Medium large transport departs without pre departure clearance clearance.

Attributes
ACN	250847
Time
Date	199309
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt tower : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	250847
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 8400 flight time type : 5600
ASRS Report	250495
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our company uses pre departure clearance to retrieve ATC clearance on ACARS. I requested our clearance but it didn't come up. I left the aircraft for a couple of mins and when I returned, I failed to request the clearance a second time. We completed all checklists and departed still failing to realize we hadn't received the clearance. On climb out, we received the departure frequency from the tower. Departure gave us the correct squawk code. Since we had a copy of the company routing and were accustomed to using the hornet SID, we were lucky we ended up doing what we were supposed to do. I was surprised that none of the controllers seemed aware that we didn't have the text of the clearance. I'm also surprised the captain didn't catch my mistake. He was in the cockpit the entire time (at the gate). I thing he was preoccupied with something. Sometimes things become so routine it becomes easy to overlook the obvious. On our checklist (before start) there is an item 'radios/ACARS.' that was our only opportunity to prevent this error, but neither of us looked up the departure frequency or squawk code. Supplemental information from acn 250495: there seems to be no real xchk if a clearance has been received by pre departure clearance. Pilots need to xchk themselves with some sort of reminder. For example: altitude alerter set to 0 or transponder on 0000 until clearance received.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG DEPARTS WITHOUT PDC CLRNC.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY USES PDC TO RETRIEVE ATC CLRNC ON ACARS. I REQUESTED OUR CLRNC BUT IT DIDN'T COME UP. I LEFT THE ACFT FOR A COUPLE OF MINS AND WHEN I RETURNED, I FAILED TO REQUEST THE CLRNC A SECOND TIME. WE COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AND DEPARTED STILL FAILING TO REALIZE WE HADN'T RECEIVED THE CLRNC. ON CLBOUT, WE RECEIVED THE DEP FREQ FROM THE TWR. DEP GAVE US THE CORRECT SQUAWK CODE. SINCE WE HAD A COPY OF THE COMPANY ROUTING AND WERE ACCUSTOMED TO USING THE HORNET SID, WE WERE LUCKY WE ENDED UP DOING WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. I WAS SURPRISED THAT NONE OF THE CTLRS SEEMED AWARE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TEXT OF THE CLRNC. I'M ALSO SURPRISED THE CAPT DIDN'T CATCH MY MISTAKE. HE WAS IN THE COCKPIT THE ENTIRE TIME (AT THE GATE). I THING HE WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH SOMETHING. SOMETIMES THINGS BECOME SO ROUTINE IT BECOMES EASY TO OVERLOOK THE OBVIOUS. ON OUR CHKLIST (BEFORE START) THERE IS AN ITEM 'RADIOS/ACARS.' THAT WAS OUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT THIS ERROR, BUT NEITHER OF US LOOKED UP THE DEP FREQ OR SQUAWK CODE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 250495: THERE SEEMS TO BE NO REAL XCHK IF A CLRNC HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY PDC. PLTS NEED TO XCHK THEMSELVES WITH SOME SORT OF REMINDER. FOR EXAMPLE: ALT ALERTER SET TO 0 OR XPONDER ON 0000 UNTIL CLRNC RECEIVED.

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.