Narrative:

I got ATIS and posted it. As agent closed front door and push back crew (mechanics) ready, I was reading checklist. I called for push clearance. As I did so, I still had not had time to strap in. I did so as push back began. We taxied out and while still trying to get my breath, I thought I was caught up. We got to taxi spot 2, contacted clt ATC ground control as instructed by ramp control. Ground cleared us to runway 18R. As we approached end of runway (still running before takeoff checklist) I switched to tower frequency. Tower controller had already been trying to call us. I acknowledged on frequency and he cleared us for takeoff runway 18R. I finished checklist and we took off. At 2000 ft AGL on departure tower had not yet told us to switch to departure control. I asked him if he wanted us to go to departure control (captain flying). He said yes and I switched to departure and checked in. He told us to reset transponder to a different squawk and turn right to 270 degree heading. I reset transponder and acknowledged turn. The squawk was not a familiar number. For the first time it dawned on me -- had I forgotten to get the ATC clearance out of ACARS in the great rush to help the company with an on time push? I tried to call it up with ACARS but learned that after takeoff ACARS will not bring up the clearance. I also learned that after ATC sends clearance to us via ACARS, there is no positive receipt by ATC when we receive it. They must assume we got it. Every controller assumed all was normal and we had received the clearance. With the old manual receipt (voice method), this error would have been caught by ground at spot 2. He would have queried us if we had received our clearance, since he would not have a strip on us. But that backup to our error is not available with pre departure clearance clrncs (he has a strip on us). Fortunately for us, the WX was great, it was a short trip and our filed routing was what ATC expected us to do. Within 15 mi northwest of clt, we were given a heading for direct crw when able.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT INADVERTENTLY DEPARTED WITHOUT RECEIVING THEIR 'ACARS' FLT PLAN.

Narrative: I GOT ATIS AND POSTED IT. AS AGENT CLOSED FRONT DOOR AND PUSH BACK CREW (MECHS) READY, I WAS READING CHKLIST. I CALLED FOR PUSH CLRNC. AS I DID SO, I STILL HAD NOT HAD TIME TO STRAP IN. I DID SO AS PUSH BACK BEGAN. WE TAXIED OUT AND WHILE STILL TRYING TO GET MY BREATH, I THOUGHT I WAS CAUGHT UP. WE GOT TO TAXI SPOT 2, CONTACTED CLT ATC GND CTL AS INSTRUCTED BY RAMP CTL. GND CLRED US TO RWY 18R. AS WE APCHED END OF RWY (STILL RUNNING BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST) I SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. TWR CTLR HAD ALREADY BEEN TRYING TO CALL US. I ACKNOWLEDGED ON FREQ AND HE CLRED US FOR TKOF RWY 18R. I FINISHED CHKLIST AND WE TOOK OFF. AT 2000 FT AGL ON DEP TWR HAD NOT YET TOLD US TO SWITCH TO DEP CTL. I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED US TO GO TO DEP CTL (CAPT FLYING). HE SAID YES AND I SWITCHED TO DEP AND CHKED IN. HE TOLD US TO RESET TRANSPONDER TO A DIFFERENT SQUAWK AND TURN R TO 270 DEG HDG. I RESET TRANSPONDER AND ACKNOWLEDGED TURN. THE SQUAWK WAS NOT A FAMILIAR NUMBER. FOR THE FIRST TIME IT DAWNED ON ME -- HAD I FORGOTTEN TO GET THE ATC CLRNC OUT OF ACARS IN THE GREAT RUSH TO HELP THE COMPANY WITH AN ON TIME PUSH? I TRIED TO CALL IT UP WITH ACARS BUT LEARNED THAT AFTER TKOF ACARS WILL NOT BRING UP THE CLRNC. I ALSO LEARNED THAT AFTER ATC SENDS CLRNC TO US VIA ACARS, THERE IS NO POSITIVE RECEIPT BY ATC WHEN WE RECEIVE IT. THEY MUST ASSUME WE GOT IT. EVERY CTLR ASSUMED ALL WAS NORMAL AND WE HAD RECEIVED THE CLRNC. WITH THE OLD MANUAL RECEIPT (VOICE METHOD), THIS ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY GND AT SPOT 2. HE WOULD HAVE QUERIED US IF WE HAD RECEIVED OUR CLRNC, SINCE HE WOULD NOT HAVE A STRIP ON US. BUT THAT BACKUP TO OUR ERROR IS NOT AVAILABLE WITH PDC CLRNCS (HE HAS A STRIP ON US). FORTUNATELY FOR US, THE WX WAS GREAT, IT WAS A SHORT TRIP AND OUR FILED ROUTING WAS WHAT ATC EXPECTED US TO DO. WITHIN 15 MI NW OF CLT, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG FOR DIRECT CRW WHEN ABLE.

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.