE SUPVR HE FELT HE NEEDED TO FILE THE RPT. HE ALSO STATED THAT AN EXPERIENCED SUPVR WOULD NOT HAVE CALLED THE ACR OFFICE AND WOULD HAVE HANDLED THE MATTER IN AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MANNER. I REALIZE FULL WELL THAT I BEAR THE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHY THE GND CTLR DIDN'T TELL ME TO CONTACT TWR AFTER HE TOLD ME TO HURRY UP. WHY DIDN'T THE TWR CALL ME AND ASK WHAT I WAS DOING? (I HAVE FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE TWR CALLED US 5 OR 6 TIMES ON 118.7.) WITH ONLY 2 ACFT TO CTL ON THE ENTIRE ARPT AND SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO THE GND CTLR-- ASSUMING HE WAS NOT WORKING BOTH FREQS HIMSELF, WHY DIDN'T HE THINK TO HAVE GND CTL CALL ME? AFTER THE SECOND CALL ON TWR FREQ WITH NO RESPONSE, EVEN A NEW CTLR SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WE WERE STILL ON THE GND CTL FREQ. WHEN THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR ON 118.7 AFTER OUT TKOF, HE KNEW THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAD SCREWED UP. HE OBVIOUSLY KNEW I WAS ON HIS FREQ THE ENTIRE TIME!

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