Narrative:

On departing phl, first officer failed to receive a pre departure clearance via ACARS. The captain failed to verify pre departure clearance flight plan with the flight release flight plan. Aircraft had MEL that required maintenance to accomplish a special procedure and sign off the aircraft log. Checked logbook, found maintenance had not signed off MEL -- special procedure -- called maintenance. Signing of log, boarding passenger, fuel slip being brought to cockpit, all the things you read about contributed to leaving the gate without a pre departure clearance. After takeoff, departure control asked what our transponder code was. At that point we realized we had not gotten a pre departure clearance. Departure control issued new squawk. Radar contact. Left turn direct modena, etc. We were never asked by ground control or tower if we had received a pre departure clearance. I do not think ATC would issue a takeoff clearance to an IFR aircraft if ATC did not have knowledge of this aircraft, I do not know if ATC has any way of knowing if a pre departure clearance has been received and if that pre departure clearance is correct. I have received pdcs with an aircraft change on that route with ATC not knowing there has been a change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TOOK OFF WITHOUT AN AIRWAYS CLRNC AND XPONDER SQUAWK.

Narrative: ON DEPARTING PHL, FO FAILED TO RECEIVE A PDC VIA ACARS. THE CAPT FAILED TO VERIFY PDC FLIGHT PLAN WITH THE FLT RELEASE FLT PLAN. ACFT HAD MEL THAT REQUIRED MAINT TO ACCOMPLISH A SPECIAL PROC AND SIGN OFF THE ACFT LOG. CHKED LOGBOOK, FOUND MAINT HAD NOT SIGNED OFF MEL -- SPECIAL PROC -- CALLED MAINT. SIGNING OF LOG, BOARDING PAX, FUEL SLIP BEING BROUGHT TO COCKPIT, ALL THE THINGS YOU READ ABOUT CONTRIBUTED TO LEAVING THE GATE WITHOUT A PDC. AFTER TKOF, DEP CTL ASKED WHAT OUR XPONDER CODE WAS. AT THAT POINT WE REALIZED WE HAD NOT GOTTEN A PDC. DEP CTL ISSUED NEW SQUAWK. RADAR CONTACT. L TURN DIRECT MODENA, ETC. WE WERE NEVER ASKED BY GND CTL OR TWR IF WE HAD RECEIVED A PDC. I DO NOT THINK ATC WOULD ISSUE A TKOF CLRNC TO AN IFR ACFT IF ATC DID NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ACFT, I DO NOT KNOW IF ATC HAS ANY WAY OF KNOWING IF A PDC HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND IF THAT PDC IS CORRECT. I HAVE RECEIVED PDCS WITH AN ACFT CHANGE ON THAT RTE WITH ATC NOT KNOWING THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE.

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.