Narrative:

On arrival at aircraft, both aircraft and flight attendant logbooks were not on board. This situation is not unusual (as is common on early first flight of day departures). I continued with my preflight of the aircraft. At approximately XA20 on an XA35 scheduled departure, still no logs on board. I asked the first officer to read the preflight checklist knowing logs not on board, but in the interest of an on-time departure proceeded. As last min passenger boarded, I accepted the final paperwork from the gate agent and ok'ed door closing. In the climb phase of flight, received an ACARS message asking if logbooks were on board. When I discovered they were not, I contacted dispatch and informed them of our situation, at which time they made the appropriate contacts with maintenance control to arrange for temporary logbooks at destination. There is some pressure to get on time departures and I do adjust my normal flow and procedures to accommodate as best I can, but safety is paramount and I would never consciously sacrifice for any situation. However, in this situation, my normal flow was disrupted and I did depart without the aircraft logs on board. In the future, I will not read or request the preflight checklist without the aircraft logs in my hand.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DEPARTED WITHOUT THE ACFT LOGBOOKS ABOARD ACFT.

Narrative: ON ARR AT ACFT, BOTH ACFT AND FLT ATTENDANT LOGBOOKS WERE NOT ON BOARD. THIS SIT IS NOT UNUSUAL (AS IS COMMON ON EARLY FIRST FLT OF DAY DEPS). I CONTINUED WITH MY PREFLT OF THE ACFT. AT APPROX XA20 ON AN XA35 SCHEDULED DEP, STILL NO LOGS ON BOARD. I ASKED THE FO TO READ THE PREFLT CHKLIST KNOWING LOGS NOT ON BOARD, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF AN ON-TIME DEP PROCEEDED. AS LAST MIN PAX BOARDED, I ACCEPTED THE FINAL PAPERWORK FROM THE GATE AGENT AND OK'ED DOOR CLOSING. IN THE CLB PHASE OF FLT, RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE ASKING IF LOGBOOKS WERE ON BOARD. WHEN I DISCOVERED THEY WERE NOT, I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR SIT, AT WHICH TIME THEY MADE THE APPROPRIATE CONTACTS WITH MAINT CTL TO ARRANGE FOR TEMPORARY LOGBOOKS AT DEST. THERE IS SOME PRESSURE TO GET ON TIME DEPS AND I DO ADJUST MY NORMAL FLOW AND PROCS TO ACCOMMODATE AS BEST I CAN, BUT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AND I WOULD NEVER CONSCIOUSLY SACRIFICE FOR ANY SIT. HOWEVER, IN THIS SIT, MY NORMAL FLOW WAS DISRUPTED AND I DID DEPART WITHOUT THE ACFT LOGS ON BOARD. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT READ OR REQUEST THE PREFLT CHKLIST WITHOUT THE ACFT LOGS IN MY HAND.

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.