Narrative:

Aircraft was towed up to gate approximately 45 mins before departure. During initial cockpit setup and aircraft preflight, I looked in the area where the aircraft logbook is kept and thought I saw it there in its place. While doing all of this I was also giving a tour of the cockpit. I then went outside and did my exterior preflight inspection. I came back inside and continued my cockpit preflight/setup while explaining everything I was doing to our cockpit visitors. Shortly after my return from outside they left the cockpit and I continued with my duties. The fueler came up with the fuel sheet and I did the computations for the boarded fuel check. I thought, at this time, to check the logbook for pre-service fuel, mrd, last automatic-land, etc, when I remembered I was supposed to call clearance delivery about our expect departure clearance time (edct). I spoke to clearance delivery about our edct and he informed me by time we pushed and taxied there really wouldn't be a delay. When I was speaking with clearance delivery the agent came into the cockpit (I didn't realize she was there nor did I hear the dialogue between her and the captain), but I was on the radio with clearance delivery. Now it's time to read checklists, get pushed back, start engines and taxi. I haven't been into this airport as a working crew member in approximately 4 yrs so was very keyed in to listen to our taxi instructions from ground control so I could follow along on my airport diagram. We were then cleared for takeoff without much, if any, of a delay. We climbed up to our initial cruise altitude when I remembered 'the logbook.' I meant to look at it at the gate. When I realized it wasn't there, I immediately informed the captain and we sent a message to our departure station operations. We then referred to our fom to see if, and who else we should contact. We deducted that we should contact dispatch which we did and we were informed a temporary logbook would meet us upon our arrival and the permanent one would be sent on to the city where the aircraft was to spend the night. I believe this happened because my normal habit patterns were interrupted due to cockpit visitors and then I got myself rushed. If I had referred to the logbook when I first thought of it I would have realized it wasn't in the cockpit and that I was mistaking another book for the aircraft logbook. I could have then contacted maintenance for the logbook. It was just an honest mistake. I don't think any policy or procedure needs to be changed. Supplemental information from acn 357878: first officer and I discussed this at considerable length, as we were both astonished that it could have happened. In understanding how it occurred, the main reason was distraction. The first officer's parents, who the first officer had visited for the layover, were in the cockpit for a tour. A secondary factor for me was that the deferred and inbound log had no log items, no cosmetic items, and no open deferred items. I had mentally noted that the log history was unusually clean, while still in dispatch. I feel there are several ways to incorporate a final safety net check. I feel the best time for me would be when the fueler delivers the fuel sheet. At this time we perform a gallons boarded check computation, and this is close enough to departure for the logbook to be on board.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LOGBOOK LEFT AT RAMP. NOT MISSED DURING FLC TECHNIQUE PREFLT PROC.

Narrative: ACFT WAS TOWED UP TO GATE APPROX 45 MINS BEFORE DEP. DURING INITIAL COCKPIT SETUP AND ACFT PREFLT, I LOOKED IN THE AREA WHERE THE ACFT LOGBOOK IS KEPT AND THOUGHT I SAW IT THERE IN ITS PLACE. WHILE DOING ALL OF THIS I WAS ALSO GIVING A TOUR OF THE COCKPIT. I THEN WENT OUTSIDE AND DID MY EXTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION. I CAME BACK INSIDE AND CONTINUED MY COCKPIT PREFLT/SETUP WHILE EXPLAINING EVERYTHING I WAS DOING TO OUR COCKPIT VISITORS. SHORTLY AFTER MY RETURN FROM OUTSIDE THEY LEFT THE COCKPIT AND I CONTINUED WITH MY DUTIES. THE FUELER CAME UP WITH THE FUEL SHEET AND I DID THE COMPUTATIONS FOR THE BOARDED FUEL CHK. I THOUGHT, AT THIS TIME, TO CHK THE LOGBOOK FOR PRE-SVC FUEL, MRD, LAST AUTO-LAND, ETC, WHEN I REMEMBERED I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL CLRNC DELIVERY ABOUT OUR EXPECT DEP CLRNC TIME (EDCT). I SPOKE TO CLRNC DELIVERY ABOUT OUR EDCT AND HE INFORMED ME BY TIME WE PUSHED AND TAXIED THERE REALLY WOULDN'T BE A DELAY. WHEN I WAS SPEAKING WITH CLRNC DELIVERY THE AGENT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT (I DIDN'T REALIZE SHE WAS THERE NOR DID I HEAR THE DIALOGUE BTWN HER AND THE CAPT), BUT I WAS ON THE RADIO WITH CLRNC DELIVERY. NOW IT'S TIME TO READ CHKLISTS, GET PUSHED BACK, START ENGS AND TAXI. I HAVEN'T BEEN INTO THIS ARPT AS A WORKING CREW MEMBER IN APPROX 4 YRS SO WAS VERY KEYED IN TO LISTEN TO OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL SO I COULD FOLLOW ALONG ON MY ARPT DIAGRAM. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF WITHOUT MUCH, IF ANY, OF A DELAY. WE CLBED UP TO OUR INITIAL CRUISE ALT WHEN I REMEMBERED 'THE LOGBOOK.' I MEANT TO LOOK AT IT AT THE GATE. WHEN I REALIZED IT WASN'T THERE, I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE CAPT AND WE SENT A MESSAGE TO OUR DEP STATION OPS. WE THEN REFERRED TO OUR FOM TO SEE IF, AND WHO ELSE WE SHOULD CONTACT. WE DEDUCTED THAT WE SHOULD CONTACT DISPATCH WHICH WE DID AND WE WERE INFORMED A TEMPORARY LOGBOOK WOULD MEET US UPON OUR ARR AND THE PERMANENT ONE WOULD BE SENT ON TO THE CITY WHERE THE ACFT WAS TO SPEND THE NIGHT. I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE MY NORMAL HABIT PATTERNS WERE INTERRUPTED DUE TO COCKPIT VISITORS AND THEN I GOT MYSELF RUSHED. IF I HAD REFERRED TO THE LOGBOOK WHEN I FIRST THOUGHT OF IT I WOULD HAVE REALIZED IT WASN'T IN THE COCKPIT AND THAT I WAS MISTAKING ANOTHER BOOK FOR THE ACFT LOGBOOK. I COULD HAVE THEN CONTACTED MAINT FOR THE LOGBOOK. IT WAS JUST AN HONEST MISTAKE. I DON'T THINK ANY POLICY OR PROC NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 357878: FO AND I DISCUSSED THIS AT CONSIDERABLE LENGTH, AS WE WERE BOTH ASTONISHED THAT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. IN UNDERSTANDING HOW IT OCCURRED, THE MAIN REASON WAS DISTR. THE FO'S PARENTS, WHO THE FO HAD VISITED FOR THE LAYOVER, WERE IN THE COCKPIT FOR A TOUR. A SECONDARY FACTOR FOR ME WAS THAT THE DEFERRED AND INBOUND LOG HAD NO LOG ITEMS, NO COSMETIC ITEMS, AND NO OPEN DEFERRED ITEMS. I HAD MENTALLY NOTED THAT THE LOG HISTORY WAS UNUSUALLY CLEAN, WHILE STILL IN DISPATCH. I FEEL THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO INCORPORATE A FINAL SAFETY NET CHK. I FEEL THE BEST TIME FOR ME WOULD BE WHEN THE FUELER DELIVERS THE FUEL SHEET. AT THIS TIME WE PERFORM A GALLONS BOARDED CHK COMPUTATION, AND THIS IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO DEP FOR THE LOGBOOK TO BE ON BOARD.

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.