Narrative:

On this afternoon, our operations/dispatch were in a state of severe confusion. Our computer system had gone down, and all WX packets, releases, and pre departure clearance's were being faxed to the crew room on a flight-by-flight basis. As this was the middle of a busy departure bank, everything was delayed, with numerous crews milling around looking for their paperwork. In this confusion, I was sorting through a stack of paperwork and came across a pre departure clearance for our destination. I showed it to the captain, who nodded. Neither of us noticed that it was a pre departure clearance for a different flight to the same destination. Already delayed, we hurried out to our aircraft and departed. The mistake was not noticed until houston departure queried us as to where wee got our squawk assignment from. We told them we got it off the pre departure clearance, and they then realized what had happened. The cause of this incident was my failure, and the failure of the captain, to notice that the pre departure clearance was for our destination, but a different flight number. Contributing was the state of confusion we were all operating in. My only suggestions to ensure this doesn't happen again would be some sort of system of verifying the right pre departure clearance/squawk with ATC before takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 476748: we switched over to departure and checked in, they gave us a telephone number to call once we landed. Once the plane was parked and shut down at vct, I went in to call and they told me the tower supervisor had gone home. Factors leading up to the mistake were: 1) not verifying correct pre departure clearance, 2) rushing to get the flight out on time when no automatic releases were being printed, and everyone was taking them down manually.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E120 FLC TAKES THE WRONG COMPANY FLT RELEASE AT THE RAMP AND DEPART WITH THE WRONG XPONDER CODE ASSIGNMENT AT IAH, TX.

Narrative: ON THIS AFTERNOON, OUR OPS/DISPATCH WERE IN A STATE OF SEVERE CONFUSION. OUR COMPUTER SYS HAD GONE DOWN, AND ALL WX PACKETS, RELEASES, AND PDC'S WERE BEING FAXED TO THE CREW ROOM ON A FLT-BY-FLT BASIS. AS THIS WAS THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY DEP BANK, EVERYTHING WAS DELAYED, WITH NUMEROUS CREWS MILLING AROUND LOOKING FOR THEIR PAPERWORK. IN THIS CONFUSION, I WAS SORTING THROUGH A STACK OF PAPERWORK AND CAME ACROSS A PDC FOR OUR DEST. I SHOWED IT TO THE CAPT, WHO NODDED. NEITHER OF US NOTICED THAT IT WAS A PDC FOR A DIFFERENT FLT TO THE SAME DEST. ALREADY DELAYED, WE HURRIED OUT TO OUR ACFT AND DEPARTED. THE MISTAKE WAS NOT NOTICED UNTIL HOUSTON DEP QUERIED US AS TO WHERE WEE GOT OUR SQUAWK ASSIGNMENT FROM. WE TOLD THEM WE GOT IT OFF THE PDC, AND THEY THEN REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS MY FAILURE, AND THE FAILURE OF THE CAPT, TO NOTICE THAT THE PDC WAS FOR OUR DEST, BUT A DIFFERENT FLT NUMBER. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE STATE OF CONFUSION WE WERE ALL OPERATING IN. MY ONLY SUGGESTIONS TO ENSURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN WOULD BE SOME SORT OF SYS OF VERIFYING THE RIGHT PDC/SQUAWK WITH ATC BEFORE TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476748: WE SWITCHED OVER TO DEP AND CHKED IN, THEY GAVE US A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL ONCE WE LANDED. ONCE THE PLANE WAS PARKED AND SHUT DOWN AT VCT, I WENT IN TO CALL AND THEY TOLD ME THE TWR SUPVR HAD GONE HOME. FACTORS LEADING UP TO THE MISTAKE WERE: 1) NOT VERIFYING CORRECT PDC, 2) RUSHING TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME WHEN NO AUTOMATIC RELEASES WERE BEING PRINTED, AND EVERYONE WAS TAKING THEM DOWN MANUALLY.

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.