Medium large transport flight crew unable to receive clearance and weight and balance information fr...

Attributes
ACN	225533
Time
Date	199210
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9900 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	225533
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Crew passing through pittsburgh, PA, with an aircraft change and continuing flight to gso and then return to pit. Pittsburgh is one of the stations where we get our ATC clearance via the ACARS system (automatic no voice contact). We had completed our preflight, done the checklists, etc, started engines and taxied out for takeoff. We also get our weight and balance data plus company messages, etc, via ACARS. As we approached #1 for takeoff, we still did not have our weight and balance data. Voice transmissions to company to get the weights made us aware that the ACARS was not functioning normally. I tried to coordinate with tower while the first officer worked with the company to obtain the weights. Tower did not want me to hold short but taxi into position and hold while we got the numbers. I also asked about pulling across runway to clear while we got our information. Tower said 'no, let us know when you are ready.' about then we got the weights and first officer said we don't have a squawk. I ask tower to verify squawk. They cleared us for takeoff. As we were rolling, the first officer made it clear to me that he had neglected to get the ATC clearance. The only thing to do then was continue the takeoff, which we did. After we were airborne we verified our route with departure and continued to our destination. Several things were factors here. First with the ACARS system, there is no voice backup as there used to be so ground and tower let us taxi and takeoff where they wouldn't have on the old voice system. Second, we were trying to make schedule and with the ACARS system malfunctioning were distracted getting the weight and balance via the radio. Third, there was a lack of clear communications in the cockpit, leading me to start the takeoff roll before I realized the exact nature of the problem. My first officer was extremely conscientious so I am still not sure that he didn't enter the ATC clearance in the ACARS system and the system malfunctioned. However, we assumed he neglected to request the clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC UNABLE TO RECEIVE CLRNC AND WT AND BAL INFO FROM MALFUNCTIONING ACARS. DEPART WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: CREW PASSING THROUGH PITTSBURGH, PA, WITH AN ACFT CHANGE AND CONTINUING FLT TO GSO AND THEN RETURN TO PIT. PITTSBURGH IS ONE OF THE STATIONS WHERE WE GET OUR ATC CLRNC VIA THE ACARS SYS (AUTOMATIC NO VOICE CONTACT). WE HAD COMPLETED OUR PREFLT, DONE THE CHKLISTS, ETC, STARTED ENGS AND TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF. WE ALSO GET OUR WT AND BAL DATA PLUS COMPANY MESSAGES, ETC, VIA ACARS. AS WE APCHED #1 FOR TKOF, WE STILL DID NOT HAVE OUR WT AND BAL DATA. VOICE TRANSMISSIONS TO COMPANY TO GET THE WTS MADE US AWARE THAT THE ACARS WAS NOT FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. I TRIED TO COORDINATE WITH TWR WHILE THE FO WORKED WITH THE COMPANY TO OBTAIN THE WTS. TWR DID NOT WANT ME TO HOLD SHORT BUT TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD WHILE WE GOT THE NUMBERS. I ALSO ASKED ABOUT PULLING ACROSS RWY TO CLR WHILE WE GOT OUR INFO. TWR SAID 'NO, LET US KNOW WHEN YOU ARE READY.' ABOUT THEN WE GOT THE WTS AND FO SAID WE DON'T HAVE A SQUAWK. I ASK TWR TO VERIFY SQUAWK. THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF. AS WE WERE ROLLING, THE FO MADE IT CLR TO ME THAT HE HAD NEGLECTED TO GET THE ATC CLRNC. THE ONLY THING TO DO THEN WAS CONTINUE THE TKOF, WHICH WE DID. AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE WE VERIFIED OUR RTE WITH DEP AND CONTINUED TO OUR DEST. SEVERAL THINGS WERE FACTORS HERE. FIRST WITH THE ACARS SYS, THERE IS NO VOICE BACKUP AS THERE USED TO BE SO GND AND TWR LET US TAXI AND TKOF WHERE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE ON THE OLD VOICE SYS. SECOND, WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE SCHEDULE AND WITH THE ACARS SYS MALFUNCTIONING WERE DISTRACTED GETTING THE WT AND BAL VIA THE RADIO. THIRD, THERE WAS A LACK OF CLR COMS IN THE COCKPIT, LEADING ME TO START THE TKOF ROLL BEFORE I REALIZED THE EXACT NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. MY FO WAS EXTREMELY CONSCIENTIOUS SO I AM STILL NOT SURE THAT HE DIDN'T ENTER THE ATC CLRNC IN THE ACARS SYS AND THE SYS MALFUNCTIONED. HOWEVER, WE ASSUMED HE NEGLECTED TO REQUEST THE CLRNC.

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.

Medium large transport flight crew unable to receive clearance and weight and balance information from malfunctioning ACARS. Depart without clearance.