An air carrier medium large transport took off without an airways clearance and transponder squawk.

Attributes
ACN	318458
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 400 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	318458
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12700 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	319135
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On departing phl, first officer failed to receive a pre departure clearance via ACARS. The captain failed to verify pre departure clearance flight plan with the flight release flight plan. Aircraft had MEL that required maintenance to accomplish a special procedure and sign off the aircraft log. Checked logbook, found maintenance had not signed off MEL -- special procedure -- called maintenance. Signing of log, boarding passenger, fuel slip being brought to cockpit, all the things you read about contributed to leaving the gate without a pre departure clearance. After takeoff, departure control asked what our transponder code was. At that point we realized we had not gotten a pre departure clearance. Departure control issued new squawk. Radar contact. Left turn direct modena, etc. We were never asked by ground control or tower if we had received a pre departure clearance. I do not think ATC would issue a takeoff clearance to an IFR aircraft if ATC did not have knowledge of this aircraft, I do not know if ATC has any way of knowing if a pre departure clearance has been received and if that pre departure clearance is correct. I have received pdcs with an aircraft change on that route with ATC not knowing there has been a change.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TOOK OFF WITHOUT AN AIRWAYS CLRNC AND XPONDER SQUAWK.

Narrative: ON DEPARTING PHL, FO FAILED TO RECEIVE A PDC VIA ACARS. THE CAPT FAILED TO VERIFY PDC FLIGHT PLAN WITH THE FLT RELEASE FLT PLAN. ACFT HAD MEL THAT REQUIRED MAINT TO ACCOMPLISH A SPECIAL PROC AND SIGN OFF THE ACFT LOG. CHKED LOGBOOK, FOUND MAINT HAD NOT SIGNED OFF MEL -- SPECIAL PROC -- CALLED MAINT. SIGNING OF LOG, BOARDING PAX, FUEL SLIP BEING BROUGHT TO COCKPIT, ALL THE THINGS YOU READ ABOUT CONTRIBUTED TO LEAVING THE GATE WITHOUT A PDC. AFTER TKOF, DEP CTL ASKED WHAT OUR XPONDER CODE WAS. AT THAT POINT WE REALIZED WE HAD NOT GOTTEN A PDC. DEP CTL ISSUED NEW SQUAWK. RADAR CONTACT. L TURN DIRECT MODENA, ETC. WE WERE NEVER ASKED BY GND CTL OR TWR IF WE HAD RECEIVED A PDC. I DO NOT THINK ATC WOULD ISSUE A TKOF CLRNC TO AN IFR ACFT IF ATC DID NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ACFT, I DO NOT KNOW IF ATC HAS ANY WAY OF KNOWING IF A PDC HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND IF THAT PDC IS CORRECT. I HAVE RECEIVED PDCS WITH AN ACFT CHANGE ON THAT RTE WITH ATC NOT KNOWING THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE.

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.