Narrative:

I was assigned the flight at the last minute. The other crew was ready to close the door and depart when I was told to go to the aircraft and tell the captain that I would be taking his flight. He was to call scheduling. I knew this was a classic situation for being rushed and I intentionally went slow and re-checked everything that the other crew had already done to prepare for departure. I briefed the crew and ran all checklists again. We saw that ZZZ was departing runway xx and as it was the first officer's leg she briefed the departure for me. We discussed the single engine departure and the fact that ZZZ VOR/DME was out of service. So; we discussed using the bearing off NDB for the correct turn point in the event of an engine failure. I checked for NOTAMS for NDB and did not see any. There were many complete pages of NOTAMS for ZZZ; more of it useless. My first officer said that she also checked for the NOTAM as well and did not see any. To verify that the NDB was working we both tuned the NDB and was unable to get an identification. However; with the NDB being several miles from the field and there was a large building (terminal) between us and the beacon I was not surprised that we did not get an identification. However; the needle was pointing in the general direction of the beacon so this combined with us not seeing a NOTAM seemed reasonable that all was well. We discussed that in the off chance that it was OTS (since there was no identification) we would ask ATC for the heading change at the correct distance should we lose an engine. Also; it was a good day; VFR with unlimited visibility so there seemed to be no additional risk. At some point during climb out; I think around the FL200 range; the first officer noticed the NOTAM for NDB OTS. We were both shocked and discussed how this could have happened. I'm not really sure what to do different next time. Maybe I was going too fast during the delayed departure but I do not think so; maintaining a schedule has never really been a concern or focus of mine. Doing everything correctly in however much time it takes has always been my goal. I'm not really sure if this departure was illegal or in violation of company procedures or both. However; I do feel that at no time was this flight ever in danger or at risk. If the dispatcher was aware of both of these NOTAMS; maybe a comment on the release would have been helpful. However; my guess is that they missed it as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT REPORTS HE AND THE FO MISSED SEEING A CRITICAL NAVAID OUT OF SERVICE NOTICE EVEN AFTER CONSCIENTIOUSLY READING THE MANY PAGES OF NOTAMS.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED THE FLIGHT AT THE LAST MINUTE. THE OTHER CREW WAS READY TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND DEPART WHEN I WAS TOLD TO GO TO THE AIRCRAFT AND TELL THE CAPT THAT I WOULD BE TAKING HIS FLIGHT. HE WAS TO CALL SCHEDULING. I KNEW THIS WAS A CLASSIC SITUATION FOR BEING RUSHED AND I INTENTIONALLY WENT SLOW AND RE-CHECKED EVERYTHING THAT THE OTHER CREW HAD ALREADY DONE TO PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE. I BRIEFED THE CREW AND RAN ALL CHECKLISTS AGAIN. WE SAW THAT ZZZ WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY XX AND AS IT WAS THE FO'S LEG SHE BRIEFED THE DEPARTURE FOR ME. WE DISCUSSED THE SINGLE ENGINE DEPARTURE AND THE FACT THAT ZZZ VOR/DME WAS OUT OF SERVICE. SO; WE DISCUSSED USING THE BEARING OFF NDB FOR THE CORRECT TURN POINT IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE FAILURE. I CHECKED FOR NOTAMS FOR NDB AND DID NOT SEE ANY. THERE WERE MANY COMPLETE PAGES OF NOTAMS FOR ZZZ; MORE OF IT USELESS. MY FO SAID THAT SHE ALSO CHECKED FOR THE NOTAM AS WELL AND DID NOT SEE ANY. TO VERIFY THAT THE NDB WAS WORKING WE BOTH TUNED THE NDB AND WAS UNABLE TO GET AN ID. HOWEVER; WITH THE NDB BEING SEVERAL MILES FROM THE FIELD AND THERE WAS A LARGE BUILDING (TERMINAL) BETWEEN US AND THE BEACON I WAS NOT SURPRISED THAT WE DID NOT GET AN ID. HOWEVER; THE NEEDLE WAS POINTING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE BEACON SO THIS COMBINED WITH US NOT SEEING A NOTAM SEEMED REASONABLE THAT ALL WAS WELL. WE DISCUSSED THAT IN THE OFF CHANCE THAT IT WAS OTS (SINCE THERE WAS NO ID) WE WOULD ASK ATC FOR THE HEADING CHANGE AT THE CORRECT DISTANCE SHOULD WE LOSE AN ENGINE. ALSO; IT WAS A GOOD DAY; VFR WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY SO THERE SEEMED TO BE NO ADDITIONAL RISK. AT SOME POINT DURING CLIMB OUT; I THINK AROUND THE FL200 RANGE; THE FO NOTICED THE NOTAM FOR NDB OTS. WE WERE BOTH SHOCKED AND DISCUSSED HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT TO DO DIFFERENT NEXT TIME. MAYBE I WAS GOING TOO FAST DURING THE DELAYED DEPARTURE BUT I DO NOT THINK SO; MAINTAINING A SCHEDULE HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN A CONCERN OR FOCUS OF MINE. DOING EVERYTHING CORRECTLY IN HOWEVER MUCH TIME IT TAKES HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY GOAL. I'M NOT REALLY SURE IF THIS DEPARTURE WAS ILLEGAL OR IN VIOLATION OF COMPANY PROCEDURES OR BOTH. HOWEVER; I DO FEEL THAT AT NO TIME WAS THIS FLIGHT EVER IN DANGER OR AT RISK. IF THE DISPATCHER WAS AWARE OF BOTH OF THESE NOTAMS; MAYBE A COMMENT ON THE RELEASE WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. HOWEVER; MY GUESS IS THAT THEY MISSED IT AS WELL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.