DC10 flight crew takes off without receiving an IFR clearance.

Attributes
ACN	584069
Time
Date	200306
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 10
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold ground : taxi ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	584069
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	584228
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

DC10-10 took off from mem bound for jfk without receiving an IFR clearance. Tower gave us the squawk at 500 ft AGL on departure and we proceeded as filed. This situation occurred because the crew was rushed to accomplish on-time departure after spending too much time briefing a company non pilot jump seater on use of equipment, ie, oxygen mask, escape slide, life vest, etc. Mem clearance delivery assumed we had ACARS and a pre departure clearance. Ground cleared us to taxi without their strip in hand from clearance. Tower cleared us into position and hold without ground giving them the strip. Tower cleared us for takeoff without any way to verify we had a valid clearance delivered, and received. Company procedures have no place on takeoff checklist to verify clearance received. The lack of ACARS, pre departure clearance, and rushed environment, as well as ATC having no way to verify clearance to aircraft received, contributed to this event.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 FLT CREW TAKES OFF WITHOUT RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: DC10-10 TOOK OFF FROM MEM BOUND FOR JFK WITHOUT RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC. TWR GAVE US THE SQUAWK AT 500 FT AGL ON DEP AND WE PROCEEDED AS FILED. THIS SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CREW WAS RUSHED TO ACCOMPLISH ON-TIME DEP AFTER SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME BRIEFING A COMPANY NON PLT JUMP SEATER ON USE OF EQUIP, IE, OXYGEN MASK, ESCAPE SLIDE, LIFE VEST, ETC. MEM CLRNC DELIVERY ASSUMED WE HAD ACARS AND A PDC. GND CLRED US TO TAXI WITHOUT THEIR STRIP IN HAND FROM CLRNC. TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD WITHOUT GND GIVING THEM THE STRIP. TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF WITHOUT ANY WAY TO VERIFY WE HAD A VALID CLRNC DELIVERED, AND RECEIVED. COMPANY PROCS HAVE NO PLACE ON TKOF CHKLIST TO VERIFY CLRNC RECEIVED. THE LACK OF ACARS, PDC, AND RUSHED ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS ATC HAVING NO WAY TO VERIFY CLRNC TO ACFT RECEIVED, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT.

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.