An air carrier B737 flight crew departed without an IFR en route clearance.

Attributes
ACN	398714
Time
Date	199804
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 18900 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	398714
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13400 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	399016
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

As captain, we proceeded with the checklists before pushing out of the gate at ord for flight to clt. We completed the before start checklist (completing the departure review with my understanding that a clearance was received by the first officer). We called for pushback, contacted metering, ord ground control, and tower with a takeoff clearance. On departure the controller instructed us to squawk a transponder code. I thought that the first officer had just failed to put in the correct transponder code prior to departure. We proceeded to our destination without incident. Contributing factor was in the departure review, I did not specifically ask if the clearance was received and what was the correct/new transponder code. This was also the last leg of our 3-DAY trip home which perhaps added to our complacency. Supplemental information from acn 399016: as the first officer, I set up the cockpit for flight from ord to clt. Having flown in and out of ord a lot, I set up everything except getting a clearance about 45 mins before departure. We did all checklists and failed to catch that I had not gotten our clearance yet on the before start checklist (item-departure review).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 FLC DEPARTED WITHOUT AN IFR ENRTE CLRNC.

Narrative: AS CAPT, WE PROCEEDED WITH THE CHKLISTS BEFORE PUSHING OUT OF THE GATE AT ORD FOR FLT TO CLT. WE COMPLETED THE BEFORE START CHKLIST (COMPLETING THE DEP REVIEW WITH MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A CLRNC WAS RECEIVED BY THE FO). WE CALLED FOR PUSHBACK, CONTACTED METERING, ORD GND CTL, AND TWR WITH A TKOF CLRNC. ON DEP THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO SQUAWK A XPONDER CODE. I THOUGHT THAT THE FO HAD JUST FAILED TO PUT IN THE CORRECT XPONDER CODE PRIOR TO DEP. WE PROCEEDED TO OUR DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS IN THE DEP REVIEW, I DID NOT SPECIFICALLY ASK IF THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AND WHAT WAS THE CORRECT/NEW XPONDER CODE. THIS WAS ALSO THE LAST LEG OF OUR 3-DAY TRIP HOME WHICH PERHAPS ADDED TO OUR COMPLACENCY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 399016: AS THE FO, I SET UP THE COCKPIT FOR FLT FROM ORD TO CLT. HAVING FLOWN IN AND OUT OF ORD A LOT, I SET UP EVERYTHING EXCEPT GETTING A CLRNC ABOUT 45 MINS BEFORE DEP. WE DID ALL CHKLISTS AND FAILED TO CATCH THAT I HAD NOT GOTTEN OUR CLRNC YET ON THE BEFORE START CHKLIST (ITEM-DEP REVIEW).

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.