Aircraft departed without hard copy of pre departure clearance.

Attributes
ACN	430610
Time
Date	199903
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	730610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	430590
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies ground encounters : vehicle
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon arrival of the crew there was a cockpit full of maintenance personnel finishing a repair and recording of the aircraft radar altimeter. Both the first officer and the so were very new to the aircraft causing them to feel pushed for an on-time departure. Somewhere in the process of the checklist the clearance was missed. The weight and balance was at the aircraft early so the pre departure clearance was not available. The first officer never called for a clearance and the captain failed to catch it. When ATC asked us to squawk a different code the apt asked the first officer to verify our route of flight with departure. We knew we had goofed. However, what we did not know was that our company had transmitted the clearance to ATC after we got our weight and balance which normally includes an attached pre departure clearance. Center had our clearance and figured we did, but we never did. Lesson: I should have slowed down the pace to allow the new crew members and me to do the job right. I let go of a perfect opportunity to exercise positive CRM and prevent what could have been a serious violation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEPARTED WITHOUT HARD COPY OF PDC.

Narrative: UPON ARR OF THE CREW THERE WAS A COCKPIT FULL OF MAINT PERSONNEL FINISHING A REPAIR AND RECORDING OF THE ACFT RADAR ALTIMETER. BOTH THE FO AND THE SO WERE VERY NEW TO THE ACFT CAUSING THEM TO FEEL PUSHED FOR AN ON-TIME DEP. SOMEWHERE IN THE PROCESS OF THE CHKLIST THE CLRNC WAS MISSED. THE WT AND BAL WAS AT THE ACFT EARLY SO THE PDC WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FO NEVER CALLED FOR A CLRNC AND THE CAPT FAILED TO CATCH IT. WHEN ATC ASKED US TO SQUAWK A DIFFERENT CODE THE APT ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY OUR RTE OF FLT WITH DEP. WE KNEW WE HAD GOOFED. HOWEVER, WHAT WE DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT OUR COMPANY HAD XMITTED THE CLRNC TO ATC AFTER WE GOT OUR WT AND BAL WHICH NORMALLY INCLUDES AN ATTACHED PDC. CTR HAD OUR CLRNC AND FIGURED WE DID, BUT WE NEVER DID. LESSON: I SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN THE PACE TO ALLOW THE NEW CREW MEMBERS AND ME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT. I LET GO OF A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE POSITIVE CRM AND PREVENT WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS VIOLATION.

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.