AN ACR MLG CREW TOOK OFF WITHOUT PROPER DISPATCH AUTHORITY AND MEL CLRNC.

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AFTER ARRIVING ON SCHEDULED FLT INTO WASHINGTON DULLES; WE WERE ADVISED TO CALL CREW SCHEDULING FOR POSSIBLE REROUTING DUE TO APCHING STORM ON E COAST. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE BEING FORECAST FOR WHAT WOULD BE REFERRED TO BY MANY RPTRS THE NEXT DAY AS THE 'STORM OF THE CENTURY.' THE CREW COORDINATORS WERE NOT ALL ORGANIZED; BUT THEY FINALLY DETERMINED WE WERE TO TAKE AN ACFT STILL INBOUND TO IAD AND FERRY IT TO DTW. ALL OUR PLANES IN THE AFFECTED AREAS WERE BEING EVACED TO AVOID BEING STUCK IN THE APCHING WX SYS. WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE; THE CREW NOTED THE 'AUTO SPOILER DO NOT USE' LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE HAD NO MAINT AND HAD TO USE A MECH FROM ANOTHER CARRIER. WE CALLED MAINT CTL TO DETERMINE THE FIX AND TAKE CARE OF LOGBOOK DOCUMENTATION. WE WERE RACING THE CLOCK AS IT WAS STARTING TO SNOW; BUT STILL MELTING INSTANTLY (TEMP 34 DEGS F). WE COULD RAISE NO ONE ON THE 800 NUMBER. IAD OPS FINALLY CALLED FLT PLANNING OFFICE AND THEY SWITCHED US TO MAINT. MEL BOOK STATES WE CAN HAVE NO CONTAMINATION ON TKOF RWY WITH AUTO SPOILERS INOP. MECH AND MAINT EVENTUALLY GOT SQUARED AWAY. I KEPT MAINT ON PHONE THROUGHOUT PROCESS; MADE SURE LOGBOOK WAS CORRECT; WHILE MECH MADE SPOILER CHKS. WE FINALLY GOT OUT OF OPS TO ACFT AND DEPARTED IAD JUST AHEAD OF SNOW STORM WHICH LATER CLOSED THE ARPT. ENRTE TO DTW ON FERRY FLT; I REALIZED I HAD SPENT ALL MY TIME ON PHONE WITH MAINT AND HAD NOT CONTACTED DISPATCH. OUR SIGNED RELEASE DID NOT HAVE AUTO SPOILER MEL ADDED. WE WERE VERY LIGHT WT AND LEGAL. OUR RUSH TO BEAT THE STORM COUPLED WITH INITIAL INABILITY TO GET HOLD OF MAINT DIVERTED MY ATTN FROM MY RESPONSIBILITY OF COORDINATING WITH DISPATCHER.