Flight crew of a canadair regional jet CL65 took off without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	427819
Time
Date	199902
Day	Sun
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	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 760
ASRS Report	427819
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were given a 'position and hold' while my first officer was on PA to have our flight attendant be seated. I told him we were a position and hold. We slowly rolled into position on runway 9L as we computed our final before takeoff checks. Once aligned and stopped, with no other aircraft heard on the frequency or noticed in our visual field on the airport, I began to initiate the takeoff roll with no objection from my first officer. At about 800 ft AGL, I suddenly felt uncomfortable and uttered an expletive. Just seconds later, we heard the tower say our call sign and felt sure we had taken off without a clearance to do so. My first officer answered the call and after a short pause the tower told us to 'contact departure control.' we expected to get a message to call phl control when we got to our destination but did not. We have not heard anything about the situation but feel sure that we were not given clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CANADAIR REGIONAL JET CL65 TOOK OFF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN A 'POS AND HOLD' WHILE MY FO WAS ON PA TO HAVE OUR FLT ATTENDANT BE SEATED. I TOLD HIM WE WERE A POS AND HOLD. WE SLOWLY ROLLED INTO POS ON RWY 9L AS WE COMPUTED OUR FINAL BEFORE TKOF CHKS. ONCE ALIGNED AND STOPPED, WITH NO OTHER ACFT HEARD ON THE FREQ OR NOTICED IN OUR VISUAL FIELD ON THE ARPT, I BEGAN TO INITIATE THE TKOF ROLL WITH NO OBJECTION FROM MY FO. AT ABOUT 800 FT AGL, I SUDDENLY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE AND UTTERED AN EXPLETIVE. JUST SECONDS LATER, WE HEARD THE TWR SAY OUR CALL SIGN AND FELT SURE WE HAD TAKEN OFF WITHOUT A CLRNC TO DO SO. MY FO ANSWERED THE CALL AND AFTER A SHORT PAUSE THE TWR TOLD US TO 'CONTACT DEP CTL.' WE EXPECTED TO GET A MESSAGE TO CALL PHL CTL WHEN WE GOT TO OUR DEST BUT DID NOT. WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE SIT BUT FEEL SURE THAT WE WERE NOT GIVEN CLRNC.

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.