Narrative:

I was the first officer and PF for an XB05 morning departure from alb, NM, on may/sat/02. Upon review of the flight plan, I noted nothing unusual for our flight and saw we would be in an MD80 airplane, ie, no FMS. My preflight was normal except that when I tried to print an ATIS for abq, I received a message stating 'digital ATIS not available.' I noted the time was XA30 and thought to myself that the tower controller had not had time to load an ATIS. I received the ATIS manually over the VHF radio. At XA40, I sent for a pre departure clearance through the ACARS and received a message stating no flight plan on file. I was outside the 29 prior window and thought to just wait a few mins more. I tried again and received the same message. The captain called clearance and we received our clearance over VHF. The taxi to the active runway was short and we had not received our close-out weight slip. I called operations on the radio and was read the close-out which I wrote down. Takeoff and climb out were normal. Usually, during climb, we receive a message with our estimated times over our flight planned fixes and our estimated fuel remaining. We did not receive this message. The captain used the flight plan and our off-time to manually compute times and fuel. During all this time my train of thought was that the ACARS was malfunctioning as has happened in the past. A test of the system proved it was working properly. While in cruise flight, the captain realized we were in the wrong airplane. The nose number on the release stated xyz and we were in abc. We called dispatch and told them of our error and they amended the flight plan and sent a new weight slip. I attribute my mistakes to a new aircraft numbering system combined with new flight plans. The ACARS formatting has also changed which takes greater care to find a mistake such as this one. I also blame myself for having an attitude where I was quick to blame others, ie, too early for a digital ATIS and too early for a pre departure clearance. I also was too quick to revert to manually getting information to expedite our departure. I would strongly suggest to everyone to slow down and review all paperwork carefully, also pay close attention to things early in the morning when you're the first of many flts to depart a station.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW DEPARTED IN THE WRONG ACFT ON AN EARLY MORNING DEP.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO AND PF FOR AN XB05 MORNING DEP FROM ALB, NM, ON MAY/SAT/02. UPON REVIEW OF THE FLT PLAN, I NOTED NOTHING UNUSUAL FOR OUR FLT AND SAW WE WOULD BE IN AN MD80 AIRPLANE, IE, NO FMS. MY PREFLT WAS NORMAL EXCEPT THAT WHEN I TRIED TO PRINT AN ATIS FOR ABQ, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE STATING 'DIGITAL ATIS NOT AVAILABLE.' I NOTED THE TIME WAS XA30 AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT THE TWR CTLR HAD NOT HAD TIME TO LOAD AN ATIS. I RECEIVED THE ATIS MANUALLY OVER THE VHF RADIO. AT XA40, I SENT FOR A PDC THROUGH THE ACARS AND RECEIVED A MESSAGE STATING NO FLT PLAN ON FILE. I WAS OUTSIDE THE 29 PRIOR WINDOW AND THOUGHT TO JUST WAIT A FEW MINS MORE. I TRIED AGAIN AND RECEIVED THE SAME MESSAGE. THE CAPT CALLED CLRNC AND WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC OVER VHF. THE TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY WAS SHORT AND WE HAD NOT RECEIVED OUR CLOSE-OUT WT SLIP. I CALLED OPS ON THE RADIO AND WAS READ THE CLOSE-OUT WHICH I WROTE DOWN. TKOF AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. USUALLY, DURING CLB, WE RECEIVE A MESSAGE WITH OUR ESTIMATED TIMES OVER OUR FLT PLANNED FIXES AND OUR ESTIMATED FUEL REMAINING. WE DID NOT RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE. THE CAPT USED THE FLT PLAN AND OUR OFF-TIME TO MANUALLY COMPUTE TIMES AND FUEL. DURING ALL THIS TIME MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT WAS THAT THE ACARS WAS MALFUNCTIONING AS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST. A TEST OF THE SYS PROVED IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. WHILE IN CRUISE FLT, THE CAPT REALIZED WE WERE IN THE WRONG AIRPLANE. THE NOSE NUMBER ON THE RELEASE STATED XYZ AND WE WERE IN ABC. WE CALLED DISPATCH AND TOLD THEM OF OUR ERROR AND THEY AMENDED THE FLT PLAN AND SENT A NEW WT SLIP. I ATTRIBUTE MY MISTAKES TO A NEW ACFT NUMBERING SYS COMBINED WITH NEW FLT PLANS. THE ACARS FORMATTING HAS ALSO CHANGED WHICH TAKES GREATER CARE TO FIND A MISTAKE SUCH AS THIS ONE. I ALSO BLAME MYSELF FOR HAVING AN ATTITUDE WHERE I WAS QUICK TO BLAME OTHERS, IE, TOO EARLY FOR A DIGITAL ATIS AND TOO EARLY FOR A PDC. I ALSO WAS TOO QUICK TO REVERT TO MANUALLY GETTING INFO TO EXPEDITE OUR DEP. I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST TO EVERYONE TO SLOW DOWN AND REVIEW ALL PAPERWORK CAREFULLY, ALSO PAY CLOSE ATTN TO THINGS EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN YOU'RE THE FIRST OF MANY FLTS TO DEPART A STATION.

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.