Narrative:

ATC facility: bos clearance delivery, gate xx bos. After entering the preflight information in the ACARS, a clearance was requested via ACARS. What was sent was a clearance for flight Y from the day prior, to sfo. This other flight occurred approximately 12 hours prior to our scheduled departure. I rechked the information in the ACARS preflight page to insure the proper data was entered -- it was. The danger here is that the majority of the cleared route looks exactly like the routing to sjc. Fortunately we caught the error but the situation is rife with potential. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that there are such subtle differences within the pre departure clearance's issued via ACARS that one must look very carefully to note them. He recently missed a small line at dfw where the flight had been issued an expected wheels up time so they had to situation on a taxiway for 1.5 hours to fulfill that restr. In bos, the wrong clearance was picked up by the fact that the flight number was incorrect so the crew obtained a full readback from clearance delivery. He felt that ATC also had a problem as both clearance delivery and ground control used the wrong flight number on 2 occasions. His question was, how does ATC get involved in the formatting or modification of the clearance -- is it at tower level? The crew checked the ACARS clock and that time was correct. The flight plan is 'hard wired' to the aircraft's tail number. The aircraft they were in was scheduled for a bos-sfo for 12 hours later and that is the flight plan and flight number they received. 2 days after filing the company report the reporter gave his chief pilot a copy of the pre departure clearance received. There is concern over whether there was a problem with the time clock in the decs computer or somewhere within the line of transmission at annapolis or chicago or the air carrier itself. The creed is: to carefully review your pre departure clearance's received via ACARS as there can be an error. Primarily, one must check the flight number and date.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG FLT NUMBER AND DATE RECEIVED VIA ACARS AFTER CLRNC REQUESTED. FO CATCHES ERROR AND PRESUMABLY REQUESTS AND RECEIVES CORRECT FLT PLAN.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: BOS CLRNC DELIVERY, GATE XX BOS. AFTER ENTERING THE PREFLT INFO IN THE ACARS, A CLRNC WAS REQUESTED VIA ACARS. WHAT WAS SENT WAS A CLRNC FOR FLT Y FROM THE DAY PRIOR, TO SFO. THIS OTHER FLT OCCURRED APPROX 12 HRS PRIOR TO OUR SCHEDULED DEP. I RECHKED THE INFO IN THE ACARS PREFLT PAGE TO INSURE THE PROPER DATA WAS ENTERED -- IT WAS. THE DANGER HERE IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE CLRED RTE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE ROUTING TO SJC. FORTUNATELY WE CAUGHT THE ERROR BUT THE SIT IS RIFE WITH POTENTIAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THERE ARE SUCH SUBTLE DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE PDC'S ISSUED VIA ACARS THAT ONE MUST LOOK VERY CAREFULLY TO NOTE THEM. HE RECENTLY MISSED A SMALL LINE AT DFW WHERE THE FLT HAD BEEN ISSUED AN EXPECTED WHEELS UP TIME SO THEY HAD TO SIT ON A TXWY FOR 1.5 HRS TO FULFILL THAT RESTR. IN BOS, THE WRONG CLRNC WAS PICKED UP BY THE FACT THAT THE FLT NUMBER WAS INCORRECT SO THE CREW OBTAINED A FULL READBACK FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. HE FELT THAT ATC ALSO HAD A PROB AS BOTH CLRNC DELIVERY AND GND CTL USED THE WRONG FLT NUMBER ON 2 OCCASIONS. HIS QUESTION WAS, HOW DOES ATC GET INVOLVED IN THE FORMATTING OR MODIFICATION OF THE CLRNC -- IS IT AT TWR LEVEL? THE CREW CHKED THE ACARS CLOCK AND THAT TIME WAS CORRECT. THE FLT PLAN IS 'HARD WIRED' TO THE ACFT'S TAIL NUMBER. THE ACFT THEY WERE IN WAS SCHEDULED FOR A BOS-SFO FOR 12 HRS LATER AND THAT IS THE FLT PLAN AND FLT NUMBER THEY RECEIVED. 2 DAYS AFTER FILING THE COMPANY RPT THE RPTR GAVE HIS CHIEF PLT A COPY OF THE PDC RECEIVED. THERE IS CONCERN OVER WHETHER THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE TIME CLOCK IN THE DECS COMPUTER OR SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE LINE OF XMISSION AT ANNAPOLIS OR CHICAGO OR THE ACR ITSELF. THE CREED IS: TO CAREFULLY REVIEW YOUR PDC'S RECEIVED VIA ACARS AS THERE CAN BE AN ERROR. PRIMARILY, ONE MUST CHK THE FLT NUMBER AND DATE.

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.