Flight crew failed to receive ATC clearance on ACARS and didn't receive IFR clearance until airborne...

Attributes
ACN	300863
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 187 flight time total : 13800 flight time type : 4458
ASRS Report	300863
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly 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:

We departed dtw for bos without obtaining a predep IFR clearance on ACARS. The flight was delayed and the clearance was not obtained in the normal sequence of predep events since the delay time was not known. When we were finally released to depart, the clearance was overlooked. Receiving the clearance over ACARS is a relatively passive activity as compared to receiving and copying it over the radio. I think this has had the effect of making it easier to forget. We realized shortly after takeoff that we hadn't obtained a clearance when the copilot noticed that there was no code set in the transponder. Evidently the clearance had been issued since the controllers knew of it, we had failed to pick it up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FAILED TO RECEIVE ATC CLRNC ON ACARS AND DIDN'T RECEIVE IFR CLRNC UNTIL AIRBORNE.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED DTW FOR BOS WITHOUT OBTAINING A PREDEP IFR CLRNC ON ACARS. THE FLT WAS DELAYED AND THE CLRNC WAS NOT OBTAINED IN THE NORMAL SEQUENCE OF PREDEP EVENTS SINCE THE DELAY TIME WAS NOT KNOWN. WHEN WE WERE FINALLY RELEASED TO DEPART, THE CLRNC WAS OVERLOOKED. RECEIVING THE CLRNC OVER ACARS IS A RELATIVELY PASSIVE ACTIVITY AS COMPARED TO RECEIVING AND COPYING IT OVER THE RADIO. I THINK THIS HAS HAD THE EFFECT OF MAKING IT EASIER TO FORGET. WE REALIZED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THAT WE HADN'T OBTAINED A CLRNC WHEN THE COPLT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO CODE SET IN THE XPONDER. EVIDENTLY THE CLRNC HAD BEEN ISSUED SINCE THE CTLRS KNEW OF IT, WE HAD FAILED TO PICK IT UP.

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.