Flight crew departs in wrong aircraft, not noting an aircraft change.

Attributes
ACN	253826
Time
Date	199310
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : anc
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	253826
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	253654
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Scheduled to depart fairbanks to sea with stop of 47 mins at anc. This flight is normally a 'through' flight without an aircraft change. We flew an autoland approach at anc due to fog for what amounted to a normal time on the ground. En route to sea we contacted system maintenance to report a minor discrepancy. We give maintenance our tail number as per normal procedures and at that time found the number did not agree with our papers for the leg to sea. We later found that we should have had a plane change at anc but it was not caught by us or the ground personnel. There was no safety problem as our weights were well within limits but it meant we flew an aircraft without proper papers. This was an unusual event, changing aircraft, and was obviously missed by everyone! I suggested to my company that our release papers be highlighted with a note to the captain, by name, noting the nonstandard situation of changing airplanes at anc. Such a change would be noted if we were going through a hub station or any station where a layover might entail an aircraft change, but not at anc at early am time!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DEPARTS IN WRONG ACFT, NOT NOTING AN ACFT CHANGE.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO DEPART FAIRBANKS TO SEA WITH STOP OF 47 MINS AT ANC. THIS FLT IS NORMALLY A 'THROUGH' FLT WITHOUT AN ACFT CHANGE. WE FLEW AN AUTOLAND APCH AT ANC DUE TO FOG FOR WHAT AMOUNTED TO A NORMAL TIME ON THE GND. ENRTE TO SEA WE CONTACTED SYS MAINT TO RPT A MINOR DISCREPANCY. WE GIVE MAINT OUR TAIL NUMBER AS PER NORMAL PROCS AND AT THAT TIME FOUND THE NUMBER DID NOT AGREE WITH OUR PAPERS FOR THE LEG TO SEA. WE LATER FOUND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A PLANE CHANGE AT ANC BUT IT WAS NOT CAUGHT BY US OR THE GND PERSONNEL. THERE WAS NO SAFETY PROB AS OUR WTS WERE WELL WITHIN LIMITS BUT IT MEANT WE FLEW AN ACFT WITHOUT PROPER PAPERS. THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL EVENT, CHANGING ACFT, AND WAS OBVIOUSLY MISSED BY EVERYONE! I SUGGESTED TO MY COMPANY THAT OUR RELEASE PAPERS BE HIGHLIGHTED WITH A NOTE TO THE CAPT, BY NAME, NOTING THE NONSTANDARD SIT OF CHANGING AIRPLANES AT ANC. SUCH A CHANGE WOULD BE NOTED IF WE WERE GOING THROUGH A HUB STATION OR ANY STATION WHERE A LAYOVER MIGHT ENTAIL AN ACFT CHANGE, BUT NOT AT ANC AT EARLY AM TIME!

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.