Narrative:

Flight was a routine day. Flight from rdu to cvg. Since rdu uses pre-departure clearance (pre departure clearance) procedures, I decided to wait until the gate agent brought the pre departure clearance with the final paperwork rather than walk in and get it myself. During the 'before start' checklist, we both made a mental note when reading 'ADF/radar/transponder...checked/set' that we still needed a pre departure clearance. The agent came several mins late with the final paperwork (but no pre departure clearance) and in our haste to push back, we forgot to notice the lack of a pre departure clearance. Start, taxi, takeoff were all normal. After takeoff, when told to contact departure control, I realized we had just taken off without having our pre-departure clearance. We contacted departure control and flew our route as filed. Since we never heard anything to the contrary from ATC, I assume our mistake went unnoticed. We proceeded uneventfully to cvg. In the future, I will not be as easy and I'll get the pre departure clearance from the agent prior to reading the 'before start' checklist. Supplemental information from acn 201250. The flight was operating behind schedule. In our haste we neglected to ask the agent for the pre departure clearance when he delivered the final paperwork, although we were aware during the before start checklist that the transponder code was not yet set on our new squawk. We realized our mistake when told to switch to departure control frequency. Because of our familiarity with the normal clearance received on that route segment and assuming that the controller would expect us to continue as filed, we 'verified' our transponder code and proceeded uneventfully to cvg. Pre departure clearance's were one of the few changes we have encountered over the yrs that were welcome. It is a good system but it has taken the first officer 'out of the loop' in the sense that a radio call is no longer required. On an operation like the type aircraft we fly when we are accustomed to 'being the loop' and doing everything ourselves, even this level of automation is going to require an adjustment on my part to my normal way of doing things.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT DEPARTS ARPT WITHOUT PRE DEP CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT WAS A ROUTINE DAY. FLT FROM RDU TO CVG. SINCE RDU USES PRE-DEP CLRNC (PDC) PROCS, I DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THE GATE AGENT BROUGHT THE PDC WITH THE FINAL PAPERWORK RATHER THAN WALK IN AND GET IT MYSELF. DURING THE 'BEFORE START' CHKLIST, WE BOTH MADE A MENTAL NOTE WHEN READING 'ADF/RADAR/TRANSPONDER...CHKED/SET' THAT WE STILL NEEDED A PDC. THE AGENT CAME SEVERAL MINS LATE WITH THE FINAL PAPERWORK (BUT NO PDC) AND IN OUR HASTE TO PUSH BACK, WE FORGOT TO NOTICE THE LACK OF A PDC. START, TAXI, TKOF WERE ALL NORMAL. AFTER TKOF, WHEN TOLD TO CONTACT DEP CTL, I REALIZED WE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF WITHOUT HAVING OUR PRE-DEP CLRNC. WE CONTACTED DEP CTL AND FLEW OUR RTE AS FILED. SINCE WE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY FROM ATC, I ASSUME OUR MISTAKE WENT UNNOTICED. WE PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO CVG. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT BE AS EASY AND I'LL GET THE PDC FROM THE AGENT PRIOR TO READING THE 'BEFORE START' CHKLIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 201250. THE FLT WAS OPERATING BEHIND SCHEDULE. IN OUR HASTE WE NEGLECTED TO ASK THE AGENT FOR THE PDC WHEN HE DELIVERED THE FINAL PAPERWORK, ALTHOUGH WE WERE AWARE DURING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST THAT THE TRANSPONDER CODE WAS NOT YET SET ON OUR NEW SQUAWK. WE REALIZED OUR MISTAKE WHEN TOLD TO SWITCH TO DEP CTL FREQ. BECAUSE OF OUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE NORMAL CLRNC RECEIVED ON THAT RTE SEGMENT AND ASSUMING THAT THE CTLR WOULD EXPECT US TO CONTINUE AS FILED, WE 'VERIFIED' OUR TRANSPONDER CODE AND PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO CVG. PDC'S WERE ONE OF THE FEW CHANGES WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED OVER THE YRS THAT WERE WELCOME. IT IS A GOOD SYS BUT IT HAS TAKEN THE FO 'OUT OF THE LOOP' IN THE SENSE THAT A RADIO CALL IS NO LONGER REQUIRED. ON AN OP LIKE THE TYPE ACFT WE FLY WHEN WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO 'BEING THE LOOP' AND DOING EVERYTHING OURSELVES, EVEN THIS LEVEL OF AUTOMATION IS GOING TO REQUIRE AN ADJUSTMENT ON MY PART TO MY NORMAL WAY OF DOING THINGS.

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.