Narrative:

I was a captain under training with an instructor pilot on an medium large transport. We were preparing to depart phl for an IFR flight to dtw with revenue passenger on board the aircraft. The instructor had entered the wrong flight number in the ACARS unit and therefore received the wrong IFR clearance via the ACARS. We had the correct flight plan on our company release and the correct flight plan entered in our FMS for the flight to dtw. Taxi and takeoff were normal but once in-flight realized that we had the wrong departure frequency and transponder code. Those 2 errors alerted us to our error. We called back to phl clearance delivery within mins of our takeoff and explained the error. (The wrong flight number in the ACARS unit.) we confirmed out correct routing and transponder code. Once again, the correct route was already in the FMS and being flown as expected. There was no problem because the FMS had been programmed correctly. The only problem was of a technical nature, i.e., we had received the wrong clearance via ACARS. From the time we taxied out, we used our correct flight number throughout the flight. Tower cleared us for takeoff with our correct flight number. I wondered later why the tower strip on us did not show that our correct IFR clearance had not been transmitted to us either via ACARS or via VHF radio transmission. The instructor pilot called phl TRACON the next day when we were in phl again. A shift supervisor remembered the situation and said it happens occasionally and that no problem was created by the clearance mixup. Closer attention by me or any crew would have caught the error prior to leaving the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CKP INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE WRONG ACFT NUMBER IN THE ACAR PDC RESULTING IN THE ACFT DEPARTING WITH A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS A CAPT UNDER TRAINING WITH AN INSTRUCTOR PLT ON AN MLG. WE WERE PREPARING TO DEPART PHL FOR AN IFR FLT TO DTW WITH REVENUE PAX ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE INSTRUCTOR HAD ENTERED THE WRONG FLT NUMBER IN THE ACARS UNIT AND THEREFORE RECEIVED THE WRONG IFR CLRNC VIA THE ACARS. WE HAD THE CORRECT FLT PLAN ON OUR COMPANY RELEASE AND THE CORRECT FLT PLAN ENTERED IN OUR FMS FOR THE FLT TO DTW. TAXI AND TKOF WERE NORMAL BUT ONCE INFLT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THE WRONG DEP FREQ AND XPONDER CODE. THOSE 2 ERRORS ALERTED US TO OUR ERROR. WE CALLED BACK TO PHL CLRNC DELIVERY WITHIN MINS OF OUR TKOF AND EXPLAINED THE ERROR. (THE WRONG FLT NUMBER IN THE ACARS UNIT.) WE CONFIRMED OUT CORRECT ROUTING AND XPONDER CODE. ONCE AGAIN, THE CORRECT RTE WAS ALREADY IN THE FMS AND BEING FLOWN AS EXPECTED. THERE WAS NO PROB BECAUSE THE FMS HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED CORRECTLY. THE ONLY PROB WAS OF A TECHNICAL NATURE, I.E., WE HAD RECEIVED THE WRONG CLRNC VIA ACARS. FROM THE TIME WE TAXIED OUT, WE USED OUR CORRECT FLT NUMBER THROUGHOUT THE FLT. TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF WITH OUR CORRECT FLT NUMBER. I WONDERED LATER WHY THE TWR STRIP ON US DID NOT SHOW THAT OUR CORRECT IFR CLRNC HAD NOT BEEN XMITTED TO US EITHER VIA ACARS OR VIA VHF RADIO XMISSION. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT CALLED PHL TRACON THE NEXT DAY WHEN WE WERE IN PHL AGAIN. A SHIFT SUPVR REMEMBERED THE SIT AND SAID IT HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY AND THAT NO PROB WAS CREATED BY THE CLRNC MIXUP. CLOSER ATTN BY ME OR ANY CREW WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR PRIOR TO LEAVING THE GATE.

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.