Narrative:

Xa:00 am wake up to arrive ord operations at xd:00 am. ZZZ1 turn aircraft had an ACARS problem which would not deliver pre departure clearance. Got back to ord for aircraft change and desire to get next flight underway to ZZZ1. Normal SOP followed during preflight. Somehow I missed pre departure clearance not on. Launched 2 mins early for ZZZ1. During taxi out saw transponder 0000. Did not see pre departure clearance and discovered we did not have it. Got pre departure clearance on printer on taxiway; all else normal. Fatigue is part of this. Xa:00 am wake ups were great when 30 yrs old. Now that my pay is slashed; my pension is gone; my family is suffering. So many pressures laid on my shoulders; add in a dysfunctional management which has slashed safety for an economic goal; ie not enough mechanics to safely operate the system; lie about WX; short fuel without real operational considerations. This flight I added 3000 pounds of fuel because I have been to ZZZ1 on a clear day before. Had I not added fuel; I would have landed at ZZZ2 or ZZZ. I arrived ewr with 5600 pounds. The flight plan fuel is a joke you know. I fully understand the reasoning and responsibility of fuel savings. Duty day was scheduled for 10:44 with maximum at 11:00 hours. Xa:00 am wake up with major disruptions to family life is a horrible and dangerous mix. You know darn well ZZZ1 flts normally exceed plan as did this one. The toll of chronic fatigue is running through this airline and management looks toward a bean counter rather than being observant of its rule of safety first which management is violating on a daily basis. Look at deferred items on flight XXX. Three days running APU for MEL'd #2 gen with FMGC issues and hits on CPC1??? Notice the circuit breaker WX? Do you not see the erosion of safety on this property? Fatigue; stress; illness; focus. My crews are getting dog eared. They can't call in fatigued because it would put them in bankruptcy. Those who can fly 95 hours are exhausted and you know it. Pilots should be fresh for their flts as a matter of safety. Did you forget that part or is it part of the acceptable erosion of safety here?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPT FORGOT TO OBTAIN PDC BEFORE LEAVING GATE AND REPORTS FATIGUE AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: XA:00 AM WAKE UP TO ARRIVE ORD OPS AT XD:00 AM. ZZZ1 TURN ACFT HAD AN ACARS PROB WHICH WOULD NOT DELIVER PDC. GOT BACK TO ORD FOR ACFT CHANGE AND DESIRE TO GET NEXT FLT UNDERWAY TO ZZZ1. NORMAL SOP FOLLOWED DURING PREFLT. SOMEHOW I MISSED PDC NOT ON. LAUNCHED 2 MINS EARLY FOR ZZZ1. DURING TAXI OUT SAW XPONDER 0000. DID NOT SEE PDC AND DISCOVERED WE DID NOT HAVE IT. GOT PDC ON PRINTER ON TXWY; ALL ELSE NORMAL. FATIGUE IS PART OF THIS. XA:00 AM WAKE UPS WERE GREAT WHEN 30 YRS OLD. NOW THAT MY PAY IS SLASHED; MY PENSION IS GONE; MY FAMILY IS SUFFERING. SO MANY PRESSURES LAID ON MY SHOULDERS; ADD IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT WHICH HAS SLASHED SAFETY FOR AN ECONOMIC GOAL; IE NOT ENOUGH MECHANICS TO SAFELY OPERATE THE SYSTEM; LIE ABOUT WX; SHORT FUEL WITHOUT REAL OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS. THIS FLT I ADDED 3000 LBS OF FUEL BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN TO ZZZ1 ON A CLEAR DAY BEFORE. HAD I NOT ADDED FUEL; I WOULD HAVE LANDED AT ZZZ2 OR ZZZ. I ARRIVED EWR WITH 5600 LBS. THE FLT PLAN FUEL IS A JOKE YOU KNOW. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE REASONING AND RESPONSIBILITY OF FUEL SAVINGS. DUTY DAY WAS SCHEDULED FOR 10:44 WITH MAX AT 11:00 HRS. XA:00 AM WAKE UP WITH MAJOR DISRUPTIONS TO FAMILY LIFE IS A HORRIBLE AND DANGEROUS MIX. YOU KNOW DARN WELL ZZZ1 FLTS NORMALLY EXCEED PLAN AS DID THIS ONE. THE TOLL OF CHRONIC FATIGUE IS RUNNING THROUGH THIS AIRLINE AND MANAGEMENT LOOKS TOWARD A BEAN COUNTER RATHER THAN BEING OBSERVANT OF ITS RULE OF SAFETY FIRST WHICH MANAGEMENT IS VIOLATING ON A DAILY BASIS. LOOK AT DEFERRED ITEMS ON FLT XXX. THREE DAYS RUNNING APU FOR MEL'D #2 GEN WITH FMGC ISSUES AND HITS ON CPC1??? NOTICE THE CB WX? DO YOU NOT SEE THE EROSION OF SAFETY ON THIS PROPERTY? FATIGUE; STRESS; ILLNESS; FOCUS. MY CREWS ARE GETTING DOG EARED. THEY CAN'T CALL IN FATIGUED BECAUSE IT WOULD PUT THEM IN BANKRUPTCY. THOSE WHO CAN FLY 95 HRS ARE EXHAUSTED AND YOU KNOW IT. PLTS SHOULD BE FRESH FOR THEIR FLTS AS A MATTER OF SAFETY. DID YOU FORGET THAT PART OR IS IT PART OF THE ACCEPTABLE EROSION OF SAFETY HERE?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.