MD80 flight crew misunderstands departures in use at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	698380
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure sid : dartz.two
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
ASRS Report	698380
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was serving as a check airman in the right seat giving captain re-qualification flts after a medical leave of absence. We had loaded and briefed the dartz 2 RNAV departure in the fgms and were set to fly it. We were not told to check in with 'Q' or report our first waypoint to tower so when we heard someone we thought was the tower controller say 'we are not doing RNAV departures today' on tower frequency we thought we were doing radar vectors on departure. We took off and flew runway heading while waiting to be switched to departure control. After takeoff; tower did not call us to switch to departure; so I tried calling them to ask if they wanted us to switch. The frequency was busy so we switched ourselves and checked in. I asked departure if they wanted us to continue to fly a heading. They said they thought we were supposed to be flying an RNAV departure so we engaged the navigation and flew the dartz departure since we were right on course. I don't know who said they were not conducting RNAV departures but we should have confirmed that clearance prior to takeoff. We were in clear day VMC and well clear of other traffic on the dartz navigation track so as soon as communication was established with departure we engaged navigation and complied with the dartz departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW MISUNDERSTANDS DEPS IN USE AT DFW.

Narrative: I WAS SERVING AS A CHK AIRMAN IN THE R SEAT GIVING CAPT RE-QUALIFICATION FLTS AFTER A MEDICAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE. WE HAD LOADED AND BRIEFED THE DARTZ 2 RNAV DEP IN THE FGMS AND WERE SET TO FLY IT. WE WERE NOT TOLD TO CHK IN WITH 'Q' OR RPT OUR FIRST WAYPOINT TO TWR SO WHEN WE HEARD SOMEONE WE THOUGHT WAS THE TWR CTLR SAY 'WE ARE NOT DOING RNAV DEPS TODAY' ON TWR FREQ WE THOUGHT WE WERE DOING RADAR VECTORS ON DEP. WE TOOK OFF AND FLEW RWY HDG WHILE WAITING TO BE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. AFTER TKOF; TWR DID NOT CALL US TO SWITCH TO DEP; SO I TRIED CALLING THEM TO ASK IF THEY WANTED US TO SWITCH. THE FREQ WAS BUSY SO WE SWITCHED OURSELVES AND CHKED IN. I ASKED DEP IF THEY WANTED US TO CONTINUE TO FLY A HDG. THEY SAID THEY THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING AN RNAV DEP SO WE ENGAGED THE NAV AND FLEW THE DARTZ DEP SINCE WE WERE RIGHT ON COURSE. I DON'T KNOW WHO SAID THEY WERE NOT CONDUCTING RNAV DEPS BUT WE SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THAT CLRNC PRIOR TO TKOF. WE WERE IN CLR DAY VMC AND WELL CLR OF OTHER TFC ON THE DARTZ NAV TRACK SO AS SOON AS COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH DEP WE ENGAGED NAV AND COMPLIED WITH THE DARTZ DEP.

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.