B737 flight reported taking off unknowingly with flight director switches off.

Attributes
ACN	1326480
Time
Date	201601
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ATL.Airport
State Reference	GA
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Takeoff
Route In Use	SID GEETK9
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 210 Flight Crew Type 19000
Person 2
Function	First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 182
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

Clearance was the GEETK9 RNAV departure. On takeoff runway 8R; tower cleared us for takeoff RNAV hrshl. After takeoff; while cleaning up the aircraft; we tried to initiate direct hrshl as directed by tower in the FMC. We had no flight director showing direct to hrshl. After several attempts to initiate direct in the FMC; cleaning up the aircraft; IMC; raining; master caution for center boost pumps (twice); and tower querying us; I told tower we were having navigation issues and ask for a heading to hrshl. Tower gave us a heading to hrshl and handed us off to departure. We found the flight directors switches were off; we contacted departure and rejoined the departure. I turned the flight directors off during taxi-in to clear the FMA and got distracted. My usual pre-departure 'mental checklist technique'; after the before takeoff checklist is run; includes checking 'flight directors on' among several other items (i.e. Minimum takeoff fuel). The one time I did not perform my technique; the flight directors were off.preventative measures: add flight directors to the before takeoff checklist.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 flight reported taking off unknowingly with flight director switches off.

Narrative: Clearance was the GEETK9 RNAV Departure. On takeoff Runway 8R; Tower cleared us for takeoff RNAV HRSHL. After takeoff; while cleaning up the aircraft; we tried to initiate direct HRSHL as directed by Tower in the FMC. We had no flight director showing direct to HRSHL. After several attempts to initiate direct in the FMC; cleaning up the aircraft; IMC; raining; Master Caution for Center Boost Pumps (twice); and Tower querying us; I told Tower we were having navigation issues and ask for a heading to HRSHL. Tower gave us a heading to HRSHL and handed us off to Departure. We found the flight directors switches were off; we contacted Departure and rejoined the departure. I turned the flight directors off during taxi-in to clear the FMA and got distracted. My usual pre-departure 'mental checklist technique'; after the before takeoff checklist is run; includes checking 'flight directors on' among several other items (i.e. minimum takeoff fuel). The one time I did not perform my technique; the flight directors were off.Preventative Measures: Add flight directors to the before takeoff checklist.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.