Narrative:

5 mins prior to pushback, first officer was new to this airport and so was using #3 radio (VHF) talking to company operations. First officer started to request IFR clearance from delivery per airport instructions. I was on #1 VHF and intercom. I did not hear first officer transmit and found that he was using #2 VHF. I switched to #2 just in time to hear the transponder code and departure frequency. He asked me if I thought that we had gotten complete clearance. I said from what I heard that we did. I asked if the controller had said cleared to hnl and the first officer said that he thought that was correct. The first officer at this time reported to me that his reception was very weak and scratchy. I gave him my headset to try and we found that his headset was cutting in and out. We replaced his headset and entered the problem in aircraft logbook. We called ramp control for pushback and they cleared us but asked if we had clearance. We said yes. Push, start and initial taxi was normal to the point of ground control pick-up (we were parked at yy). Ground control took us to parking space and made us park and answer questions. We had taxied without full IFR clearance. They told us squawk and frequency were not clearance, that we needed the specific departure. I knew this and the fact that initial altitude was always given just prior to takeoff, but thought first officer had gotten this information before I was on #2 VHF frequency. We made subsequent radio calls and resolved situation and remainder of flight was normal. Should have: 1) inquired more deeply as to what first officer had received. 2) got clearance repeated after headset replacement. 3) listened better, as ramp asked if we had clearance. 4) make no assumptions in high workload period prior to pushback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXI FROM RAMP WITHOUT COMPLETE IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: 5 MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, FO WAS NEW TO THIS ARPT AND SO WAS USING #3 RADIO (VHF) TALKING TO COMPANY OPS. FO STARTED TO REQUEST IFR CLRNC FROM DELIVERY PER ARPT INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS ON #1 VHF AND INTERCOM. I DID NOT HEAR FO XMIT AND FOUND THAT HE WAS USING #2 VHF. I SWITCHED TO #2 JUST IN TIME TO HEAR THE XPONDER CODE AND DEP FREQ. HE ASKED ME IF I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD GOTTEN COMPLETE CLRNC. I SAID FROM WHAT I HEARD THAT WE DID. I ASKED IF THE CTLR HAD SAID CLRED TO HNL AND THE FO SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT WAS CORRECT. THE FO AT THIS TIME RPTED TO ME THAT HIS RECEPTION WAS VERY WEAK AND SCRATCHY. I GAVE HIM MY HEADSET TO TRY AND WE FOUND THAT HIS HEADSET WAS CUTTING IN AND OUT. WE REPLACED HIS HEADSET AND ENTERED THE PROB IN ACFT LOGBOOK. WE CALLED RAMP CTL FOR PUSHBACK AND THEY CLRED US BUT ASKED IF WE HAD CLRNC. WE SAID YES. PUSH, START AND INITIAL TAXI WAS NORMAL TO THE POINT OF GND CTL PICK-UP (WE WERE PARKED AT YY). GND CTL TOOK US TO PARKING SPACE AND MADE US PARK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. WE HAD TAXIED WITHOUT FULL IFR CLRNC. THEY TOLD US SQUAWK AND FREQ WERE NOT CLRNC, THAT WE NEEDED THE SPECIFIC DEP. I KNEW THIS AND THE FACT THAT INITIAL ALT WAS ALWAYS GIVEN JUST PRIOR TO TKOF, BUT THOUGHT FO HAD GOTTEN THIS INFO BEFORE I WAS ON #2 VHF FREQ. WE MADE SUBSEQUENT RADIO CALLS AND RESOLVED SIT AND REMAINDER OF FLT WAS NORMAL. SHOULD HAVE: 1) INQUIRED MORE DEEPLY AS TO WHAT FO HAD RECEIVED. 2) GOT CLRNC REPEATED AFTER HEADSET REPLACEMENT. 3) LISTENED BETTER, AS RAMP ASKED IF WE HAD CLRNC. 4) MAKE NO ASSUMPTIONS IN HIGH WORKLOAD PERIOD PRIOR TO PUSHBACK.

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.