Medium large transport takes off without receiving ATC airways clearance.

Attributes
ACN	239223
Time
Date	199304
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	239223
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Even though the first officer used several techniques to alert him to the fact we didn't have a clearance, we did not get one prior to becoming airborne. It was not until after liftoff we discovered we had not obtained our en route clearance. Neither ground, tower or departure control questioned us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: when using ACARS to get a pre-departure clearance, flight crew is supposed to query ACARS by hitting 'ATC,' 'enter,' and 'send.' in this case, the first officer simply forgot to query ACARS and neither crew member thought about their lack of a clearance. Further, the ground controller apparently did not notice that he didn't have a strip on the flight. It wasn't until the crew noticed they did not have a transponder code entered did they realize what had happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TAKES OFF WITHOUT RECEIVING ATC AIRWAYS CLRNC.

Narrative: EVEN THOUGH THE FO USED SEVERAL TECHNIQUES TO ALERT HIM TO THE FACT WE DIDN'T HAVE A CLRNC, WE DID NOT GET ONE PRIOR TO BECOMING AIRBORNE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER LIFTOFF WE DISCOVERED WE HAD NOT OBTAINED OUR ENRTE CLRNC. NEITHER GND, TWR OR DEP CTL QUESTIONED US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN USING ACARS TO GET A PRE-DEP CLRNC, FLC IS SUPPOSED TO QUERY ACARS BY HITTING 'ATC,' 'ENTER,' AND 'SEND.' IN THIS CASE, THE FO SIMPLY FORGOT TO QUERY ACARS AND NEITHER CREW MEMBER THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR LACK OF A CLRNC. FURTHER, THE GND CTLR APPARENTLY DID NOT NOTICE THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A STRIP ON THE FLT. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE CREW NOTICED THEY DID NOT HAVE A XPONDER CODE ENTERED DID THEY REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

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.