ACARS unit of deferred maintenance. Flight crew departs without picking up pre-departure clearance.

Attributes
ACN	232909
Time
Date	199302
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sfo artcc : zkc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	232909
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

The company aircraft are equipped with an ACARS unit for communication with company. We also use this for pre-departure clearance to pick up our ATC clearance. This particular day, the unit was deferred and not in use. The captain and myself got concerned with WX and passenger problems and I forgot to pick up our ATC clearance (sfo-lax). Ground control said nothing and tower said nothing! Bay departure asked us to change our squawk and the flight to lax continued uneventfully. Since apparently there is no acknowledgement system after the clearance is received, then it's apparent that ATC has no idea if you copied the ATC clearance. Great system!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACARS UNIT OF DEFERRED MAINT. FLC DEPARTS WITHOUT PICKING UP PRE-DEP CLRNC.

Narrative: THE COMPANY ACFT ARE EQUIPPED WITH AN ACARS UNIT FOR COM WITH COMPANY. WE ALSO USE THIS FOR PRE-DEP CLRNC TO PICK UP OUR ATC CLRNC. THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THE UNIT WAS DEFERRED AND NOT IN USE. THE CAPT AND MYSELF GOT CONCERNED WITH WX AND PAX PROBS AND I FORGOT TO PICK UP OUR ATC CLRNC (SFO-LAX). GND CTL SAID NOTHING AND TWR SAID NOTHING! BAY DEP ASKED US TO CHANGE OUR SQUAWK AND THE FLT TO LAX CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. SINCE APPARENTLY THERE IS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SYS AFTER THE CLRNC IS RECEIVED, THEN IT'S APPARENT THAT ATC HAS NO IDEA IF YOU COPIED THE ATC CLRNC. GREAT SYS!

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.