Air carrier crew takes off without route clearance in their possession.

Attributes
ACN	478120
Time
Date	200006
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial ground : preflight ground : parked
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	478120
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	478022
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We had multiple distractions and interruptions during the before starting engines checklist. Shortly after takeoff the tower gave us a transponder code change. We could not find our ACARS clearance so we requested a new clearance and verified the transponder code. This was a good lesson in being more careful of distractions during the accomplishment of checklists. Supplemental information from acn 478022: requested ACARS clearance too early. Learned a good lesson about handling distractions during checklists and also about requesting clearance too early.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW TAKES OFF WITHOUT RTE CLRNC IN THEIR POSSESSION.

Narrative: WE HAD MULTIPLE DISTRACTIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS DURING THE BEFORE STARTING ENGS CHKLIST. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE TWR GAVE US A XPONDER CODE CHANGE. WE COULD NOT FIND OUR ACARS CLRNC SO WE REQUESTED A NEW CLRNC AND VERIFIED THE XPONDER CODE. THIS WAS A GOOD LESSON IN BEING MORE CAREFUL OF DISTRACTIONS DURING THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF CHKLISTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 478022: REQUESTED ACARS CLRNC TOO EARLY. LEARNED A GOOD LESSON ABOUT HANDLING DISTRACTIONS DURING CHKLISTS AND ALSO ABOUT REQUESTING CLRNC TOO EARLY.

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.