Air carrier flight crew reported departing without detecting that a second release has been issued f...

Narrative:

We departed without signing the second release. I signed the original release 3+15 prior to show time while in the hotel. I loaded the document on my ipad. I prefer to go paperless on domestic flights. If there is a new release; I have always received some type of notification from dispatch. In this event; I never received any notification that there was a new release. The dispatcher issued a new release because the destination forecast changed which required the addition of an alternate. I discovered the second release which I never signed when I was looking for my return flight plan.it looks like a breakdown of communication occurred. Procedures must be changed to necessitate notification of the captain if a new release is initiated after the captain signs an earlier version. The final backstop to this process must be technology: for example; the final weight and balance cannot be sent unless the captain has signed the flight plan release.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier flight crew reported departing without detecting that a second release has been issued for their flight adding an alternate. The first release was signed by the Captain electronically three hours before departure and the Dispatcher was not aware of this signing.

Narrative: We departed without signing the second release. I signed the original release 3+15 prior to show time while in the hotel. I loaded the document on my iPad. I prefer to go paperless on domestic flights. If there is a new release; I have always received some type of notification from Dispatch. In this event; I never received any notification that there was a new release. The dispatcher issued a new release because the destination forecast changed which required the addition of an alternate. I discovered the second release which I never signed when I was looking for my return flight plan.It looks like a breakdown of communication occurred. Procedures must be changed to necessitate notification of the Captain if a new release is initiated after the Captain signs an earlier version. The final backstop to this process must be technology: for example; the final weight and balance cannot be sent unless the Captain has signed the flight plan release.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

Attributes
ACN	1300755
Time
Date	201510
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural FAR Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Air carrier flight crew reported departing without detecting that a second release has been issued for their flight adding an alternate. The first release was signed by the captain electronically three hours before departure and the dispatcher was not aware of this signing.