Narrative:

Prepared aircraft to depart jfk to lax. Delayed due to computer being down and lack of final paperwork. At 10 mins after departure time, we were handed a stack of papers, agent picked up our flight release sheet and ran out to close the door. I completed performance data for takeoff as well as other duties of first officer and captain reviewed our predep clearance. I overheard the comment that the clearance contained an unusual initial heading. We pushed back, very rushed, as we were already late. A relatively short taxi which also had our attention directed to an engine that was difficult to start. We completed all checklists and taxied out onto the departure runway awaiting takeoff clearance. At this point, the first officer noticed that we had obtained a predep clearance that was for another flight. The captain stated we should taxi clear of runway and call for clearance, I strongly agreed. First officer told me to call clearance delivery and gave me their frequency. I immediately called clearance delivery and was advised by them that my clearance was on request. Very shortly clearance came back and stated that he showed we had already received our clearance. I had been expecting that we would be taxiing off runway at this time. Instead, as I heard clearance delivery say we had clearance, I noticed throttles coming up for takeoff. I could not respond to clearance delivery, instead I completed the final items of the takeoff checklist as we began our takeoff roll. Flight was completed with no further incident. I am not sure of our flight plan clearance status for this flight. Captain stated after takeoff he had called tower to check on squawk. Jfk tower gave him the squawk he showed for us and we were cleared for takeoff. Jfk tower had responded to captain's initial request to taxi clear of runway with a response that they didn't know what the problem was. I feel we should have been given unquestioned clearance to taxi clear of active runway. I also feel jfk needs to put in place a xchk of clearance such as other airports have by requiring flts to check in with clearance delivery/ground, etc...with appropriate squawk or other specific information to ensure clearance was received.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT FLEW WITHOUT A PROPER AIRWAYS CLRNC.

Narrative: PREPARED ACFT TO DEPART JFK TO LAX. DELAYED DUE TO COMPUTER BEING DOWN AND LACK OF FINAL PAPERWORK. AT 10 MINS AFTER DEP TIME, WE WERE HANDED A STACK OF PAPERS, AGENT PICKED UP OUR FLT RELEASE SHEET AND RAN OUT TO CLOSE THE DOOR. I COMPLETED PERFORMANCE DATA FOR TKOF AS WELL AS OTHER DUTIES OF FO AND CAPT REVIEWED OUR PREDEP CLRNC. I OVERHEARD THE COMMENT THAT THE CLRNC CONTAINED AN UNUSUAL INITIAL HDG. WE PUSHED BACK, VERY RUSHED, AS WE WERE ALREADY LATE. A RELATIVELY SHORT TAXI WHICH ALSO HAD OUR ATTN DIRECTED TO AN ENG THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO START. WE COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AND TAXIED OUT ONTO THE DEP RWY AWAITING TKOF CLRNC. AT THIS POINT, THE FO NOTICED THAT WE HAD OBTAINED A PREDEP CLRNC THAT WAS FOR ANOTHER FLT. THE CAPT STATED WE SHOULD TAXI CLR OF RWY AND CALL FOR CLRNC, I STRONGLY AGREED. FO TOLD ME TO CALL CLRNC DELIVERY AND GAVE ME THEIR FREQ. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND WAS ADVISED BY THEM THAT MY CLRNC WAS ON REQUEST. VERY SHORTLY CLRNC CAME BACK AND STATED THAT HE SHOWED WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED OUR CLRNC. I HAD BEEN EXPECTING THAT WE WOULD BE TAXIING OFF RWY AT THIS TIME. INSTEAD, AS I HEARD CLRNC DELIVERY SAY WE HAD CLRNC, I NOTICED THROTTLES COMING UP FOR TKOF. I COULD NOT RESPOND TO CLRNC DELIVERY, INSTEAD I COMPLETED THE FINAL ITEMS OF THE TKOF CHKLIST AS WE BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL. FLT WAS COMPLETED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I AM NOT SURE OF OUR FLT PLAN CLRNC STATUS FOR THIS FLT. CAPT STATED AFTER TKOF HE HAD CALLED TWR TO CHK ON SQUAWK. JFK TWR GAVE HIM THE SQUAWK HE SHOWED FOR US AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. JFK TWR HAD RESPONDED TO CAPT'S INITIAL REQUEST TO TAXI CLR OF RWY WITH A RESPONSE THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROB WAS. I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN UNQUESTIONED CLRNC TO TAXI CLR OF ACTIVE RWY. I ALSO FEEL JFK NEEDS TO PUT IN PLACE A XCHK OF CLRNC SUCH AS OTHER ARPTS HAVE BY REQUIRING FLTS TO CHK IN WITH CLRNC DELIVERY/GND, ETC...WITH APPROPRIATE SQUAWK OR OTHER SPECIFIC INFO TO ENSURE CLRNC WAS 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.