A super 80 flight crew takeoff from dfw without en route clearance.

Attributes
ACN	359729
Time
Date	199702
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
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
ASRS Report	359729
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	359730
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATC facility: dfw tower. Location: dfw airport. WX VFR. After takeoff, tower called to verify correct squawk. Transponder indicated 1200. Looked around cockpit for the ACARS pre departure clearance and could not find it. Therefore, it was either misplaced or never called up. Verified correct squawk with ATC and pulled up new pre departure clearance off ACARS and continued uneventful flight. Both crew members remember completing checklist with squawk on it with proper challenge and reply and verifying flight plan against omega. Yet possibility still exists that no ACARS pre departure clearance was pulled up. Recommend procedure similar to that used at ord where squawk is verified with clearance or ground as is the current ATIS and then potential errors can be recognized earlier. Supplemental information from acn 359730: location: dfw airport. We may have inadvertently taken off without pre departure clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SUPER 80 FLC TKOF FROM DFW WITHOUT ENRTE CLRNC.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: DFW TWR. LOCATION: DFW ARPT. WX VFR. AFTER TKOF, TWR CALLED TO VERIFY CORRECT SQUAWK. XPONDER INDICATED 1200. LOOKED AROUND COCKPIT FOR THE ACARS PDC AND COULD NOT FIND IT. THEREFORE, IT WAS EITHER MISPLACED OR NEVER CALLED UP. VERIFIED CORRECT SQUAWK WITH ATC AND PULLED UP NEW PDC OFF ACARS AND CONTINUED UNEVENTFUL FLT. BOTH CREW MEMBERS REMEMBER COMPLETING CHKLIST WITH SQUAWK ON IT WITH PROPER CHALLENGE AND REPLY AND VERIFYING FLT PLAN AGAINST OMEGA. YET POSSIBILITY STILL EXISTS THAT NO ACARS PDC WAS PULLED UP. RECOMMEND PROC SIMILAR TO THAT USED AT ORD WHERE SQUAWK IS VERIFIED WITH CLRNC OR GND AS IS THE CURRENT ATIS AND THEN POTENTIAL ERRORS CAN BE RECOGNIZED EARLIER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 359730: LOCATION: DFW ARPT. WE MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY TAKEN OFF WITHOUT PDC.

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.