Commuter light transport made a takeoff from a non tower airport IMC without a clearance.

Attributes
ACN	185030
Time
Date	199107
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ahn
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	185030
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Loaded passenger, called center to see if there were any departure delays out of control zone. Center said no. Taxied out, ran checklist, took off and called airborne to center. Center replied, 'do you have a clearance?' I said 'yes we do', then I looked at my first officer, and then realized we didn't. Center asked what our squawk was and I told him that a mistake was made, we had no clearance. He gave us a clearance, and we continued trip. Detail to checklist procedures and crew coordination could have prevented this occurrence. When I called center to check for delays, my first officer thought I was getting a clearance. When we got to radios and navs on the checklist, I replied set, thinking the transponder code was current and that my first officer had received a clearance, which is one of his normal duties. I had turned my #1 communication switch off after I talked to center, so I was only listening to unicom. Big lesson learned. Don't assume anything, and follow checklists to the letter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT MADE A TKOF FROM A NON TWR ARPT IMC WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: LOADED PAX, CALLED CENTER TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY DEP DELAYS OUT OF CTL ZONE. CENTER SAID NO. TAXIED OUT, RAN CHKLIST, TOOK OFF AND CALLED AIRBORNE TO CENTER. CENTER REPLIED, 'DO YOU HAVE A CLRNC?' I SAID 'YES WE DO', THEN I LOOKED AT MY FO, AND THEN REALIZED WE DIDN'T. CENTER ASKED WHAT OUR SQUAWK WAS AND I TOLD HIM THAT A MISTAKE WAS MADE, WE HAD NO CLRNC. HE GAVE US A CLRNC, AND WE CONTINUED TRIP. DETAIL TO CHKLIST PROCS AND CREW COORD COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. WHEN I CALLED CENTER TO CHK FOR DELAYS, MY FO THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A CLRNC. WHEN WE GOT TO RADIOS AND NAVS ON THE CHKLIST, I REPLIED SET, THINKING THE TRANSPONDER CODE WAS CURRENT AND THAT MY FO HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC, WHICH IS ONE OF HIS NORMAL DUTIES. I HAD TURNED MY #1 COM SWITCH OFF AFTER I TALKED TO CENTER, SO I WAS ONLY LISTENING TO UNICOM. BIG LESSON LEARNED. DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING, AND FOLLOW CHKLISTS TO THE LETTER.

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.