A flight crew became distraction and taxied without clearance at sju.

Attributes
ACN	439560
Time
Date	199905
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tjsj.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 235 flight time total : 5360
ASRS Report	439560
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had picked up the ATIS and was going to get IFR clearance from tjsj clearance delivery but something intervened. I think the captain used the radio to ask for the baggage count in spanish and we then had changes to the baggage numerous times and we then started engines and were ready for taxi and I had forgotten to go back to 126.4 and pick up the clearance. I called ground and he said, 'do you have your IFR clearance' and I realized I hadn't, and he said what both the captain and I thought, which was I think for another aircraft with a similar last number and may have been partially blocked, said 'taxi to runway 8 and pick up your clearance on 126.4.' I switched to pick it up and it was quickly given and the taxi was a very short one to runway 8. Ground never came back and said 'hold position, I did not give you a taxi clearance,' so we never thought otherwise until we took off and tower said to call them on our return, that we had taxied without clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC BECAME DISTR AND TAXIED WITHOUT CLRNC AT SJU.

Narrative: I HAD PICKED UP THE ATIS AND WAS GOING TO GET IFR CLRNC FROM TJSJ CLRNC DELIVERY BUT SOMETHING INTERVENED. I THINK THE CAPT USED THE RADIO TO ASK FOR THE BAGGAGE COUNT IN SPANISH AND WE THEN HAD CHANGES TO THE BAGGAGE NUMEROUS TIMES AND WE THEN STARTED ENGS AND WERE READY FOR TAXI AND I HAD FORGOTTEN TO GO BACK TO 126.4 AND PICK UP THE CLRNC. I CALLED GND AND HE SAID, 'DO YOU HAVE YOUR IFR CLRNC' AND I REALIZED I HADN'T, AND HE SAID WHAT BOTH THE CAPT AND I THOUGHT, WHICH WAS I THINK FOR ANOTHER ACFT WITH A SIMILAR LAST NUMBER AND MAY HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY BLOCKED, SAID 'TAXI TO RWY 8 AND PICK UP YOUR CLRNC ON 126.4.' I SWITCHED TO PICK IT UP AND IT WAS QUICKLY GIVEN AND THE TAXI WAS A VERY SHORT ONE TO RWY 8. GND NEVER CAME BACK AND SAID 'HOLD POS, I DID NOT GIVE YOU A TAXI CLRNC,' SO WE NEVER THOUGHT OTHERWISE UNTIL WE TOOK OFF AND TWR SAID TO CALL THEM ON OUR RETURN, THAT WE HAD TAXIED WITHOUT 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.