First officer put the wrong flight number into the ACARS.

Attributes
ACN	291932
Time
Date	199412
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff 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 : 240 flight time total : 19000
ASRS Report	291932
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Arrived pit as flight X which continued to sfo with another flight crew. Departed pit 59 mins later as flight Y. I noticed after departure that first officer was experiencing difficulty contacting departure control. Departure finally acknowledged and told him to contact departure on a different frequency. New frequency cleared us to a higher altitude and eventually gave us a new transponder code. After reaching cruise altitude, I began to wonder about these events. I discovered that the first officer had initialized the ACARS with the inbound flight number instead of the outbound number. In doing so, he inadvertently requested and received the clearance for flight X to sfo along with their transponder code and departure frequency. He obviously read none of the pre departure clearance information except transponder code and departure frequency. The obvious remedy is a procedure which I intend to suggest to management that is that both crew members will read and agree on pre departure clearance clrncs just as we do with new altitude assignments.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO PUT THE WRONG FLT NUMBER INTO THE ACARS.

Narrative: ARRIVED PIT AS FLT X WHICH CONTINUED TO SFO WITH ANOTHER FLC. DEPARTED PIT 59 MINS LATER AS FLT Y. I NOTICED AFTER DEP THAT FO WAS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY CONTACTING DEP CTL. DEP FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD HIM TO CONTACT DEP ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. NEW FREQ CLRED US TO A HIGHER ALT AND EVENTUALLY GAVE US A NEW XPONDER CODE. AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT, I BEGAN TO WONDER ABOUT THESE EVENTS. I DISCOVERED THAT THE FO HAD INITIALIZED THE ACARS WITH THE INBOUND FLT NUMBER INSTEAD OF THE OUTBOUND NUMBER. IN DOING SO, HE INADVERTENTLY REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE CLRNC FOR FLT X TO SFO ALONG WITH THEIR XPONDER CODE AND DEP FREQ. HE OBVIOUSLY READ NONE OF THE PDC INFO EXCEPT XPONDER CODE AND DEP FREQ. THE OBVIOUS REMEDY IS A PROC WHICH I INTEND TO SUGGEST TO MGMNT THAT IS THAT BOTH CREW MEMBERS WILL READ AND AGREE ON PDC CLRNCS JUST AS WE DO WITH NEW ALT ASSIGNMENTS.

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.