Narrative:

Departed orf for iah before dawn without having received printed pre departure clearance or verbal ATC clearance from clearance delivery. First became aware of omission upon receiving corrected transponder code from departure controller during initial contact after takeoff. Subsequently requested and received full route ATC clearance confirmation from first ARTCC controller. Flight was operated safely and routinely in every other respect. First contributing factor is believed to be the early morning nature of this flight. Even though this reporter was more than adequately rested, he recognizes and admits to being a relatively 'slow starter' in the early mornings and does not utilize coffee or other stimulants for a 'jump start.' arrived at aircraft barely 30 mins prior to scheduled departure time and left gate 3 mins early. There seemed to be adequate time for cockpit set up and preflight checks, but both captain and first officer missed failure to copy/read ATC clearance before accomplishing receiving aircraft checklist. Captain responded with required replied to 'MCP' and 'TCASII/transponder' challenges without having verified the altitude and transponder settings had been assigned by ATC in written or verbal clearance. MCP altitude was set from written narrative instructions printed on commercial visual departure chart. Transponder code was apparently 'left over' from previous flight segment. Predep checks/setup seemed to be going smoothly with all necessary entries to FMC and other control panels being accomplished properly, but it all seemed to wrap up quite quickly when agent came through cockpit door with weight and balance numbers and to verify 'ok to close.' second set of numbers for opposite direction runway came over printer and through window on stick moments later as everything just seemed to 'flow' toward gate departure. Neither local ground nor tower controller questioned or volunteered ATC route clearance as we pushed, started, taxied, and took off. I believe we were the only traffic moving on or near the airport. First officer is highly qualified, competent and normally very reliable, but later as we reviewed the situation, he admitted he felt some subtle variations to his predep routine had been violated but he couldn't help feeling something was missing as we left the gate. Still we both overlooked this necessary requirement a couple of times each, so it appears complacency combined with the early morning 'mental fog' to result in this omission. Another reminder that eternal vigilance is an ongoing challenge and necessity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-500 DEPARTED ORF, VA, WITHOUT ATC RTE CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED ORF FOR IAH BEFORE DAWN WITHOUT HAVING RECEIVED PRINTED PDC OR VERBAL ATC CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. FIRST BECAME AWARE OF OMISSION UPON RECEIVING CORRECTED XPONDER CODE FROM DEP CTLR DURING INITIAL CONTACT AFTER TKOF. SUBSEQUENTLY REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FULL RTE ATC CLRNC CONFIRMATION FROM FIRST ARTCC CTLR. FLT WAS OPERATED SAFELY AND ROUTINELY IN EVERY OTHER RESPECT. FIRST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS BELIEVED TO BE THE EARLY MORNING NATURE OF THIS FLT. EVEN THOUGH THIS RPTR WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATELY RESTED, HE RECOGNIZES AND ADMITS TO BEING A RELATIVELY 'SLOW STARTER' IN THE EARLY MORNINGS AND DOES NOT UTILIZE COFFEE OR OTHER STIMULANTS FOR A 'JUMP START.' ARRIVED AT ACFT BARELY 30 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP TIME AND LEFT GATE 3 MINS EARLY. THERE SEEMED TO BE ADEQUATE TIME FOR COCKPIT SET UP AND PREFLT CHKS, BUT BOTH CAPT AND FO MISSED FAILURE TO COPY/READ ATC CLRNC BEFORE ACCOMPLISHING RECEIVING ACFT CHKLIST. CAPT RESPONDED WITH REQUIRED REPLIED TO 'MCP' AND 'TCASII/XPONDER' CHALLENGES WITHOUT HAVING VERIFIED THE ALT AND XPONDER SETTINGS HAD BEEN ASSIGNED BY ATC IN WRITTEN OR VERBAL CLRNC. MCP ALT WAS SET FROM WRITTEN NARRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS PRINTED ON COMMERCIAL VISUAL DEP CHART. XPONDER CODE WAS APPARENTLY 'LEFT OVER' FROM PREVIOUS FLT SEGMENT. PREDEP CHKS/SETUP SEEMED TO BE GOING SMOOTHLY WITH ALL NECESSARY ENTRIES TO FMC AND OTHER CTL PANELS BEING ACCOMPLISHED PROPERLY, BUT IT ALL SEEMED TO WRAP UP QUITE QUICKLY WHEN AGENT CAME THROUGH COCKPIT DOOR WITH WT AND BAL NUMBERS AND TO VERIFY 'OK TO CLOSE.' SECOND SET OF NUMBERS FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY CAME OVER PRINTER AND THROUGH WINDOW ON STICK MOMENTS LATER AS EVERYTHING JUST SEEMED TO 'FLOW' TOWARD GATE DEP. NEITHER LCL GND NOR TWR CTLR QUESTIONED OR VOLUNTEERED ATC RTE CLRNC AS WE PUSHED, STARTED, TAXIED, AND TOOK OFF. I BELIEVE WE WERE THE ONLY TFC MOVING ON OR NEAR THE ARPT. FO IS HIGHLY QUALIFIED, COMPETENT AND NORMALLY VERY RELIABLE, BUT LATER AS WE REVIEWED THE SIT, HE ADMITTED HE FELT SOME SUBTLE VARIATIONS TO HIS PREDEP ROUTINE HAD BEEN VIOLATED BUT HE COULDN'T HELP FEELING SOMETHING WAS MISSING AS WE LEFT THE GATE. STILL WE BOTH OVERLOOKED THIS NECESSARY REQUIREMENT A COUPLE OF TIMES EACH, SO IT APPEARS COMPLACENCY COMBINED WITH THE EARLY MORNING 'MENTAL FOG' TO RESULT IN THIS OMISSION. ANOTHER REMINDER THAT ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE AND NECESSITY.

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.