B737-300 crew did not get pre departure clearance over ACARS at sfo.

Attributes
ACN	496281
Time
Date	200012
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude ground : parked ground : preflight
Route In Use	departure sid : porte 3
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 : 200 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	496281
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 1250
ASRS Report	496280
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During predep cockpit setup, I requested our pre departure clearance through ACARS and received the message 'clearance not stored.' it was my leg, so it was my responsibility to set up the cockpit and get our clearance. We were 30 mins from departure and most of the time pre departure clearance's aren't available till 25 mins before departure. I went on with the cockpit setup with the intention of checking again in a few mins for our clearance. However, because of getting caught up in other duties coupled with the fact that the captain and I did not do a thorough predep briefing as per company operations manual, we forgot to get our pre departure clearance and took off without it. Shortly after takeoff, we realized our error when departure control assigned us a new squawk code. We called for our pre departure clearance at that time and continued to lax without incident. We did do a predep brief, however, we did not use the briefing format called for in the operations manual. Had we done so, we would have caught our oversight before we left the gate because part of the briefing is to check the squawk code in the clearance against the one set in the transponder. From now on, nothing, but a by-the-book briefing for me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW DID NOT GET PDC OVER ACARS AT SFO.

Narrative: DURING PREDEP COCKPIT SETUP, I REQUESTED OUR PDC THROUGH ACARS AND RECEIVED THE MESSAGE 'CLRNC NOT STORED.' IT WAS MY LEG, SO IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SET UP THE COCKPIT AND GET OUR CLRNC. WE WERE 30 MINS FROM DEP AND MOST OF THE TIME PDC'S AREN'T AVAILABLE TILL 25 MINS BEFORE DEP. I WENT ON WITH THE COCKPIT SETUP WITH THE INTENTION OF CHKING AGAIN IN A FEW MINS FOR OUR CLRNC. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF GETTING CAUGHT UP IN OTHER DUTIES COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT THE CAPT AND I DID NOT DO A THOROUGH PREDEP BRIEFING AS PER COMPANY OPS MANUAL, WE FORGOT TO GET OUR PDC AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT IT. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, WE REALIZED OUR ERROR WHEN DEP CTL ASSIGNED US A NEW SQUAWK CODE. WE CALLED FOR OUR PDC AT THAT TIME AND CONTINUED TO LAX WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE DID DO A PREDEP BRIEF, HOWEVER, WE DID NOT USE THE BRIEFING FORMAT CALLED FOR IN THE OPS MANUAL. HAD WE DONE SO, WE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT OUR OVERSIGHT BEFORE WE LEFT THE GATE BECAUSE PART OF THE BRIEFING IS TO CHK THE SQUAWK CODE IN THE CLRNC AGAINST THE ONE SET IN THE XPONDER. FROM NOW ON, NOTHING, BUT A BY-THE-BOOK BRIEFING FOR ME.

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.