Narrative:

I have been with this carrier since mar/xa/95 and all the capts I have flown with so far have been good at crew resource management. This particular day, though, I flew with a captain who is very friendly but lacks good cockpit resource management skills and tends to rush through checklists. We were already running late when we landed at SOP and were scheduled for an 18 min turnaround. The captain had the load manifest completed, both engines running, and was giving the ready-to-taxi signal to the marshal just as the flight attendant was giving me the passenger load sheet. She almost fell as the aircraft started moving. At uncontrolled airports, it is company policy to call for an IFR clearance as you taxi out. In this case, I called fay clearance. The controller quickly read the clearance so fast that I only wrote down the initial altitude and squawk code. Already wrapped up in this 'hurry- up' mode, I only read back the initial altitude and squawk code (I was already familiar with the routing). The captain called for taxi checks and I went through it to the last item, flight attendant notified, but could not accomplish that item because the flight attendant was still giving the passenger briefing. I'm listening and waiting for the flight attendant to finish and I'm also listening for ATC to release us. All the while, ATC is talking to some other aircraft. When the flight attendant finished the briefing, I announced 'prepare the cabin for takeoff.' now the captain called for the takeoff checklist. Consequently, I was reading and accomplishing checklist items, watching the flight attendant call light for a 'I'm ready for takeoff' signal and listening to ATC for a release. I think it was about at this point where I lost some situational awareness. The flight attendant signaled ready so now the taxi checklist was complete as was about 1/2 of the takeoff checklist. We then finished the remaining items on the takeoff checklist and departed. I was the PF. After takeoff the captain called the company station to give out and off times. While the captain was doing this, fay departure asked me if we departed VFR or if we had a clearance. I replied that we had an IFR clearance. However, just after I said that I realized that I couldn't recall getting a release. I told them to stand by. I then told the captain what I thought we had just done. He said that while we were taxiing out ATC had released us and that the controller just didn't remember. He then told ATC that we had been released. I still don't remember hearing ATC release us. Contributing factors would be that the takeoff checklist was being read while the taxi checklist had not yet been finished. In addition the takeoff checklist was being read well before we ever even got close to the hold line. In my opinion the takeoff checklist should not be started until you have passed the hold line. Also, I am going to recommend that the company policy of obtaining a clearance while taxiing out be changed to obtaining the clearance prior to taxi as is the case at controled airports. This will eliminate much of the workload during taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CLRNC WAS 'HOLD FOR RELEASE' AND THE FLC FAILED TO OBTAIN RELEASE, CITING 'HURRY-UP' AS A CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS CARRIER SINCE MAR/XA/95 AND ALL THE CAPTS I HAVE FLOWN WITH SO FAR HAVE BEEN GOOD AT CREW RESOURCE MGMNT. THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THOUGH, I FLEW WITH A CAPT WHO IS VERY FRIENDLY BUT LACKS GOOD COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT SKILLS AND TENDS TO RUSH THROUGH CHKLISTS. WE WERE ALREADY RUNNING LATE WHEN WE LANDED AT SOP AND WERE SCHEDULED FOR AN 18 MIN TURNAROUND. THE CAPT HAD THE LOAD MANIFEST COMPLETED, BOTH ENGS RUNNING, AND WAS GIVING THE READY-TO-TAXI SIGNAL TO THE MARSHAL JUST AS THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS GIVING ME THE PAX LOAD SHEET. SHE ALMOST FELL AS THE ACFT STARTED MOVING. AT UNCTLED ARPTS, IT IS COMPANY POLICY TO CALL FOR AN IFR CLRNC AS YOU TAXI OUT. IN THIS CASE, I CALLED FAY CLRNC. THE CTLR QUICKLY READ THE CLRNC SO FAST THAT I ONLY WROTE DOWN THE INITIAL ALT AND SQUAWK CODE. ALREADY WRAPPED UP IN THIS 'HURRY- UP' MODE, I ONLY READ BACK THE INITIAL ALT AND SQUAWK CODE (I WAS ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTING). THE CAPT CALLED FOR TAXI CHKS AND I WENT THROUGH IT TO THE LAST ITEM, FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED, BUT COULD NOT ACCOMPLISH THAT ITEM BECAUSE THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS STILL GIVING THE PAX BRIEFING. I'M LISTENING AND WAITING FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT TO FINISH AND I'M ALSO LISTENING FOR ATC TO RELEASE US. ALL THE WHILE, ATC IS TALKING TO SOME OTHER ACFT. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT FINISHED THE BRIEFING, I ANNOUNCED 'PREPARE THE CABIN FOR TKOF.' NOW THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE TKOF CHKLIST. CONSEQUENTLY, I WAS READING AND ACCOMPLISHING CHKLIST ITEMS, WATCHING THE FLT ATTENDANT CALL LIGHT FOR A 'I'M READY FOR TKOF' SIGNAL AND LISTENING TO ATC FOR A RELEASE. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT AT THIS POINT WHERE I LOST SOME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. THE FLT ATTENDANT SIGNALED READY SO NOW THE TAXI CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE AS WAS ABOUT 1/2 OF THE TKOF CHKLIST. WE THEN FINISHED THE REMAINING ITEMS ON THE TKOF CHKLIST AND DEPARTED. I WAS THE PF. AFTER TKOF THE CAPT CALLED THE COMPANY STATION TO GIVE OUT AND OFF TIMES. WHILE THE CAPT WAS DOING THIS, FAY DEP ASKED ME IF WE DEPARTED VFR OR IF WE HAD A CLRNC. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD AN IFR CLRNC. HOWEVER, JUST AFTER I SAID THAT I REALIZED THAT I COULDN'T RECALL GETTING A RELEASE. I TOLD THEM TO STAND BY. I THEN TOLD THE CAPT WHAT I THOUGHT WE HAD JUST DONE. HE SAID THAT WHILE WE WERE TAXIING OUT ATC HAD RELEASED US AND THAT THE CTLR JUST DIDN'T REMEMBER. HE THEN TOLD ATC THAT WE HAD BEEN RELEASED. I STILL DON'T REMEMBER HEARING ATC RELEASE US. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WOULD BE THAT THE TKOF CHKLIST WAS BEING READ WHILE THE TAXI CHKLIST HAD NOT YET BEEN FINISHED. IN ADDITION THE TKOF CHKLIST WAS BEING READ WELL BEFORE WE EVER EVEN GOT CLOSE TO THE HOLD LINE. IN MY OPINION THE TKOF CHKLIST SHOULD NOT BE STARTED UNTIL YOU HAVE PASSED THE HOLD LINE. ALSO, I AM GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT THE COMPANY POLICY OF OBTAINING A CLRNC WHILE TAXIING OUT BE CHANGED TO OBTAINING THE CLRNC PRIOR TO TAXI AS IS THE CASE AT CTLED ARPTS. THIS WILL ELIMINATE MUCH OF THE WORKLOAD DURING TAXI.

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.