Flight crew of an large transport were given the wrong flight plan clearance by ATC prior to departu...

Attributes
ACN	374030
Time
Date	199707
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem tower : mem
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8700 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	374030
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Due to WX and maintenance delays, we were approximately 3 hours late departing mem. We received a pre departure clearance approximately 1 hour after our originally scheduled departure time. Subsequently, we changed to a different aircraft due to a maintenance problem on the original aircraft. This caused us an additional delay of approximately 1 1/2 hours. Believing that our original clearance had 'timed out' by then, we called mem clearance to get a new clearance. Mem clearance issued a clearance as expected and we taxied for departure. We were cleared for takeoff on arrival at runway 27 and departed normally. Once airborne, mem tower began calling us by a different flight number, causing us concern that we had taken off without proper clearance. Each of the 3 crew members was certain, however, that mem tower had in fact cleared our flight number for takeoff, and only began calling us by the different flight number once we were airborne. Apparently, our clearance had in fact timed out, and when we called mem clearance earlier, the controller had merely read us the contents of our original pre departure clearance, not realizing that it had timed out. Having timed out, our transponder code had been assigned to another flight. So, once we were airborne, ATC radar read our transponder code and idented us as the other flight. At the same time, there was no flight plan information in the ATC computer for our flight. It took ATC several mins to understand what had happened, and to input a flight plan for us. Subsequently, we were cleared to our destination, and the flight proceeded normally. In this case, it seems like we fell through one of the cracks in the ATC system. While it was disconcerting, the system failure did not adversely affect flight safety directly. In the future, I will watch for these circumstances carefully, and query the controllers to be sure that our clearance hasn't timed out without anyone noticing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT WERE GIVEN THE WRONG FLT PLAN CLRNC BY ATC PRIOR TO DEP DUE TO A CHANGE OF ACFT RESULTING IN THE USE OF THE WRONG XPONDER CODE AND CALL SIGN BY ATC. ATC SUBSEQUENTLY OBTAINED A CORRECTED FLT PLAN AND PASSED IT ON TO THE RPTR.

Narrative: DUE TO WX AND MAINT DELAYS, WE WERE APPROX 3 HRS LATE DEPARTING MEM. WE RECEIVED A PDC APPROX 1 HR AFTER OUR ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DEP TIME. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE CHANGED TO A DIFFERENT ACFT DUE TO A MAINT PROB ON THE ORIGINAL ACFT. THIS CAUSED US AN ADDITIONAL DELAY OF APPROX 1 1/2 HRS. BELIEVING THAT OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC HAD 'TIMED OUT' BY THEN, WE CALLED MEM CLRNC TO GET A NEW CLRNC. MEM CLRNC ISSUED A CLRNC AS EXPECTED AND WE TAXIED FOR DEP. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON ARR AT RWY 27 AND DEPARTED NORMALLY. ONCE AIRBORNE, MEM TWR BEGAN CALLING US BY A DIFFERENT FLT NUMBER, CAUSING US CONCERN THAT WE HAD TAKEN OFF WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC. EACH OF THE 3 CREW MEMBERS WAS CERTAIN, HOWEVER, THAT MEM TWR HAD IN FACT CLRED OUR FLT NUMBER FOR TKOF, AND ONLY BEGAN CALLING US BY THE DIFFERENT FLT NUMBER ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE. APPARENTLY, OUR CLRNC HAD IN FACT TIMED OUT, AND WHEN WE CALLED MEM CLRNC EARLIER, THE CTLR HAD MERELY READ US THE CONTENTS OF OUR ORIGINAL PDC, NOT REALIZING THAT IT HAD TIMED OUT. HAVING TIMED OUT, OUR XPONDER CODE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER FLT. SO, ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE, ATC RADAR READ OUR XPONDER CODE AND IDENTED US AS THE OTHER FLT. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WAS NO FLT PLAN INFO IN THE ATC COMPUTER FOR OUR FLT. IT TOOK ATC SEVERAL MINS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND TO INPUT A FLT PLAN FOR US. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE WERE CLRED TO OUR DEST, AND THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. IN THIS CASE, IT SEEMS LIKE WE FELL THROUGH ONE OF THE CRACKS IN THE ATC SYS. WHILE IT WAS DISCONCERTING, THE SYS FAILURE DID NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT FLT SAFETY DIRECTLY. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL WATCH FOR THESE CIRCUMSTANCES CAREFULLY, AND QUERY THE CTLRS TO BE SURE THAT OUR CLRNC HASN'T TIMED OUT WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING.

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.

Flight crew of an large transport were given the wrong flight plan clearance by ATC prior to departure due to a change of aircraft resulting in the use of the wrong transponder code and call sign by ATC. ATC subsequently obtained a corrected flight plan and passed it on to the reporter.