Narrative:

During the taxi out for first flight of day, I checked the passenger cabin. Duties require I look back to make sure the aisle is clear. I noticed a passenger was sitting sideways with his legs in the aisle. It appeared that his briefcase was blocking him from placing his feet in front of his seat. On completion of the before takeoff checklist, I told the captain about this passenger. The captain said he would look. As we approached the hold short line, I asked 'are you ready?' (standard call). The captain said yes. Just then the tower called 'taxi into position and hold'. The tower also told us we were to follow an aircraft departing the north runway. The captain did not come to a complete stop, but quickly turned his head to check the cabin. The captain stated the passenger was 'ok' and continued to taxi into position. The captain called for 'below the line' and we continued the checklist. The captain added power and began the takeoff roll when the tower called to say we had not been cleared for takeoff. We stopped and held for 2 mins and then proceeded to takeoff. Problem: we both spaced. No excuses. Reasons: we try to board, finish the paperwork and announcements and leave the gate very quickly. In our rush, we do not always check the cabin thoroughly (what we can see from the cockpit) before the door is closed. Solution: a little more time to make sure everything is ok. This was day 5 in a row. The previous 2 days had been 12 hour days with 8 and 7 legs. We were released at domicile at XA35 for a XB35 report this morning. 10 hours is a normal legal rest for the schedule. The time to go home, eat a quick dinner, unpack and go to bed doesn't leave enough time to sleep for the fatigue of this schedule. We both admitted that we had not had enough sleep and were tired before we started. A small distraction added to fatigue was all it took. Solution: admit we do not have the stamina to adhere to a commuter pilot schedule? Our rest was legal. All we can do is admit our fatigue, take it slowly and carefully. We spent the rest of the day checking, doublechking and verifying everything.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMT STARTED TKOF ROLL WITHOUT TKOF CLRNC AT PDX.

Narrative: DURING THE TAXI OUT FOR FIRST FLT OF DAY, I CHKED THE PAX CABIN. DUTIES REQUIRE I LOOK BACK TO MAKE SURE THE AISLE IS CLR. I NOTICED A PAX WAS SITTING SIDEWAYS WITH HIS LEGS IN THE AISLE. IT APPEARED THAT HIS BRIEFCASE WAS BLOCKING HIM FROM PLACING HIS FEET IN FRONT OF HIS SEAT. ON COMPLETION OF THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, I TOLD THE CAPT ABOUT THIS PAX. THE CAPT SAID HE WOULD LOOK. AS WE APCHED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, I ASKED 'ARE YOU READY?' (STANDARD CALL). THE CAPT SAID YES. JUST THEN THE TWR CALLED 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD'. THE TWR ALSO TOLD US WE WERE TO FOLLOW AN ACFT DEPARTING THE N RWY. THE CAPT DID NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT QUICKLY TURNED HIS HEAD TO CHK THE CABIN. THE CAPT STATED THE PAX WAS 'OK' AND CONTINUED TO TAXI INTO POS. THE CAPT CALLED FOR 'BELOW THE LINE' AND WE CONTINUED THE CHKLIST. THE CAPT ADDED PWR AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL WHEN THE TWR CALLED TO SAY WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF. WE STOPPED AND HELD FOR 2 MINS AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TKOF. PROBLEM: WE BOTH SPACED. NO EXCUSES. REASONS: WE TRY TO BOARD, FINISH THE PAPERWORK AND ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LEAVE THE GATE VERY QUICKLY. IN OUR RUSH, WE DO NOT ALWAYS CHK THE CABIN THOROUGHLY (WHAT WE CAN SEE FROM THE COCKPIT) BEFORE THE DOOR IS CLOSED. SOLUTION: A LITTLE MORE TIME TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS OK. THIS WAS DAY 5 IN A ROW. THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS HAD BEEN 12 HR DAYS WITH 8 AND 7 LEGS. WE WERE RELEASED AT DOMICILE AT XA35 FOR A XB35 RPT THIS MORNING. 10 HRS IS A NORMAL LEGAL REST FOR THE SCHEDULE. THE TIME TO GO HOME, EAT A QUICK DINNER, UNPACK AND GO TO BED DOESN'T LEAVE ENOUGH TIME TO SLEEP FOR THE FATIGUE OF THIS SCHEDULE. WE BOTH ADMITTED THAT WE HAD NOT HAD ENOUGH SLEEP AND WERE TIRED BEFORE WE STARTED. A SMALL DISTR ADDED TO FATIGUE WAS ALL IT TOOK. SOLUTION: ADMIT WE DO NOT HAVE THE STAMINA TO ADHERE TO A COMMUTER PLT SCHEDULE? OUR REST WAS LEGAL. ALL WE CAN DO IS ADMIT OUR FATIGUE, TAKE IT SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY. WE SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY CHKING, DOUBLECHKING AND VERIFYING EVERYTHING.

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.