B737-300 flight crew departs hou with FMC software for different model aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	446130
Time
Date	199908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	446130
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fms other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

B737-300 aircraft during preflight, FMC software appeared to indicate B737-700 software loaded. A second check of the 'identify' page confirmed the data loaded was for a B737-300 aircraft which matched our type aircraft for this particular flight. We flew the aircraft from hou to dal and then swapped aircraft. I was contacted 3 days later by the chief pilot and advised we had flown a dash 300 aircraft with dash 700 data loaded. I advised him that we had verified the aircraft type on the 'identify' page as being for a dash 300 aircraft. Safe design should dictate that it should not be possible to misload software into the wrong aircraft database. Either different plug-in design or computer software warning that the database and aircraft type are not compatible would be appropriate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC DEPARTS HOU WITH FMC SOFTWARE FOR DIFFERENT MODEL ACFT.

Narrative: B737-300 ACFT DURING PREFLT, FMC SOFTWARE APPEARED TO INDICATE B737-700 SOFTWARE LOADED. A SECOND CHK OF THE 'IDENT' PAGE CONFIRMED THE DATA LOADED WAS FOR A B737-300 ACFT WHICH MATCHED OUR TYPE ACFT FOR THIS PARTICULAR FLT. WE FLEW THE ACFT FROM HOU TO DAL AND THEN SWAPPED ACFT. I WAS CONTACTED 3 DAYS LATER BY THE CHIEF PLT AND ADVISED WE HAD FLOWN A DASH 300 ACFT WITH DASH 700 DATA LOADED. I ADVISED HIM THAT WE HAD VERIFIED THE ACFT TYPE ON THE 'IDENT' PAGE AS BEING FOR A DASH 300 ACFT. SAFE DESIGN SHOULD DICTATE THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO MISLOAD SOFTWARE INTO THE WRONG ACFT DATABASE. EITHER DIFFERENT PLUG-IN DESIGN OR COMPUTER SOFTWARE WARNING THAT THE DATABASE AND ACFT TYPE ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.

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.