Flight crew of an MD80 forgot to pick up their pre departure clearance flight plan off of aircraft ACARS resulting in obtaining the initial transponder departure code and just flying the previous route used before.

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Attributes
ACN	336450
Time
Date	199605
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : private pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	336450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Immediately after takeoff, my first officer realized that he had forgotten to obtain our clearance. We had arrived at the aircraft 50 mins prior to departure. After accomplishing a receiving aircraft check, I left the aircraft for about 10 mins, returning approximately 10 mins prior to departure. We accomplished the before takeoff check and had a normal engine start, taxi, and takeoff. At no time were we pressured or hurried. It was not till my first officer said, 'oh XXX' did I know anything was a problem. Departure control stated that they could not pick up our transponder. At that time my first officer asked for the appropriate squawk. After receiving our squawk, we continued along the route of our release. The WX en route and at our destination was VMC, and our flight plan was a company canned route. When departure control made no mention of our lack of a release, I presumed that pit ground or tower had dropped our plan in for us. And I was not going to put anything on tape.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD80 FORGOT TO PICK UP THEIR PDC FLT PLAN OFF OF ACFT ACARS RESULTING IN OBTAINING THE INITIAL XPONDER DEP CODE AND JUST FLYING THE PREVIOUS RTE USED BEFORE.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, MY FO REALIZED THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO OBTAIN OUR CLRNC. WE HAD ARRIVED AT THE ACFT 50 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING A RECEIVING ACFT CHK, I LEFT THE ACFT FOR ABOUT 10 MINS, RETURNING APPROX 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE BEFORE TKOF CHK AND HAD A NORMAL ENG START, TAXI, AND TKOF. AT NO TIME WERE WE PRESSURED OR HURRIED. IT WAS NOT TILL MY FO SAID, 'OH XXX' DID I KNOW ANYTHING WAS A PROB. DEP CTL STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT PICK UP OUR XPONDER. AT THAT TIME MY FO ASKED FOR THE APPROPRIATE SQUAWK. AFTER RECEIVING OUR SQUAWK, WE CONTINUED ALONG THE RTE OF OUR RELEASE. THE WX ENRTE AND AT OUR DEST WAS VMC, AND OUR FLT PLAN WAS A COMPANY CANNED RTE. WHEN DEP CTL MADE NO MENTION OF OUR LACK OF A RELEASE, I PRESUMED THAT PIT GND OR TWR HAD DROPPED OUR PLAN IN FOR US. AND I WAS NOT GOING TO PUT ANYTHING ON TAPE.

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.