Narrative:

Our company utilizes 'ACARS' for ATC clearance delivery at dfw. I saw the captain insert the 'code' for pulling up the IFR clearance. We were then subsequently distracted. The clearance never came up on the printer and we obviously missed putting the correct squawk in the transponder. We proceeded to taxi out and takeoff without correct squawk or a copy of correct routing to destination airport. Corrective actions: pay closer attention to checklist even though we fly same destinations routinely and knew the routing. ATC obviously thought we pulled the clearance or we would not have been issued taxi and subsequent takeoff clearance without their strip avail to them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter tried to educate analyst regarding ACARS transmission of ATC clrncs. To receive a clearance, the flight crew enters a code on the keyboard. That is all he has to do except actually read the clearance completely when it is received. At ord, the clearance is acknowledged by giving ATC the gate, squawk code and ATIS code of your trip. At dfw, the crew makes no acknowledgement. In this case, they simply forgot to read the clearance. It is unknown how the message got lost but reporter points out that it is not uncommon for a message to be addressed to the wrong aircraft and not noticed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TKOF WITHOUT IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY UTILIZES 'ACARS' FOR ATC CLRNC DELIVERY AT DFW. I SAW THE CAPT INSERT THE 'CODE' FOR PULLING UP THE IFR CLRNC. WE WERE THEN SUBSEQUENTLY DISTRACTED. THE CLRNC NEVER CAME UP ON THE PRINTER AND WE OBVIOUSLY MISSED PUTTING THE CORRECT SQUAWK IN THE TRANSPONDER. WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI OUT AND TKOF WITHOUT CORRECT SQUAWK OR A COPY OF CORRECT ROUTING TO DEST ARPT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: PAY CLOSER ATTN TO CHKLIST EVEN THOUGH WE FLY SAME DESTS ROUTINELY AND KNEW THE ROUTING. ATC OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT WE PULLED THE CLRNC OR WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ISSUED TAXI AND SUBSEQUENT TKOF CLRNC WITHOUT THEIR STRIP AVAIL TO THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR TRIED TO EDUCATE ANALYST REGARDING ACARS XMISSION OF ATC CLRNCS. TO RECEIVE A CLRNC, THE FLC ENTERS A CODE ON THE KEYBOARD. THAT IS ALL HE HAS TO DO EXCEPT ACTUALLY READ THE CLRNC COMPLETELY WHEN IT IS RECEIVED. AT ORD, THE CLRNC IS ACKNOWLEDGED BY GIVING ATC THE GATE, SQUAWK CODE AND ATIS CODE OF YOUR TRIP. AT DFW, THE CREW MAKES NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. IN THIS CASE, THEY SIMPLY FORGOT TO READ THE CLRNC. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW THE MESSAGE GOT LOST BUT RPTR POINTS OUT THAT IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A MESSAGE TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE WRONG ACFT AND NOT NOTICED.

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.