Narrative:

On a scheduled far part 121 departure from mce airport, flight was cleared as filed to visalia municipal airport by sck RAPCON. Clearance was obtained during pre-taxi without a void time or hold for release restr. Flight taxied to runway 30 and held short to complete pre-takeoff items and establish radio communications with sck RAPCON. Due to location of antennas on aircraft or some other factors, we were unable to contact sck RAPCON prior to takeoff. After carefully reviewing our options, a decision was made to depart in VFR conditions. A decision was made to depart in VFR conditions in order to establish radio communications as soon as practical. The decision to depart was based on the following factors: 1) VFR conditions (AWOS reported sck, visibility 10 mi). 2) no reported traffic. 3) company operations specifications approval. 4) flight was already delayed. 5) no void time or hold for release issued. Once flight airborne, radio communications were immediately established with sck approach (120.95 MHZ) with positive radar identify and under positive control. Controller then advised us to 'copy a number down.' upon landing in visalia, I contacted said number and an approach controller from sck RAPCON answered call. I immediately informed controller I was aware of the reason to call and then explained the nature of the circumstances. After listening to the extenuating circumstances for departing without first establishing radio communications, controller acknowledged reasoning and informed me he would not pursue violation. He did, however, warn us to not depart in the event we were unable to contact them without first attempting to call our operations and obtain a phone patch, or third party intervention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E120 CREW UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THEIR CLRNC ON THE GND AT MCE, DEPARTED VFR THEN CALLED ATC IN THE AIR.

Narrative: ON A SCHEDULED FAR PART 121 DEP FROM MCE ARPT, FLT WAS CLRED AS FILED TO VISALIA MUNICIPAL ARPT BY SCK RAPCON. CLRNC WAS OBTAINED DURING PRE-TAXI WITHOUT A VOID TIME OR HOLD FOR RELEASE RESTR. FLT TAXIED TO RWY 30 AND HELD SHORT TO COMPLETE PRE-TKOF ITEMS AND ESTABLISH RADIO COMS WITH SCK RAPCON. DUE TO LOCATION OF ANTENNAS ON ACFT OR SOME OTHER FACTORS, WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT SCK RAPCON PRIOR TO TKOF. AFTER CAREFULLY REVIEWING OUR OPTIONS, A DECISION WAS MADE TO DEPART IN VFR CONDITIONS. A DECISION WAS MADE TO DEPART IN VFR CONDITIONS IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH RADIO COMS AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. THE DECISION TO DEPART WAS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: 1) VFR CONDITIONS (AWOS RPTED SCK, VISIBILITY 10 MI). 2) NO RPTED TFC. 3) COMPANY OPS SPECS APPROVAL. 4) FLT WAS ALREADY DELAYED. 5) NO VOID TIME OR HOLD FOR RELEASE ISSUED. ONCE FLT AIRBORNE, RADIO COMS WERE IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED WITH SCK APCH (120.95 MHZ) WITH POSITIVE RADAR IDENT AND UNDER POSITIVE CTL. CTLR THEN ADVISED US TO 'COPY A NUMBER DOWN.' UPON LNDG IN VISALIA, I CONTACTED SAID NUMBER AND AN APCH CTLR FROM SCK RAPCON ANSWERED CALL. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED CTLR I WAS AWARE OF THE REASON TO CALL AND THEN EXPLAINED THE NATURE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. AFTER LISTENING TO THE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES FOR DEPARTING WITHOUT FIRST ESTABLISHING RADIO COMS, CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED REASONING AND INFORMED ME HE WOULD NOT PURSUE VIOLATION. HE DID, HOWEVER, WARN US TO NOT DEPART IN THE EVENT WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM WITHOUT FIRST ATTEMPTING TO CALL OUR OPS AND OBTAIN A PHONE PATCH, OR THIRD PARTY INTERVENTION.

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.