Narrative:

A VFR day my aircraft departed medord airport with out being released. There were a variety of extenuating circumstances that led to this mistake, yet the ultimate culprit was a miscommunication between my first officer and myself. The morning started out rough due to the new security regulations being implemented by the FAA. The additional time to do the full security check coupled with waiting for a new release with the current WX led to a late start. I work hard to never rush my first officer beyond his or her ability, yet in this case after looking back, I believe I did rush the first officer. Even if I said nothing verbal, I probably said it with my actions because we were running late and I was moving quick. With the security checks, new WX brief, and a new release out of the way, we both continued with our duties, read the checklist and proceeded to start the aircraft. During the taxi, first officer contacted center for the clearance and was told to contact cascade departure, he did so. While first officer contacted cascade for the clearance, I on the other hand wanted to verify the winds. This created a situation where I was listening to ATIS while the first officer was picking up the clearance. During this time, I heard an air carrier indicate they were taxiing to A3. Note: alfa taxiway south of A3 were closed. We taxied to the hold short line just north of the aircraft. First officer finished up his duties. First officer did brief the clearance. I believe it was the jackson 7, as filed, maintain 11000. He never indicated that we were being held for release and I never asked at that time. We then proceeded to wait for the other air carrier to taxi out. Finally we queried them, asking them if they were going to go. They indicated that they were waiting on us. I was surprised, because I didn't know we had been cleared for departure or better put released. As I entered the runway, something felt wrong to me, and because I didn't hear the clearance, I asked first officer if we were cleared, and first officer answered yes, thinking are all the checklist cleared. In hindsight, it would have been better if I had said, are we released? With that confirmation I departed. I think it was around 3000 ft to 4000 ft and prior to the VOR and to continue on course. They also let us know that we had departed without being released. They have us a number to call, we took it down. I talked to the first officer about it and then proceeded with the business at hand. I was concerned about not continuing the series of mistakes, and I mentioned this to the first officer. The rest of the flight went well. We got the runway at 100 ft to minimums and landed with out additional incidents. I then called cascade approach. They were very nice and informed me that my mistake did not cause any problems with other aircraft and on a scale of 1 to 10, this is on the low side. After calling them, I called my chief pilot and informed him of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ENSTROM HELICOPTER 280 SHARK TKOF WITHOUT TWR RELEASE CAUSED BY MISCOMMUNICATION IN COCKPIT BETWEEN CAPT AND FO.

Narrative: A VFR DAY MY ACFT DEPARTED MEDORD ARPT WITH OUT BEING RELEASED. THERE WERE A VARIETY OF EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THIS MISTAKE, YET THE ULTIMATE CULPRIT WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN MY FIRST OFFICER AND MYSELF. THE MORNING STARTED OUT ROUGH DUE TO THE NEW SECURITY REGULATIONS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE FAA. THE ADDITIONAL TIME TO DO THE FULL SECURITY CHECK COUPLED WITH WAITING FOR A NEW RELEASE WITH THE CURRENT WX LED TO A LATE START. I WORK HARD TO NEVER RUSH MY FO BEYOND HIS OR HER ABILITY, YET IN THIS CASE AFTER LOOKING BACK, I BELIEVE I DID RUSH THE FO. EVEN IF I SAID NOTHING VERBAL, I PROBABLY SAID IT WITH MY ACTIONS BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING LATE AND I WAS MOVING QUICK. WITH THE SECURITY CHECKS, NEW WX BRIEF, AND A NEW RELEASE OUT OF THE WAY, WE BOTH CONTINUED WITH OUR DUTIES, READ THE CHECKLIST AND PROCEEDED TO START THE ACFT. DURING THE TAXI, FO CONTACTED CENTER FOR THE CLRNC AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT CASCADE DEP, HE DID SO. WHILE FO CONTACTED CASCADE FOR THE CLRNC, I ON THE OTHER HAND WANTED TO VERIFY THE WINDS. THIS CREATED A SIT WHERE I WAS LISTENING TO ATIS WHILE THE FO WAS PICKING UP THE CLRNC. DURING THIS TIME, I HEARD AN ACR INDICATE THEY WERE TAXIING TO A3. NOTE: ALFA TXWY SOUTH OF A3 WERE CLOSED. WE TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE JUST NORTH OF THE ACFT. FO FINISHED UP HIS DUTIES. FO DID BRIEF THE CLRNC. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE JACKSON 7, AS FILED, MAINTAIN 11000. HE NEVER INDICATED THAT WE WERE BEING HELD FOR RELEASE AND I NEVER ASKED AT THAT TIME. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO WAIT FOR THE OTHER ACR TO TAXI OUT. FINALLY WE QUERIED THEM, ASKING THEM IF THEY WERE GOING TO GO. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WERE WAITING ON US. I WAS SURPRISED, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR DEPARTURE OR BETTER PUT RELEASED. AS I ENTERED THE RWY, SOMETHING FELT WRONG TO ME, AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THE CLRNC, I ASKED FO IF WE WERE CLEARED, AND FO ANSWERED YES, THINKING ARE ALL THE CHECKLIST CLRED. IN HINDSIGHT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF I HAD SAID, ARE WE RELEASED? WITH THAT CONFIRMATION I DEPARTED. I THINK IT WAS AROUND 3000 FT TO 4000 FT AND PRIOR TO THE VOR AND TO CONTINUE ON COURSE. THEY ALSO LET US KNOW THAT WE HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT BEING RELEASED. THEY HAVE US A NUMBER TO CALL, WE TOOK IT DOWN. I TALKED TO THE FO ABOUT IT AND THEN PROCEEDED WITH THE BUSINESS AT HAND. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT NOT CONTINUING THE SERIES OF MISTAKES, AND I MENTIONED THIS TO THE FO. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT WELL. WE GOT THE RWY AT 100 FT TO MINIMUMS AND LANDED WITH OUT ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS. I THEN CALLED CASCADE APCH. THEY WERE VERY NICE AND INFORMED ME THAT MY MISTAKE DID NOT CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS WITH OTHER ACFT AND ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, THIS IS ON THE LOW SIDE. AFTER CALLING THEM, I CALLED MY CHIEF PLT AND INFORMED HIM OF THE SIT.

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.