Narrative:

During preflight, we received a pre-departure clearance which had no specific SID or departure frequency but did specify the cardi 2 arrival into san from lax. I believed that, since it was simply intercepting the lax 118 degree radial out, that tower would either assign us an altitude for takeoff or we would be cleared to our filed altitude of 11000 ft and a departure frequency assigned. When cleared for takeoff with no information given. I queried tower for an altitude and frequency. Was told to climb to 2000 ft and contact departure on frequency. Shortly after takeoff we were told to fly the laxx 1 SID and contact departure. While the captain flew, I looked up the SID in my book. At this time, the engineer was dealing with the unusual procedures of takeoff without an operating generator since our flaps were up and the aircraft was flying normally. While the captain and I were verbalizing the SID, we allowed the aircraft to reach 2500- 2700 ft altitude. At that time, departure cleared us to 11000 ft. No traffic was seen or involved. Researching the pre-departure clearance (written) after the fact indicated the full clearance, i.e., the SID, had been inadvertently left off. Problem was confounded by inoperative generator, receiving instructions to fly a specific SID immediately after takeoff and plain murphy's law. I will always have a specific altitude and frequency for all future takeoff or ask before taking the active runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT ACR FAILED TO GET A PROPER PRE-DEP CLRNC AND DEP CTL FREQ PRIOR TO TKOF. THEY THEN OVERSHOT THEIR ALT IN THE INITIAL CLB.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT, WE RECEIVED A PRE-DEP CLRNC WHICH HAD NO SPECIFIC SID OR DEP FREQ BUT DID SPECIFY THE CARDI 2 ARR INTO SAN FROM LAX. I BELIEVED THAT, SINCE IT WAS SIMPLY INTERCEPTING THE LAX 118 DEG RADIAL OUT, THAT TWR WOULD EITHER ASSIGN US AN ALT FOR TKOF OR WE WOULD BE CLRED TO OUR FILED ALT OF 11000 FT AND A DEP FREQ ASSIGNED. WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF WITH NO INFO GIVEN. I QUERIED TWR FOR AN ALT AND FREQ. WAS TOLD TO CLB TO 2000 FT AND CONTACT DEP ON FREQ. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE WERE TOLD TO FLY THE LAXX 1 SID AND CONTACT DEP. WHILE THE CAPT FLEW, I LOOKED UP THE SID IN MY BOOK. AT THIS TIME, THE ENGINEER WAS DEALING WITH THE UNUSUAL PROCS OF TKOF WITHOUT AN OPERATING GENERATOR SINCE OUR FLAPS WERE UP AND THE ACFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY. WHILE THE CAPT AND I WERE VERBALIZING THE SID, WE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO REACH 2500- 2700 FT ALT. AT THAT TIME, DEP CLRED US TO 11000 FT. NO TFC WAS SEEN OR INVOLVED. RESEARCHING THE PRE-DEP CLRNC (WRITTEN) AFTER THE FACT INDICATED THE FULL CLRNC, I.E., THE SID, HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY LEFT OFF. PROBLEM WAS CONFOUNDED BY INOP GENERATOR, RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY A SPECIFIC SID IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND PLAIN MURPHY'S LAW. I WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIFIC ALT AND FREQ FOR ALL FUTURE TKOF OR ASK BEFORE TAKING THE ACTIVE RWY.

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.