May have taken off without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	163439
Time
Date	199011
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hsv
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sea
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	163439
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Hsv tower clearance onto runway 18L to hold while an aircraft departed on runway 18R. Tower controller sent the departing aircraft to departure control and then advised us of a brush fire several mi southeast of the field and of an aircraft orbiting VFR adjacent to the fire. Concurrently, tower gave us an immediate right turn after takeoff and a new departure frequency. As I read all items back to the tower, the captain commenced takeoff roll. At no time do I recall specifically cleared to takeoff and when it dawned on me, we were beyond an abort speed. The tower operator made no mention of anything out of the ordinary. Some assumptions were made: it was a clear day, no local traffic, ground or airborne (other than the two aircraft previously mentioned). Perhaps no reason not to think we were cleared to takeoff, yet I don't recall it. The tower operations lengthy pretkof narrative distracted us to the point that the takeoff clearance, if given, was lost in the verbage. Recommendation: obviously, if in doubt, do not depart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAY HAVE TAKEN OFF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: HSV TWR CLRNC ONTO RWY 18L TO HOLD WHILE AN ACFT DEPARTED ON RWY 18R. TWR CTLR SENT THE DEPARTING ACFT TO DEP CTL AND THEN ADVISED US OF A BRUSH FIRE SEVERAL MI SE OF THE FIELD AND OF AN ACFT ORBITING VFR ADJACENT TO THE FIRE. CONCURRENTLY, TWR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE R TURN AFTER TKOF AND A NEW DEP FREQ. AS I READ ALL ITEMS BACK TO THE TWR, THE CAPT COMMENCED TKOF ROLL. AT NO TIME DO I RECALL SPECIFICALLY CLRED TO TKOF AND WHEN IT DAWNED ON ME, WE WERE BEYOND AN ABORT SPD. THE TWR OPERATOR MADE NO MENTION OF ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. SOME ASSUMPTIONS WERE MADE: IT WAS A CLR DAY, NO LCL TFC, GND OR AIRBORNE (OTHER THAN THE TWO ACFT PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED). PERHAPS NO REASON NOT TO THINK WE WERE CLRED TO TKOF, YET I DON'T RECALL IT. THE TWR OPS LENGTHY PRETKOF NARRATIVE DISTRACTED US TO THE POINT THAT THE TKOF CLRNC, IF GIVEN, WAS LOST IN THE VERBAGE. RECOMMENDATION: OBVIOUSLY, IF IN DOUBT, DO NOT DEPART.

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.