AN FK100 FLC DEPARTS WITHOUT THEIR PDC AND IMPROPER SQUAWK CODE WHICH IS DETECTED BY THE DEP CTLR AT ORD; IL.

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WHILE PREPARING THE COCKPIT FOR DEP; AN OVERHEAD PANEL FELL DOWN IN THE FIRST CLASS CABIN. I CALLED MAINT AND I ASSISTED THE MECH TO GET THE PANEL UP FOR BOARDING TO CONTINUE. THIS DID BREAK UP THE NORMAL PROCESS OF GETTING THE PLANE READY FOR DEP. ON CLBOUT; ATC GAVE US A NEW SQUAWK WHICH WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE HAD IN THE XPONDER. AT THE GATE; WE RECEIVED THE CLOSEOUT EARLY AND ALSO THE TCASII PORTION OF THE XPONDER WAS INOP; WHICH WAS MISLEADING WHEN WE GOT TO THAT PORTION OF THE CHKLIST. I REALIZE THE MISTAKE AND WILL BE VERY CAREFUL OF DISTRS IN THE FUTURE. THE CAPT ASKED FOR A FULL RTE CLRNC FROM ATC WHICH THEY ALREADY HAD TO VERIFY OUR RTE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537620: ON DEP; ATC GAVE US A NEW SQUAWK. I LOOKED TO SEE THE ORIGINAL SETTING AND NOTICED WE HAD NO PDC. WE REQUESTED A PDC THROUGH ACARS AND RECEIVED IT AIRBORNE. I REQUESTED A FULL RTE READBACK -- NO CHANGES. I MISSED IT ON THE CHKLIST ITEM 'XPONDER.' I REPLIED 'STAND BY' AND CHKED THE SQUAWK AS I ALWAYS DO. THERE WAS A SQUAWK LEFT IN THE XPONDER WINDOW AFTER THE LAST FLT. NORMALLY; I CHK IT AGAINST THE PDC; BUT WAS DISTR WHEN I LOOKED AT THE XPONDER PANEL BECAUSE TCASII WAS INOP AND WE HAD AN INOP STICKER ON THE PANEL. ALSO; WE HAD A CLOSEOUT 9 MINS BEFORE DEP AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE PDC. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR DEPARTING WITHOUT A CLRNC. MAYBE WE COULD CHANGE THE CHKLIST TO HAVE FO'S ZERO OUT THE XPONDER AFTER LNDG.