Narrative:

Brought aircraft axy into phl for an overnight on flight 10/tue/90. When we blocked in, I asked phl operations if this was our aircraft the next day on flight 10/wed/90. They replied affirmative. The next day we arrived at the airport and an medium large transport X was parked at our gate. As far as I could determine, it was the only medium large transport X on the ground at phl at the time. I picked up the paperwork and noted I was flight planned at 26000' and had approximately 4000# of extra fuel. I had an amended release with a SIGMET attached for turbulence between 22000-30000', and also a notation that this flight was on the FAA's chronically late list. I took this to mean they wanted me to fly fast at 26000' to avoid being late and forecast headwinds, thus the extra fuel. I commented to phl operations that we had way more fuel than necessary and they should relay my concern for wasting fuel on future flts just to save a few mins time. As we got our load sheet #south everything seemed ok and checked as far as fuel load, payload and gross weight. We taxied out and took off routinely with no further thought. On climb out I determined would would not save any fuel by staying at 26000' and would be on time climbing to 35000' and did so. On the way to den something just didn't seem right to me about the #south we received. After checking the release and load sheet we determined we were actually in aircraft abd. Our weight sheet was also for aircraft abd and after double-checking takeoff weights and speeds, all were correct for aircraft abd. Apparently someone had taken aircraft axy on a previous flight and also had mistaken the release for that of aircraft abd. With all the extra fuel on board there was no flight safety problem encountered and we did have the proper weight and balance information for aircraft abo. After a call to system operations I tried to have them amend the release and flight plan to reflect aircraft abd. However they advised all was ok and to leave paperwork showing aircraft axy intact. Obviously I should have verified that the aircraft # matched the release. However, I mentally did that the night before by asking if we kept the same aircraft. Also we have no standardized aircraft # plaque in the cockpit. Most aircraft, in fact, have it penciled in or in magic marker somewhere on the INS panel. Also operations and maintenance in phl should have verified aircraft with the release before fueling for the trip. Once we were in the aircraft, all the radio transmission confirmed our load sheet data with only the mystery of why we were flight planned at 26000' remaining. Recommend: 1) all aircraft #south match tail # of aircraft. 2) all aircraft #south be permanently and legibly placed in a standardized sot on the INS panel in front of both captain and first officer. 3) flight crews remain aware that because things routine 99% of time and be cause things appear to be right (1 aircraft, 1 gate, 1 flight) they aren't necessarily and need to be checked every time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC SIGNS RELEASE FORM WITH WRONG ACFT # REFLECTED UPON IT. FINDS ERROR WHEN WELL INTO FLT.

Narrative: BROUGHT ACFT AXY INTO PHL FOR AN OVERNIGHT ON FLT 10/TUE/90. WHEN WE BLOCKED IN, I ASKED PHL OPS IF THIS WAS OUR ACFT THE NEXT DAY ON FLT 10/WED/90. THEY REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. THE NEXT DAY WE ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AND AN MLG X WAS PARKED AT OUR GATE. AS FAR AS I COULD DETERMINE, IT WAS THE ONLY MLG X ON THE GND AT PHL AT THE TIME. I PICKED UP THE PAPERWORK AND NOTED I WAS FLT PLANNED AT 26000' AND HAD APPROX 4000# OF EXTRA FUEL. I HAD AN AMENDED RELEASE WITH A SIGMET ATTACHED FOR TURB BTWN 22000-30000', AND ALSO A NOTATION THAT THIS FLT WAS ON THE FAA'S CHRONICALLY LATE LIST. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN THEY WANTED ME TO FLY FAST AT 26000' TO AVOID BEING LATE AND FORECAST HEADWINDS, THUS THE EXTRA FUEL. I COMMENTED TO PHL OPS THAT WE HAD WAY MORE FUEL THAN NECESSARY AND THEY SHOULD RELAY MY CONCERN FOR WASTING FUEL ON FUTURE FLTS JUST TO SAVE A FEW MINS TIME. AS WE GOT OUR LOAD SHEET #S EVERYTHING SEEMED OK AND CHKED AS FAR AS FUEL LOAD, PAYLOAD AND GROSS WT. WE TAXIED OUT AND TOOK OFF ROUTINELY WITH NO FURTHER THOUGHT. ON CLBOUT I DETERMINED WOULD WOULD NOT SAVE ANY FUEL BY STAYING AT 26000' AND WOULD BE ON TIME CLBING TO 35000' AND DID SO. ON THE WAY TO DEN SOMETHING JUST DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME ABOUT THE #S WE RECEIVED. AFTER CHKING THE RELEASE AND LOAD SHEET WE DETERMINED WE WERE ACTUALLY IN ACFT ABD. OUR WT SHEET WAS ALSO FOR ACFT ABD AND AFTER DOUBLE-CHKING TKOF WTS AND SPDS, ALL WERE CORRECT FOR ACFT ABD. APPARENTLY SOMEONE HAD TAKEN ACFT AXY ON A PREVIOUS FLT AND ALSO HAD MISTAKEN THE RELEASE FOR THAT OF ACFT ABD. WITH ALL THE EXTRA FUEL ON BOARD THERE WAS NO FLT SAFETY PROB ENCOUNTERED AND WE DID HAVE THE PROPER WT AND BAL INFO FOR ACFT ABO. AFTER A CALL TO SYS OPS I TRIED TO HAVE THEM AMEND THE RELEASE AND FLT PLAN TO REFLECT ACFT ABD. HOWEVER THEY ADVISED ALL WAS OK AND TO LEAVE PAPERWORK SHOWING ACFT AXY INTACT. OBVIOUSLY I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT # MATCHED THE RELEASE. HOWEVER, I MENTALLY DID THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE BY ASKING IF WE KEPT THE SAME ACFT. ALSO WE HAVE NO STANDARDIZED ACFT # PLAQUE IN THE COCKPIT. MOST ACFT, IN FACT, HAVE IT PENCILED IN OR IN MAGIC MARKER SOMEWHERE ON THE INS PANEL. ALSO OPS AND MAINT IN PHL SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED ACFT WITH THE RELEASE BEFORE FUELING FOR THE TRIP. ONCE WE WERE IN THE ACFT, ALL THE RADIO XMISSION CONFIRMED OUR LOAD SHEET DATA WITH ONLY THE MYSTERY OF WHY WE WERE FLT PLANNED AT 26000' REMAINING. RECOMMEND: 1) ALL ACFT #S MATCH TAIL # OF ACFT. 2) ALL ACFT #S BE PERMANENTLY AND LEGIBLY PLACED IN A STANDARDIZED SOT ON THE INS PANEL IN FRONT OF BOTH CAPT AND F/O. 3) FLT CREWS REMAIN AWARE THAT BECAUSE THINGS ROUTINE 99% OF TIME AND BE CAUSE THINGS APPEAR TO BE RIGHT (1 ACFT, 1 GATE, 1 FLT) THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY AND NEED TO BE CHKED EVERY TIME.

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.