Narrative:

After arriving at the aircraft and finding that operations was on the other side of the terminal I decided to pull up the paperwork at an unoccupied gate counter. Upon arriving back at the aircraft the first officer and I finished the origination preflight and set up the cockpit for departure. At approximately 10 mins prior to departure we began the before starting engines checklist. At 9 mins prior to departure the checklist was interrupted by the agent informing me that she had everyone on board and was ready if we were ready. I told her we were ready and asked the first officer to continue the checklist. We must have skipped over logbook and flight forms because when the first officer calls this out I always point to the tail number on the plaque on the instrument panel and check that number with the number on the logbook. Because on many origination preflts the logbook is not on the airplane you have to accomplish the origination preflight inspection and then go in search of the logbook. Many stations expect you to go by operations and they leave the logbook in operations expecting you to pick it up. I understand that it is our responsibility to make sure the logbook is on board and the checklist should remind us to look for it but in this case with the interruption of the checklist we unintentionally skipped over our backup. Supplemental information from acn 381263: normally I put my finger on the last item accomplished when a checklist is interrupted. Today I did not and resumed the checklist at the wrong place. I know I am responsible for a logbook review prior to each flight, but could we perhaps reduce the probability of incidents of this type by requiring the logbook be aboard the aircraft 1 hour prior to departure as standard procedure?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED WITHOUT THE FLT LOGBOOK BOARDED.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING AT THE ACFT AND FINDING THAT OPS WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TERMINAL I DECIDED TO PULL UP THE PAPERWORK AT AN UNOCCUPIED GATE COUNTER. UPON ARRIVING BACK AT THE ACFT THE FO AND I FINISHED THE ORIGINATION PREFLT AND SET UP THE COCKPIT FOR DEP. AT APPROX 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP WE BEGAN THE BEFORE STARTING ENGS CHKLIST. AT 9 MINS PRIOR TO DEP THE CHKLIST WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE AGENT INFORMING ME THAT SHE HAD EVERYONE ON BOARD AND WAS READY IF WE WERE READY. I TOLD HER WE WERE READY AND ASKED THE FO TO CONTINUE THE CHKLIST. WE MUST HAVE SKIPPED OVER LOGBOOK AND FLT FORMS BECAUSE WHEN THE FO CALLS THIS OUT I ALWAYS POINT TO THE TAIL NUMBER ON THE PLAQUE ON THE INST PANEL AND CHK THAT NUMBER WITH THE NUMBER ON THE LOGBOOK. BECAUSE ON MANY ORIGINATION PREFLTS THE LOGBOOK IS NOT ON THE AIRPLANE YOU HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH THE ORIGINATION PREFLT INSPECTION AND THEN GO IN SEARCH OF THE LOGBOOK. MANY STATIONS EXPECT YOU TO GO BY OPS AND THEY LEAVE THE LOGBOOK IN OPS EXPECTING YOU TO PICK IT UP. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THE LOGBOOK IS ON BOARD AND THE CHKLIST SHOULD REMIND US TO LOOK FOR IT BUT IN THIS CASE WITH THE INTERRUPTION OF THE CHKLIST WE UNINTENTIONALLY SKIPPED OVER OUR BACKUP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 381263: NORMALLY I PUT MY FINGER ON THE LAST ITEM ACCOMPLISHED WHEN A CHKLIST IS INTERRUPTED. TODAY I DID NOT AND RESUMED THE CHKLIST AT THE WRONG PLACE. I KNOW I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOGBOOK REVIEW PRIOR TO EACH FLT, BUT COULD WE PERHAPS REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF INCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE BY REQUIRING THE LOGBOOK BE ABOARD THE ACFT 1 HR PRIOR TO DEP AS STANDARD PROC?

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.