Narrative:

I was serving as a check airman in the right seat giving captain re-qualification flts after a medical leave of absence. We had loaded and briefed the dartz 2 RNAV departure in the fgms and were set to fly it. We were not told to check in with 'Q' or report our first waypoint to tower so when we heard someone we thought was the tower controller say 'we are not doing RNAV departures today' on tower frequency we thought we were doing radar vectors on departure. We took off and flew runway heading while waiting to be switched to departure control. After takeoff; tower did not call us to switch to departure; so I tried calling them to ask if they wanted us to switch. The frequency was busy so we switched ourselves and checked in. I asked departure if they wanted us to continue to fly a heading. They said they thought we were supposed to be flying an RNAV departure so we engaged the navigation and flew the dartz departure since we were right on course. I don't know who said they were not conducting RNAV departures but we should have confirmed that clearance prior to takeoff. We were in clear day VMC and well clear of other traffic on the dartz navigation track so as soon as communication was established with departure we engaged navigation and complied with the dartz departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW MISUNDERSTANDS DEPS IN USE AT DFW.

Narrative: I WAS SERVING AS A CHK AIRMAN IN THE R SEAT GIVING CAPT RE-QUALIFICATION FLTS AFTER A MEDICAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE. WE HAD LOADED AND BRIEFED THE DARTZ 2 RNAV DEP IN THE FGMS AND WERE SET TO FLY IT. WE WERE NOT TOLD TO CHK IN WITH 'Q' OR RPT OUR FIRST WAYPOINT TO TWR SO WHEN WE HEARD SOMEONE WE THOUGHT WAS THE TWR CTLR SAY 'WE ARE NOT DOING RNAV DEPS TODAY' ON TWR FREQ WE THOUGHT WE WERE DOING RADAR VECTORS ON DEP. WE TOOK OFF AND FLEW RWY HDG WHILE WAITING TO BE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. AFTER TKOF; TWR DID NOT CALL US TO SWITCH TO DEP; SO I TRIED CALLING THEM TO ASK IF THEY WANTED US TO SWITCH. THE FREQ WAS BUSY SO WE SWITCHED OURSELVES AND CHKED IN. I ASKED DEP IF THEY WANTED US TO CONTINUE TO FLY A HDG. THEY SAID THEY THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING AN RNAV DEP SO WE ENGAGED THE NAV AND FLEW THE DARTZ DEP SINCE WE WERE RIGHT ON COURSE. I DON'T KNOW WHO SAID THEY WERE NOT CONDUCTING RNAV DEPS BUT WE SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THAT CLRNC PRIOR TO TKOF. WE WERE IN CLR DAY VMC AND WELL CLR OF OTHER TFC ON THE DARTZ NAV TRACK SO AS SOON AS COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH DEP WE ENGAGED NAV AND COMPLIED WITH THE DARTZ DEP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.