Paperwork for the flight crew operated showed a different aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	297660
Time
Date	199503
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : btr
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 19540 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	297660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 10100
ASRS Report	297669
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Boeing 727 X was positioned at gate for scheduled part 121 operation. All paperwork, flight plan, and awabs data was for ship Y aircraft was changed during the night. The dispatcher did not change paperwork. Not discovered until arrival in atl. Supplemental information from acn 297663: all checklists from preflight to the engine shutdown were accomplished with no discrepancies. All phases of flight occurred safely and no discrepancies were noted. However, prior to release from our trip we were, informed from our chief pilot that we had flown the wrong airplane. We were informed that the btr station had pulled the wrong 727 aircraft to the gate. The 727 aircraft that we were to fly to atlanta was still parked on the ramp in btr. As a result of the error at btr, we had preflted and flown ship X when we should have flown ship Y. The significance in this is that the takeoff data was computed for a different aircraft with a different basic weight. If we had been heavy it might have had an adverse affect on our takeoff performance. Since I don't have the data to compare, I can't say definitively that there ever was or could have been a safety problem. The obvious lesson is to always check that your paperwork is for the correct aircraft #.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAPERWORK FOR THE FLC OPERATED SHOWED A DIFFERENT ACFT.

Narrative: BOEING 727 X WAS POSITIONED AT GATE FOR SCHEDULED PART 121 OP. ALL PAPERWORK, FLT PLAN, AND AWABS DATA WAS FOR SHIP Y ACFT WAS CHANGED DURING THE NIGHT. THE DISPATCHER DID NOT CHANGE PAPERWORK. NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL ARR IN ATL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 297663: ALL CHKLISTS FROM PREFLT TO THE ENG SHUTDOWN WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES. ALL PHASES OF FLT OCCURRED SAFELY AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO RELEASE FROM OUR TRIP WE WERE, INFORMED FROM OUR CHIEF PLT THAT WE HAD FLOWN THE WRONG AIRPLANE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE BTR STATION HAD PULLED THE WRONG 727 ACFT TO THE GATE. THE 727 ACFT THAT WE WERE TO FLY TO ATLANTA WAS STILL PARKED ON THE RAMP IN BTR. AS A RESULT OF THE ERROR AT BTR, WE HAD PREFLTED AND FLOWN SHIP X WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE FLOWN SHIP Y. THE SIGNIFICANCE IN THIS IS THAT THE TKOF DATA WAS COMPUTED FOR A DIFFERENT ACFT WITH A DIFFERENT BASIC WT. IF WE HAD BEEN HEAVY IT MIGHT HAVE HAD AN ADVERSE AFFECT ON OUR TKOF PERFORMANCE. SINCE I DON'T HAVE THE DATA TO COMPARE, I CAN'T SAY DEFINITIVELY THAT THERE EVER WAS OR COULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY PROB. THE OBVIOUS LESSON IS TO ALWAYS CHK THAT YOUR PAPERWORK IS FOR THE CORRECT ACFT #.

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.