Narrative:

Landed late on incoming flight. Time to departure after arrival was 25 mins, but included an aircraft equipment change. End of duty day (last flight). Performed cockpit setup and exterior preflight. Omitted retrieval of IFR clearance from pre departure clearance system via ACARS equipment. Performed checklists for before start, after start, before takeoff at appropriate times. Last item on before takeoff was transponder. The PF positioned transponder to correct position but did not note a squawk code in box. When in correct seated position the code is not visible to right seat occupant in dc-9-30 aircraft. Normal procedures after programming ACARS unit for flight was to retrieve pre departure clearance message. Because of time and distrs, this was not accomplished. Another item was that recently under cost-cutting measures, our company requested a lower utilization of ACARS available services. I normally would check up line WX via ACARS to monitor trend and conditions, when retrieving ATC clearance. This was used in accessing load, landing weight, conditions, setting pressurization system parameters, etc. As a good employee, I tried to reduce ACARS utilization, but this had been paired with ATC clearance via pre departure clearance in my habit patterns. In this I did not catch omission. I plan to diligently exercise caution in this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC 9-30 TOOK OFF WITHOUT AN AIRWAYS CLRNC.

Narrative: LANDED LATE ON INCOMING FLT. TIME TO DEP AFTER ARR WAS 25 MINS, BUT INCLUDED AN ACFT EQUIP CHANGE. END OF DUTY DAY (LAST FLT). PERFORMED COCKPIT SETUP AND EXTERIOR PREFLT. OMITTED RETRIEVAL OF IFR CLRNC FROM PDC SYS VIA ACARS EQUIP. PERFORMED CHKLISTS FOR BEFORE START, AFTER START, BEFORE TKOF AT APPROPRIATE TIMES. LAST ITEM ON BEFORE TKOF WAS XPONDER. THE PF POSITIONED XPONDER TO CORRECT POS BUT DID NOT NOTE A SQUAWK CODE IN BOX. WHEN IN CORRECT SEATED POS THE CODE IS NOT VISIBLE TO R SEAT OCCUPANT IN DC-9-30 ACFT. NORMAL PROCS AFTER PROGRAMMING ACARS UNIT FOR FLT WAS TO RETRIEVE PDC MESSAGE. BECAUSE OF TIME AND DISTRS, THIS WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. ANOTHER ITEM WAS THAT RECENTLY UNDER COST-CUTTING MEASURES, OUR COMPANY REQUESTED A LOWER UTILIZATION OF ACARS AVAILABLE SVCS. I NORMALLY WOULD CHK UP LINE WX VIA ACARS TO MONITOR TREND AND CONDITIONS, WHEN RETRIEVING ATC CLRNC. THIS WAS USED IN ACCESSING LOAD, LNDG WT, CONDITIONS, SETTING PRESSURIZATION SYS PARAMETERS, ETC. AS A GOOD EMPLOYEE, I TRIED TO REDUCE ACARS UTILIZATION, BUT THIS HAD BEEN PAIRED WITH ATC CLRNC VIA PDC IN MY HABIT PATTERNS. IN THIS I DID NOT CATCH OMISSION. I PLAN TO DILIGENTLY EXERCISE CAUTION IN THIS MATTER.

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.