Narrative:

Taxiing out, the load figures did not seem correct. I asked the flight engineer for the ACARS copy of the load and discovered it was for another flight (same type aircraft). We requested another load and had the same result. Finally, we got the proper load information by calling the company on the VHF. We took off and switched to departure control, they immediately gave us a different transponder code. An amber light in my brain illuminated and I asked the first officer for the ACARS copy of the clearance. The clearance was for another flight, the same one we received the load for. I had been flying with the first officer all month and he had done a good job, his only idiosyncrasy was to keep the ACARS clearance on his instrument panel where I could not see it. I had asked about the routing when setting up the radios and was given the flight plan route. Moral -- require all original paper work to be visually available to all crew members and have all 3 cross check it. I do not know if ATC was aware of our problem. We asked for and were given direct further clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB CREW TOOK OFF WITH A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER FLT. THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED THROUGH ACARS USING PRE-DEP CLRNC (PDC) PROCS.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT, THE LOAD FIGURES DID NOT SEEM CORRECT. I ASKED THE FE FOR THE ACARS COPY OF THE LOAD AND DISCOVERED IT WAS FOR ANOTHER FLT (SAME TYPE ACFT). WE REQUESTED ANOTHER LOAD AND HAD THE SAME RESULT. FINALLY, WE GOT THE PROPER LOAD INFO BY CALLING THE COMPANY ON THE VHF. WE TOOK OFF AND SWITCHED TO DEP CTL, THEY IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A DIFFERENT XPONDER CODE. AN AMBER LIGHT IN MY BRAIN ILLUMINATED AND I ASKED THE FO FOR THE ACARS COPY OF THE CLRNC. THE CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER FLT, THE SAME ONE WE RECEIVED THE LOAD FOR. I HAD BEEN FLYING WITH THE FO ALL MONTH AND HE HAD DONE A GOOD JOB, HIS ONLY IDIOSYNCRASY WAS TO KEEP THE ACARS CLRNC ON HIS INST PANEL WHERE I COULD NOT SEE IT. I HAD ASKED ABOUT THE RTING WHEN SETTING UP THE RADIOS AND WAS GIVEN THE FLT PLAN RTE. MORAL -- REQUIRE ALL ORIGINAL PAPER WORK TO BE VISUALLY AVAILABLE TO ALL CREW MEMBERS AND HAVE ALL 3 CROSS CHECK IT. I DO NOT KNOW IF ATC WAS AWARE OF OUR PROB. WE ASKED FOR AND WERE GIVEN DIRECT FURTHER CLRNC.

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.