Narrative:

The crew van from the layover hotel to the airport would not start. We took a taxi. Upon arrival at the airport; we were short on time; so I chose to perform flight planning in the dispatch room near our departure gate. The computer froze up and I had to re-boot it. The re-boot took a few mins; probably because of the archaic hardware and operating system. When the computer was finally back up; I printed all flight papers. The papers would not print. I re-attempted several times and finally left there to proceed to the aircraft (even later now) to print the papers on the cockpit printer. Printing on the cockpit printer is a last resort; because it makes the ACARS unusable for all other functions for approximately 20 mins. When the first flight plan printed; I saw that the dispatcher had planned us with much more fuel than I considered necessary. I called the dispatcher from my cell and we agreed to a lower fuel. The ACARS printer was still slowly printing. I wanted a full brief with the 9 flight attendants. I requested the released request for our flight into the ACARS; as well as current release and time. I went to brief with the cabin crew. I came back to the ACARS to find the messages 'release #1 not signed' and 'err: no flight plan stored -- call dispatch.' I ascertained from the first message that my release was current and as for the second message; I realized my error was that today we were using flight #YYY and I re-requested the release. A passenger carrying firearm came into the cockpit to introduce herself. I spoke with her and introduced her to the purser. I asked the first officer to call operations to make sure that the fueler was aware of the decrease in fuel load. The ACARS release was waiting for me and I typed in ZZZ on page 2 and sent the message. I was conducting a predep briefing with the first officer when a gentleman came into the cockpit. He was also carrying a firearm. I introduced him to the purser and made sure that each 'pcfa' was aware of each other's presence. I continued the briefing and was interrupted by a ramp worker on headset asking to disconnect external power. At this time the ACARS was again tied up printing release #2 flight plan with the fuel load that was agreed upon. The remark; 'release #2 amend fuel per captain agreement' was printed on this flight plan. The customer service representative came into the cockpit asking to close the door. We departed. 1/2 way into the flight; the dispatcher asked me to validate the release. This was confusing since I had accomplished this task before departure. I queried ACARS for release status and the reply was 'release #2 not signed.' I relayed my information to the dispatcher and he validated the release. In summary; although it would appear that the release for the flight had not been validated prior to departure; I feel that the 'intent' of the release process was completely fulfilled. That is; I spoke personally with the dispatcher about the fuel and routing. I also did a very thorough WX and maintenance review for the flight. Further; I did validate the release in the ACARS by entering my domicile ZZZ on the ACARS page and hitting 'send.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 CREW DEPARTS STATION WITH ELECTRONIC DISPATCH RELEASE UNSIGNED.

Narrative: THE CREW VAN FROM THE LAYOVER HOTEL TO THE ARPT WOULD NOT START. WE TOOK A TAXI. UPON ARR AT THE ARPT; WE WERE SHORT ON TIME; SO I CHOSE TO PERFORM FLT PLANNING IN THE DISPATCH ROOM NEAR OUR DEP GATE. THE COMPUTER FROZE UP AND I HAD TO RE-BOOT IT. THE RE-BOOT TOOK A FEW MINS; PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE ARCHAIC HARDWARE AND OPERATING SYS. WHEN THE COMPUTER WAS FINALLY BACK UP; I PRINTED ALL FLT PAPERS. THE PAPERS WOULD NOT PRINT. I RE-ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY LEFT THERE TO PROCEED TO THE ACFT (EVEN LATER NOW) TO PRINT THE PAPERS ON THE COCKPIT PRINTER. PRINTING ON THE COCKPIT PRINTER IS A LAST RESORT; BECAUSE IT MAKES THE ACARS UNUSABLE FOR ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS FOR APPROX 20 MINS. WHEN THE FIRST FLT PLAN PRINTED; I SAW THAT THE DISPATCHER HAD PLANNED US WITH MUCH MORE FUEL THAN I CONSIDERED NECESSARY. I CALLED THE DISPATCHER FROM MY CELL AND WE AGREED TO A LOWER FUEL. THE ACARS PRINTER WAS STILL SLOWLY PRINTING. I WANTED A FULL BRIEF WITH THE 9 FLT ATTENDANTS. I REQUESTED THE RELEASED REQUEST FOR OUR FLT INTO THE ACARS; AS WELL AS CURRENT RELEASE AND TIME. I WENT TO BRIEF WITH THE CABIN CREW. I CAME BACK TO THE ACARS TO FIND THE MESSAGES 'RELEASE #1 NOT SIGNED' AND 'ERR: NO FLT PLAN STORED -- CALL DISPATCH.' I ASCERTAINED FROM THE FIRST MESSAGE THAT MY RELEASE WAS CURRENT AND AS FOR THE SECOND MESSAGE; I REALIZED MY ERROR WAS THAT TODAY WE WERE USING FLT #YYY AND I RE-REQUESTED THE RELEASE. A PAX CARRYING FIREARM CAME INTO THE COCKPIT TO INTRODUCE HERSELF. I SPOKE WITH HER AND INTRODUCED HER TO THE PURSER. I ASKED THE FO TO CALL OPS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUELER WAS AWARE OF THE DECREASE IN FUEL LOAD. THE ACARS RELEASE WAS WAITING FOR ME AND I TYPED IN ZZZ ON PAGE 2 AND SENT THE MESSAGE. I WAS CONDUCTING A PREDEP BRIEFING WITH THE FO WHEN A GENTLEMAN CAME INTO THE COCKPIT. HE WAS ALSO CARRYING A FIREARM. I INTRODUCED HIM TO THE PURSER AND MADE SURE THAT EACH 'PCFA' WAS AWARE OF EACH OTHER'S PRESENCE. I CONTINUED THE BRIEFING AND WAS INTERRUPTED BY A RAMP WORKER ON HEADSET ASKING TO DISCONNECT EXTERNAL PWR. AT THIS TIME THE ACARS WAS AGAIN TIED UP PRINTING RELEASE #2 FLT PLAN WITH THE FUEL LOAD THAT WAS AGREED UPON. THE REMARK; 'RELEASE #2 AMEND FUEL PER CAPT AGREEMENT' WAS PRINTED ON THIS FLT PLAN. THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE CAME INTO THE COCKPIT ASKING TO CLOSE THE DOOR. WE DEPARTED. 1/2 WAY INTO THE FLT; THE DISPATCHER ASKED ME TO VALIDATE THE RELEASE. THIS WAS CONFUSING SINCE I HAD ACCOMPLISHED THIS TASK BEFORE DEP. I QUERIED ACARS FOR RELEASE STATUS AND THE REPLY WAS 'RELEASE #2 NOT SIGNED.' I RELAYED MY INFO TO THE DISPATCHER AND HE VALIDATED THE RELEASE. IN SUMMARY; ALTHOUGH IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE RELEASE FOR THE FLT HAD NOT BEEN VALIDATED PRIOR TO DEP; I FEEL THAT THE 'INTENT' OF THE RELEASE PROCESS WAS COMPLETELY FULFILLED. THAT IS; I SPOKE PERSONALLY WITH THE DISPATCHER ABOUT THE FUEL AND ROUTING. I ALSO DID A VERY THOROUGH WX AND MAINT REVIEW FOR THE FLT. FURTHER; I DID VALIDATE THE RELEASE IN THE ACARS BY ENTERING MY DOMICILE ZZZ ON THE ACARS PAGE AND HITTING 'SEND.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.