Flight crew believes they may have departed pit without receiving an IFR clearance.

Attributes
ACN	408260
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 12700 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	408260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	408499
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We may have departed pit without our IFR clearance. I became aware of that when departure control asked us to change our transponder code. I did not remember calling up the clearance via pre departure clearance on our ACARS unit. Checking the 'messages' page of the unit, did not reveal the clearance in memory. Prior to departure, the cockpit was busy with maintenance completing logbook work and a jump seater requesting a ride. Pilots need to be constantly aware of how distractions can interfere with the work routine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC BELIEVES THEY MAY HAVE DEPARTED PIT WITHOUT RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: WE MAY HAVE DEPARTED PIT WITHOUT OUR IFR CLRNC. I BECAME AWARE OF THAT WHEN DEP CTL ASKED US TO CHANGE OUR XPONDER CODE. I DID NOT REMEMBER CALLING UP THE CLRNC VIA PDC ON OUR ACARS UNIT. CHKING THE 'MESSAGES' PAGE OF THE UNIT, DID NOT REVEAL THE CLRNC IN MEMORY. PRIOR TO DEP, THE COCKPIT WAS BUSY WITH MAINT COMPLETING LOGBOOK WORK AND A JUMP SEATER REQUESTING A RIDE. PLTS NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF HOW DISTRACTIONS CAN INTERFERE WITH THE WORK ROUTINE.

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.