MLG DEPARTS WITHOUT PDC CLRNC.

Narrative

OUR COMPANY USES PDC TO RETRIEVE ATC CLRNC ON ACARS. I REQUESTED OUR CLRNC BUT IT DIDN'T COME UP. I LEFT THE ACFT FOR A COUPLE OF MINS AND WHEN I RETURNED; I FAILED TO REQUEST THE CLRNC A SECOND TIME. WE COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AND DEPARTED STILL FAILING TO REALIZE WE HADN'T RECEIVED THE CLRNC. ON CLBOUT; WE RECEIVED THE DEP FREQ FROM THE TWR. DEP GAVE US THE CORRECT SQUAWK CODE. SINCE WE HAD A COPY OF THE COMPANY ROUTING AND WERE ACCUSTOMED TO USING THE HORNET SID; WE WERE LUCKY WE ENDED UP DOING WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. I WAS SURPRISED THAT NONE OF THE CTLRS SEEMED AWARE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TEXT OF THE CLRNC. I'M ALSO SURPRISED THE CAPT DIDN'T CATCH MY MISTAKE. HE WAS IN THE COCKPIT THE ENTIRE TIME (AT THE GATE). I THING HE WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH SOMETHING. SOMETIMES THINGS BECOME SO ROUTINE IT BECOMES EASY TO OVERLOOK THE OBVIOUS. ON OUR CHKLIST (BEFORE START) THERE IS AN ITEM 'RADIOS/ACARS.' THAT WAS OUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT THIS ERROR; BUT NEITHER OF US LOOKED UP THE DEP FREQ OR SQUAWK CODE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 250495: THERE SEEMS TO BE NO REAL XCHK IF A CLRNC HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY PDC. PLTS NEED TO XCHK THEMSELVES WITH SOME SORT OF REMINDER. FOR EXAMPLE: ALT ALERTER SET TO 0 OR XPONDER ON 0000 UNTIL CLRNC RECEIVED.