Narrative:

Inbound flight was late and we were rushed because of the 'scheduled out time' report card mentality. We were dispatched with the right hand fuel tank quantity inoperative (first time in 4 yrs for me). I was required to visually observe the sticking of the fuel tank, which took more time. I was giving an IOE to a transition captain who has been doing a good job. In a rush to get out I pulled up the clearance from ACARS, but the captain had not set up the ACARS from the previous flight. A flight plan came out so I set the squawk on the transponder, called clearance delivery and confirmed the squawk, they said ok and we left. The clearance said, climb to 10000 ft. After departure I could not get departure control on the radio. Finally I contacted them while climbing through about 6000 for 10000. It turns out that the clearance I got on ACARS was for the inbound flight. The squawk was incorrect. The altitude was wrong and so was the departure frequency. We were supposed to level at 5000, I guess. It was VMC, no conflicts. I should have verified that the ACARS clearance was for us. I depended too much on 'the system' and the performance of a new transition captain. I will be much more involved from now on! Possible changes: once a flight has departed (i.e., ACARS 'off' recorded) the computer could 'lock out' any other request for that specific flight plan via ACARS. Also, if someone calls clearance delivery to confirm the correct squawk received via ACARS they should also be more involved, and, if the incorrect squawk is reported, this should sent up a red flag. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states this was a very rushed change over. They were taking over aircraft from previous flight. ACARS normally will purge itself within 5 mins of flight completion. Reporter cannot believe they took less than 5 mins flight preflight preparation. Because they were late, he took outside and transition captain took inside. Reporter felt captain had been doing quite well. No reason to doubt his capability. Controller no help when confirmed wrong squawk. Later discovered the inbound flight number still in ACARS which may be what triggered the wrong clearance. Feels strongly there should be a lock out system so this cannot happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CHK PLT PULLS UP INBOUND CLRNC ON ACARS WHEN DEPARTING. FLIES WRONG CLRNC.

Narrative: INBOUND FLT WAS LATE AND WE WERE RUSHED BECAUSE OF THE 'SCHEDULED OUT TIME' RPT CARD MENTALITY. WE WERE DISPATCHED WITH THE R HAND FUEL TANK QUANTITY INOP (FIRST TIME IN 4 YRS FOR ME). I WAS REQUIRED TO VISUALLY OBSERVE THE STICKING OF THE FUEL TANK, WHICH TOOK MORE TIME. I WAS GIVING AN IOE TO A TRANSITION CAPT WHO HAS BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB. IN A RUSH TO GET OUT I PULLED UP THE CLRNC FROM ACARS, BUT THE CAPT HAD NOT SET UP THE ACARS FROM THE PREVIOUS FLT. A FLT PLAN CAME OUT SO I SET THE SQUAWK ON THE TRANSPONDER, CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND CONFIRMED THE SQUAWK, THEY SAID OK AND WE LEFT. THE CLRNC SAID, CLB TO 10000 FT. AFTER DEP I COULD NOT GET DEP CTL ON THE RADIO. FINALLY I CONTACTED THEM WHILE CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 6000 FOR 10000. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE CLRNC I GOT ON ACARS WAS FOR THE INBOUND FLT. THE SQUAWK WAS INCORRECT. THE ALT WAS WRONG AND SO WAS THE DEP FREQ. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LEVEL AT 5000, I GUESS. IT WAS VMC, NO CONFLICTS. I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THAT THE ACARS CLRNC WAS FOR US. I DEPENDED TOO MUCH ON 'THE SYS' AND THE PERFORMANCE OF A NEW TRANSITION CAPT. I WILL BE MUCH MORE INVOLVED FROM NOW ON! POSSIBLE CHANGES: ONCE A FLT HAS DEPARTED (I.E., ACARS 'OFF' RECORDED) THE COMPUTER COULD 'LOCK OUT' ANY OTHER REQUEST FOR THAT SPECIFIC FLT PLAN VIA ACARS. ALSO, IF SOMEONE CALLS CLRNC DELIVERY TO CONFIRM THE CORRECT SQUAWK RECEIVED VIA ACARS THEY SHOULD ALSO BE MORE INVOLVED, AND, IF THE INCORRECT SQUAWK IS RPTED, THIS SHOULD SENT UP A RED FLAG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS WAS A VERY RUSHED CHANGE OVER. THEY WERE TAKING OVER ACFT FROM PREVIOUS FLT. ACARS NORMALLY WILL PURGE ITSELF WITHIN 5 MINS OF FLT COMPLETION. RPTR CANNOT BELIEVE THEY TOOK LESS THAN 5 MINS FLT PREFLT PREPARATION. BECAUSE THEY WERE LATE, HE TOOK OUTSIDE AND TRANSITION CAPT TOOK INSIDE. RPTR FELT CAPT HAD BEEN DOING QUITE WELL. NO REASON TO DOUBT HIS CAPABILITY. CTLR NO HELP WHEN CONFIRMED WRONG SQUAWK. LATER DISCOVERED THE INBOUND FLT NUMBER STILL IN ACARS WHICH MAY BE WHAT TRIGGERED THE WRONG CLRNC. FEELS STRONGLY THERE SHOULD BE A LOCK OUT SYS SO THIS CANNOT HAPPEN.

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.