Narrative:

Prior to departure at bwi, the first officer and I discussed the departure routing, altitude cleared to, the transponder code, and any special procedures required. The aircraft was cleared to taxi, takeoff, and clearance was given to change to departure control. The departure frequency was in error, and we were given another frequency. The flight continued with no abnormal operation. During the postflt discussion at ord, the first officer did not remember if he had gotten the pre departure clearance clearance message. Some airports we operate out of do not have pre departure clearance clearance procedures and some do. Bwi does have this capability. There should be a way for pilots to be advised if there is a question as to whether they have the clearance or not. Some airports do. Bwi does not, however, I realize that the ultimate responsibility lies with the PIC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: flight crew had received their departure release at the gate, but did not receive the pre departure clearance. Since the routing and altitudes are very consistent departing that airport, the flight crew didn't realize that they had not received the pre departure clearance until post flight discussion when the first officer recalled all the ACARS messages and there was no pre departure clearance message. Had the transponder squawk been set to 0000 by the previous flight crew, it probably would have alerted the reporter flight crew that they had not received their clearance or squawk. However, the transponder was set to the code of the previous flight and both pilots of the reporter crew assumed it was correct. It was not until after takeoff, when the departure controller had them change the squawk and frequency, that they realized something was amiss. Reporter captain says that his personal procedure now is to always brief the departure from the pre departure clearance on the ACARS screen. Reporter believes a more interactive procedure between ATC and the flcs should be put into effect that insure flcs have received their pre departure clearance. One method would be to require readback of transponder code at all pre departure clearance airports before obtaining taxi clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC DEV. PDC NOT RECEIVED.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP AT BWI, THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THE DEP ROUTING, ALT CLRED TO, THE XPONDER CODE, AND ANY SPECIAL PROCS REQUIRED. THE ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI, TKOF, AND CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO CHANGE TO DEP CTL. THE DEP FREQ WAS IN ERROR, AND WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ. THE FLT CONTINUED WITH NO ABNORMAL OP. DURING THE POSTFLT DISCUSSION AT ORD, THE FO DID NOT REMEMBER IF HE HAD GOTTEN THE PDC CLRNC MESSAGE. SOME ARPTS WE OPERATE OUT OF DO NOT HAVE PDC CLRNC PROCS AND SOME DO. BWI DOES HAVE THIS CAPABILITY. THERE SHOULD BE A WAY FOR PLTS TO BE ADVISED IF THERE IS A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THEY HAVE THE CLRNC OR NOT. SOME ARPTS DO. BWI DOES NOT, HOWEVER, I REALIZE THAT THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE PIC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FLC HAD RECEIVED THEIR DEP RELEASE AT THE GATE, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE THE PDC. SINCE THE ROUTING AND ALTS ARE VERY CONSISTENT DEPARTING THAT ARPT, THE FLC DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PDC UNTIL POST FLT DISCUSSION WHEN THE FO RECALLED ALL THE ACARS MESSAGES AND THERE WAS NO PDC MESSAGE. HAD THE XPONDER SQUAWK BEEN SET TO 0000 BY THE PREVIOUS FLC, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ALERTED THE RPTR FLC THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED THEIR CLRNC OR SQUAWK. HOWEVER, THE XPONDER WAS SET TO THE CODE OF THE PREVIOUS FLT AND BOTH PLTS OF THE RPTR CREW ASSUMED IT WAS CORRECT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER TKOF, WHEN THE DEP CTLR HAD THEM CHANGE THE SQUAWK AND FREQ, THAT THEY REALIZED SOMETHING WAS AMISS. RPTR CAPT SAYS THAT HIS PERSONAL PROC NOW IS TO ALWAYS BRIEF THE DEP FROM THE PDC ON THE ACARS SCREEN. RPTR BELIEVES A MORE INTERACTIVE PROC BTWN ATC AND THE FLCS SHOULD BE PUT INTO EFFECT THAT INSURE FLCS HAVE RECEIVED THEIR PDC. ONE METHOD WOULD BE TO REQUIRE READBACK OF XPONDER CODE AT ALL PDC ARPTS BEFORE OBTAINING TAXI 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.