Crew departed without a copy of pre departure clearance.

Attributes
ACN	429434
Time
Date	199902
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	429434
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : flt crew 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Regarding flight from atlanta, GA, to mobile, al, on feb/xa/99. We took off and on climb out we realized that we had not obtained a copy of our pre departure clearance. Our preflight checks may have been interrupted a couple times with maintenance personnel, flight attendants and agents. It was a busy flight trying to get out on time. We had 3 mco's and had been discussing the MEL and the ramifications. Atlanta really does not have published departure procedures other than altitude and a general direction that you will be flying. Tower always assigns a departure heading with the takeoff clearance. After changing to departure control and asked to squawk a specific code, we then realized that we did not have a copy of the pre departure clearance. From then on and throughout the flight we constantly checked our clearance routing with ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW DEPARTED WITHOUT A COPY OF PDC.

Narrative: REGARDING FLT FROM ATLANTA, GA, TO MOBILE, AL, ON FEB/XA/99. WE TOOK OFF AND ON CLBOUT WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT OBTAINED A COPY OF OUR PDC. OUR PREFLT CHKS MAY HAVE BEEN INTERRUPTED A COUPLE TIMES WITH MAINT PERSONNEL, FLT ATTENDANTS AND AGENTS. IT WAS A BUSY FLT TRYING TO GET OUT ON TIME. WE HAD 3 MCO'S AND HAD BEEN DISCUSSING THE MEL AND THE RAMIFICATIONS. ATLANTA REALLY DOES NOT HAVE PUBLISHED DEP PROCS OTHER THAN ALT AND A GENERAL DIRECTION THAT YOU WILL BE FLYING. TWR ALWAYS ASSIGNS A DEP HDG WITH THE TKOF CLRNC. AFTER CHANGING TO DEP CTL AND ASKED TO SQUAWK A SPECIFIC CODE, WE THEN REALIZED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A COPY OF THE PDC. FROM THEN ON AND THROUGHOUT THE FLT WE CONSTANTLY CHKED OUR CLRNC ROUTING WITH ATC.

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.