Narrative:

In preparation for departure, first officer usually gets a clearance for flight. 99% of time it is routinely 'as filed.' in pit we are users of 'pre-departure clrncs' via ACARS. A great system but, we may have found a flaw. First officer did not, to the best of his knowledge, request airways to day. We taxied with clearance from ramp until we reached a spot where ground control would clear us to taxi onto active taxiways. We switched to ground frequency. Ground control called us to taxi for takeoff. There was momentary confusion as another aircraft was at another ramp exit trying to call ground. Confusion was cleared up, and we were given clearance to taxi. When we got to the runway. We were given clearance for takeoff. After takeoff, we were told to contact departure. I asked the first officer to confirm the frequency, and he could not find it written on his note pad. I asked tower -- switched over and soon after contacting departure, they wanted to confirm our squawk. That is when the big doubts began to start. We set in their requested squawk and proceeded uneventfully to day -- our destination. En route we checked the ACARS and found no clearance. The first officer checked his notepad for his habitual entries, i.e., the departure frequency written in a certain location, etc. All evidence pointed to the fact that we had not obtained our airway clearance. How had our 'strip' been sent from clearance delivery throughout the system? When we sat at the ramp exit, why did ground not ask if we had obtained our clearance? Instead -- they initiated the call and gave us taxi clearance. Each subsequent facility accepted us and routinely kept us on our way. I have taken off without the departure frequency clearly in mind and I have taken off without the correct transponder code set in, but when neither was accomplished, I knew something was wrong. We really screwed up. But, the question lingers -- how did we get into the system without our clearance? It is possible that the first officer requested the clearance but it never arrived at the cockpit ACARS, but ATC got a message saying it had been delivered. When we called mr X at pit tower, he said our clearance was handled routinely and had it not been delivered it should have read 'non pre departure clearance participant' and then it would have been delivered over the radio. The mystery continues.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TOOK OFF WITHOUT AN AIRWAYS CLRNC OR PROPER TRANSPONDER CODE. PRE-DEP CLRNC WAS IN USE.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR DEP, FO USUALLY GETS A CLRNC FOR FLT. 99% OF TIME IT IS ROUTINELY 'AS FILED.' IN PIT WE ARE USERS OF 'PRE-DEP CLRNCS' VIA ACARS. A GREAT SYS BUT, WE MAY HAVE FOUND A FLAW. FO DID NOT, TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, REQUEST AIRWAYS TO DAY. WE TAXIED WITH CLRNC FROM RAMP UNTIL WE REACHED A SPOT WHERE GND CTL WOULD CLR US TO TAXI ONTO ACTIVE TAXIWAYS. WE SWITCHED TO GND FREQ. GND CTL CALLED US TO TAXI FOR TKOF. THERE WAS MOMENTARY CONFUSION AS ANOTHER ACFT WAS AT ANOTHER RAMP EXIT TRYING TO CALL GND. CONFUSION WAS CLRED UP, AND WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI. WHEN WE GOT TO THE RWY. WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC FOR TKOF. AFTER TKOF, WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT DEP. I ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM THE FREQ, AND HE COULD NOT FIND IT WRITTEN ON HIS NOTE PAD. I ASKED TWR -- SWITCHED OVER AND SOON AFTER CONTACTING DEP, THEY WANTED TO CONFIRM OUR SQUAWK. THAT IS WHEN THE BIG DOUBTS BEGAN TO START. WE SET IN THEIR REQUESTED SQUAWK AND PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO DAY -- OUR DEST. ENRTE WE CHKED THE ACARS AND FOUND NO CLRNC. THE FO CHKED HIS NOTEPAD FOR HIS HABITUAL ENTRIES, I.E., THE DEP FREQ WRITTEN IN A CERTAIN LOCATION, ETC. ALL EVIDENCE POINTED TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD NOT OBTAINED OUR AIRWAY CLRNC. HOW HAD OUR 'STRIP' BEEN SENT FROM CLRNC DELIVERY THROUGHOUT THE SYS? WHEN WE SAT AT THE RAMP EXIT, WHY DID GND NOT ASK IF WE HAD OBTAINED OUR CLRNC? INSTEAD -- THEY INITIATED THE CALL AND GAVE US TAXI CLRNC. EACH SUBSEQUENT FACILITY ACCEPTED US AND ROUTINELY KEPT US ON OUR WAY. I HAVE TAKEN OFF WITHOUT THE DEP FREQ CLRLY IN MIND AND I HAVE TAKEN OFF WITHOUT THE CORRECT TRANSPONDER CODE SET IN, BUT WHEN NEITHER WAS ACCOMPLISHED, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. WE REALLY SCREWED UP. BUT, THE QUESTION LINGERS -- HOW DID WE GET INTO THE SYS WITHOUT OUR CLRNC? IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FO REQUESTED THE CLRNC BUT IT NEVER ARRIVED AT THE COCKPIT ACARS, BUT ATC GOT A MESSAGE SAYING IT HAD BEEN DELIVERED. WHEN WE CALLED MR X AT PIT TWR, HE SAID OUR CLRNC WAS HANDLED ROUTINELY AND HAD IT NOT BEEN DELIVERED IT SHOULD HAVE READ 'NON PDC PARTICIPANT' AND THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DELIVERED OVER THE RADIO. THE MYSTERY CONTINUES.

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.