Medium large transport departs without predep clearance. Realizes when changed to departure.

Attributes
ACN	244591
Time
Date	199306
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 620 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	244591
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Standard procedure is to retrieve pre-departure clearance 15 mins before pushback if gate agent has not brought it down. We were busy setting up cockpit and preparing for engine start at gate as the APU was inoperative. Automated weight and balance final WX and fuel slip arrived as we were starting the engines to allow for a timely departure. The airplane had been set up for the SID including heading, altitude and departure radial. In the pushback we did not notice that the pre-departure clearance had not arrived with the other paperwork. There was no delay in taxi and we were cleared for takeoff immediately. After approximately 500 ft the tower told us to contact departure. That is when I noticed we had no departure frequency clearance. We looked for the pre-departure clearance to no avail, followed by me calling for our clearance while the captain monitored the radios. Our clearance was received by 1500 ft and we continued on the vector with no further incident. Lesson learned: go get pre-departure clearance if it has not arrived 15 mins prior to departure as per company policy. Our guess is that ATC sent our pre-departure clearance but it was left on the printer at the gate. Otherwise we shouldn't have been cleared for taxi or takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG DEPARTS WITHOUT PREDEP CLRNC. REALIZES WHEN CHANGED TO DEP.

Narrative: STANDARD PROC IS TO RETRIEVE PRE-DEP CLRNC 15 MINS BEFORE PUSHBACK IF GATE AGENT HAS NOT BROUGHT IT DOWN. WE WERE BUSY SETTING UP COCKPIT AND PREPARING FOR ENG START AT GATE AS THE APU WAS INOP. AUTOMATED WT AND BAL FINAL WX AND FUEL SLIP ARRIVED AS WE WERE STARTING THE ENGS TO ALLOW FOR A TIMELY DEP. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN SET UP FOR THE SID INCLUDING HDG, ALT AND DEP RADIAL. IN THE PUSHBACK WE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE PRE-DEP CLRNC HAD NOT ARRIVED WITH THE OTHER PAPERWORK. THERE WAS NO DELAY IN TAXI AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF IMMEDIATELY. AFTER APPROX 500 FT THE TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT DEP. THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED WE HAD NO DEP FREQ CLRNC. WE LOOKED FOR THE PRE-DEP CLRNC TO NO AVAIL, FOLLOWED BY ME CALLING FOR OUR CLRNC WHILE THE CAPT MONITORED THE RADIOS. OUR CLRNC WAS RECEIVED BY 1500 FT AND WE CONTINUED ON THE VECTOR WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. LESSON LEARNED: GO GET PRE-DEP CLRNC IF IT HAS NOT ARRIVED 15 MINS PRIOR TO DEP AS PER COMPANY POLICY. OUR GUESS IS THAT ATC SENT OUR PRE-DEP CLRNC BUT IT WAS LEFT ON THE PRINTER AT THE GATE. OTHERWISE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR TAXI OR TKOF.

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.