Narrative:

This error occurred as the result of omissions of both ATC and the crew. As the first officer, it is SOP for me to obtain the route clearance prior to gate departure, via pre departure clearance if available. I failed to remember to do this on this flight. As we accomplished the before start checklist, the item 'radios/ACARS' with the response 'checked/set' was accomplished in its normal sequence and, as is SOP, was followed with a brief discussion of the initial heading, fix, altitude, etc. Neither of us referenced the transponder at this time to note that it indicated '0000' which I had set upon gate arrival as a reminder to input a new code from the new clearance. After pushback, I contacted ground control for taxi clearance and was given instructions to runway 18L. No query from ATC was made as to whether we had obtained our route clearance. We proceeded to runway 18L, contacted tower, and accomplished the before takeoff checklist as we taxied onto runway 18L. The final item on this checklist is 'transponder/radar,' to which I responded, 'TA/RA/TCASII.' we both pointed to and verified that the transponder was on, but did not notice the code '0000.' again, ATC made no query as to a route clearance. Upon being told to contact departure control, I looked to my scratch pad for the proper frequency which I normally copy from the pre departure clearance and realized I had not yet obtained it. I verified that the captain had not obtained the pre departure clearance by glancing at the transponder and noting the code '0000.' I quickly requested a pre departure clearance (in this case a post departure clearance) via ACARS and it was issued back by about 1000 ft, just as I contacted departure control. We proceeded without further incident. This is the second time this has happened to me and the third time for the captain. We discussed why and how it had occurred this time in an effort to determine where we had failed. We were diligently using the checklist, yet at no point in the checklist was either of our attention's drawn directly to the transponder 'code,' only to the switch position for verification that it was in the 'TA/RA' mode. A number of remedies were discussed to preclude this omission from occurring. Among them would be to alter the before start checklist item which precipitates discussion of the initial fix, altitude, etc to read 'radios/ACARS/clearance.' this would occur at an opportune time, before pushback, as a reminder to get a route clearance. The other side of the failure in this situation was that the ground controller was passed our strip without verification that we had received a clearance. As I had reported in my previous ASRS report in june 1993, the system that la guardia uses to insure that route clrncs are obtained before taxi should be standard around the industry. Pre departure clearance aircraft are required to call clearance at lga to verify the squawk code and the ATIS before contacting ground control. This system seems to insure positive control of the clearance from controller to pilot. Supplemental information from acn 302034: air carrier X departed clt without IFR clearance. We realized right after liftoff when we noticed squawk in transponder set at 0000. We set 0000 after reach landing to prompt us to verify that we have clearance for next departure. During before start checklist we failed to review ATC clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X DEPARTED WITHOUT PDC ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS ERROR OCCURRED AS THE RESULT OF OMISSIONS OF BOTH ATC AND THE CREW. AS THE FO, IT IS SOP FOR ME TO OBTAIN THE RTE CLRNC PRIOR TO GATE DEP, VIA PDC IF AVAILABLE. I FAILED TO REMEMBER TO DO THIS ON THIS FLT. AS WE ACCOMPLISHED THE BEFORE START CHKLIST, THE ITEM 'RADIOS/ACARS' WITH THE RESPONSE 'CHKED/SET' WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN ITS NORMAL SEQUENCE AND, AS IS SOP, WAS FOLLOWED WITH A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE INITIAL HDG, FIX, ALT, ETC. NEITHER OF US REFED THE XPONDER AT THIS TIME TO NOTE THAT IT INDICATED '0000' WHICH I HAD SET UPON GATE ARR AS A REMINDER TO INPUT A NEW CODE FROM THE NEW CLRNC. AFTER PUSHBACK, I CONTACTED GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC AND WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 18L. NO QUERY FROM ATC WAS MADE AS TO WHETHER WE HAD OBTAINED OUR RTE CLRNC. WE PROCEEDED TO RWY 18L, CONTACTED TWR, AND ACCOMPLISHED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AS WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 18L. THE FINAL ITEM ON THIS CHKLIST IS 'XPONDER/RADAR,' TO WHICH I RESPONDED, 'TA/RA/TCASII.' WE BOTH POINTED TO AND VERIFIED THAT THE XPONDER WAS ON, BUT DID NOT NOTICE THE CODE '0000.' AGAIN, ATC MADE NO QUERY AS TO A RTE CLRNC. UPON BEING TOLD TO CONTACT DEP CTL, I LOOKED TO MY SCRATCH PAD FOR THE PROPER FREQ WHICH I NORMALLY COPY FROM THE PDC AND REALIZED I HAD NOT YET OBTAINED IT. I VERIFIED THAT THE CAPT HAD NOT OBTAINED THE PDC BY GLANCING AT THE XPONDER AND NOTING THE CODE '0000.' I QUICKLY REQUESTED A PDC (IN THIS CASE A POST DEP CLRNC) VIA ACARS AND IT WAS ISSUED BACK BY ABOUT 1000 FT, JUST AS I CONTACTED DEP CTL. WE PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND THE THIRD TIME FOR THE CAPT. WE DISCUSSED WHY AND HOW IT HAD OCCURRED THIS TIME IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE WHERE WE HAD FAILED. WE WERE DILIGENTLY USING THE CHKLIST, YET AT NO POINT IN THE CHKLIST WAS EITHER OF OUR ATTN'S DRAWN DIRECTLY TO THE XPONDER 'CODE,' ONLY TO THE SWITCH POS FOR VERIFICATION THAT IT WAS IN THE 'TA/RA' MODE. A NUMBER OF REMEDIES WERE DISCUSSED TO PRECLUDE THIS OMISSION FROM OCCURRING. AMONG THEM WOULD BE TO ALTER THE BEFORE START CHKLIST ITEM WHICH PRECIPITATES DISCUSSION OF THE INITIAL FIX, ALT, ETC TO READ 'RADIOS/ACARS/CLRNC.' THIS WOULD OCCUR AT AN OPPORTUNE TIME, BEFORE PUSHBACK, AS A REMINDER TO GET A RTE CLRNC. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FAILURE IN THIS SIT WAS THAT THE GND CTLR WAS PASSED OUR STRIP WITHOUT VERIFICATION THAT WE HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC. AS I HAD RPTED IN MY PREVIOUS ASRS RPT IN JUNE 1993, THE SYS THAT LA GUARDIA USES TO INSURE THAT RTE CLRNCS ARE OBTAINED BEFORE TAXI SHOULD BE STANDARD AROUND THE INDUSTRY. PDC ACFT ARE REQUIRED TO CALL CLRNC AT LGA TO VERIFY THE SQUAWK CODE AND THE ATIS BEFORE CONTACTING GND CTL. THIS SYS SEEMS TO INSURE POSITIVE CTL OF THE CLRNC FROM CTLR TO PLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 302034: ACR X DEPARTED CLT WITHOUT IFR CLRNC. WE REALIZED RIGHT AFTER LIFTOFF WHEN WE NOTICED SQUAWK IN XPONDER SET AT 0000. WE SET 0000 AFTER REACH LNDG TO PROMPT US TO VERIFY THAT WE HAVE CLRNC FOR NEXT DEP. DURING BEFORE START CHKLIST WE FAILED TO REVIEW ATC 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.