Narrative:

Chain of events: upon arrival at a new aircraft during my cockpit preflight I normally zero the transponder as a reminder to myself to get a clearance/pre departure clearance. In this case I did not do this. As required by company procedure, during our departure review we review the clearance to verify it with the filed route. As a first officer I normally pull up the clrncs and generally point out any differences in the clearance received to the captain at this point, or tell him we are cleared as filed. Again, didn't do it in this case. I saw a code in the transponder as well as a departure frequency set in on an unused radio head so I did not think anything about not having a clearance. (Departure frequency was evidently set in the unused radio by the previous crew.) many times a well intentioned inbound crew will set up radios, navaids, etc for the next crew based upon experience and knowledge of where the aircraft is going next. Perhaps had I not seen a valid but incorrect departure frequency in the unused radio head my memory might have been jogged to get a clearance. How the problem was recognized: after takeoff I had a valid but incorrect departure frequency in the radio. The controller directed me to the proper frequency. The next controller asked us a new squawk code. Wondering why I made these 2 errors I pulled up the pre departure clearance page on the ACARS only to find no pre departure clearance. Corrective actions: many fields, eg, ord, lga, bos require a readback of squawk code upon receipt of a pre departure clearance clearance. Had this been the case in bwi my guess is that the ground controller would have caught my error and inquired about our clearance. This would be a simple fix that would also serve to better standardize pre departure clearance equipped fields throughout the county.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TAKES OFF WITHOUT GETTING THE IFR CLRNC FROM THE PDC.

Narrative: CHAIN OF EVENTS: UPON ARR AT A NEW ACFT DURING MY COCKPIT PREFLT I NORMALLY ZERO THE XPONDER AS A REMINDER TO MYSELF TO GET A CLRNC/PDC. IN THIS CASE I DID NOT DO THIS. AS REQUIRED BY COMPANY PROC, DURING OUR DEP REVIEW WE REVIEW THE CLRNC TO VERIFY IT WITH THE FILED RTE. AS A FO I NORMALLY PULL UP THE CLRNCS AND GENERALLY POINT OUT ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE CLRNC RECEIVED TO THE CAPT AT THIS POINT, OR TELL HIM WE ARE CLRED AS FILED. AGAIN, DIDN'T DO IT IN THIS CASE. I SAW A CODE IN THE XPONDER AS WELL AS A DEP FREQ SET IN ON AN UNUSED RADIO HEAD SO I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING ABOUT NOT HAVING A CLRNC. (DEP FREQ WAS EVIDENTLY SET IN THE UNUSED RADIO BY THE PREVIOUS CREW.) MANY TIMES A WELL INTENTIONED INBOUND CREW WILL SET UP RADIOS, NAVAIDS, ETC FOR THE NEXT CREW BASED UPON EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE THE ACFT IS GOING NEXT. PERHAPS HAD I NOT SEEN A VALID BUT INCORRECT DEP FREQ IN THE UNUSED RADIO HEAD MY MEMORY MIGHT HAVE BEEN JOGGED TO GET A CLRNC. HOW THE PROB WAS RECOGNIZED: AFTER TKOF I HAD A VALID BUT INCORRECT DEP FREQ IN THE RADIO. THE CTLR DIRECTED ME TO THE PROPER FREQ. THE NEXT CTLR ASKED US A NEW SQUAWK CODE. WONDERING WHY I MADE THESE 2 ERRORS I PULLED UP THE PDC PAGE ON THE ACARS ONLY TO FIND NO PDC. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: MANY FIELDS, EG, ORD, LGA, BOS REQUIRE A READBACK OF SQUAWK CODE UPON RECEIPT OF A PDC CLRNC. HAD THIS BEEN THE CASE IN BWI MY GUESS IS THAT THE GND CTLR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT MY ERROR AND INQUIRED ABOUT OUR CLRNC. THIS WOULD BE A SIMPLE FIX THAT WOULD ALSO SERVE TO BETTER STANDARDIZE PDC EQUIPPED FIELDS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

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.