Narrative:

Approximately 90 mins prior to departure of flight 123 scl-mia, an moc aircraft router called to request a swap of tail numbers aircraft X and aircraft Y. Aircraft X was originally scheduled to operate on flight 123 and aircraft Y was to operate on flight 456 scl-dfw. Moc needed to swap the aircraft so that aircraft X would operate on flight 456 and aircraft Y would go to flight 123. They needed to do this in order to have the pegasus equipped B767-300 line up for a future civil reserve air fleet flight. The call was taken by the dispatcher on another desk, as I was busy on my other line at the time the call came in. Moc made the equipment swap at XA34Z. At XB35Z I issued the release for flight 123. The release had aircraft Y as the assigned equipment. About 90 mins later, I issued the flight plan for flight 456, with aircraft X as the assigned ship. At about XE30Z I received a call from flight support lima informing me that during a routine celcall check he realized flight 123 was airborne with aircraft X. I immediately contacted flight 456 in scl, which was just pushing off the gate and asked him to verify the tail number of the aircraft they were in. They were in aircraft Y and the problem was verified. I instructed flight 456 to come back to the gate in order to get a valid flight plan. Moc was contacted to swap tails aircraft Y and aircraft X and I re-released flight 456. I then contacted central loads and told them of the tail number mix up. All data in the computer system was corrected and flight 456 departed scl with the proper equipment and paperwork. Flight 123 however, was already en route to mia and was in a ship number that did not match the dispatch release. I contacted the crew on flight 123 again. Also the captain on flight 123 will contact the mia chief pilot upon arrival. Scl missed the equipment swap and neither of the flight crews noticed that the tail numbers on their releases did not match the actual equipment. One other factor leading to the confusion was that scl operations pulls all paperwork (except for the flight plan) about 2 hours prior to crew arrival at the airport. If the crew was to match their ship number against any of the other paperwork (except for the flight plan), it would give the impression that they were in the proper equipment. Supplemental information from acn 582330: departed santiago airport with the incorrect aircraft tail number on tps and flight plan. New pegasus onboard unable to automatic download anything. Had to redo route and takeoff data. Had to get load closeout over VHF. Changed speeds manually. Several other documents in flight folder indicated that our aircraft X was correct, ie, the air carrier international security form, general decs, etc. The tps and flight plan were for aircraft Y, the other B767 parked on the ramp. We discovered our problem passing FL190 with flight support lima. Called dispatch. Got new ZFW and loading data. Fuel load was normal. Rest of flight was normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OPERATIONALLY REQUIRED ACFT CHANGE IS NOT COMMUNICATED TO 2 ACR CREWS RESULTING IN 1 ACFT BEING AIRBORNE AND THE OTHER DEPARTING THE GATE IN THE WRONG ACFT.

Narrative: APPROX 90 MINS PRIOR TO DEP OF FLT 123 SCL-MIA, AN MOC ACFT ROUTER CALLED TO REQUEST A SWAP OF TAIL NUMBERS ACFT X AND ACFT Y. ACFT X WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO OPERATE ON FLT 123 AND ACFT Y WAS TO OPERATE ON FLT 456 SCL-DFW. MOC NEEDED TO SWAP THE ACFT SO THAT ACFT X WOULD OPERATE ON FLT 456 AND ACFT Y WOULD GO TO FLT 123. THEY NEEDED TO DO THIS IN ORDER TO HAVE THE PEGASUS EQUIPPED B767-300 LINE UP FOR A FUTURE CIVIL RESERVE AIR FLEET FLT. THE CALL WAS TAKEN BY THE DISPATCHER ON ANOTHER DESK, AS I WAS BUSY ON MY OTHER LINE AT THE TIME THE CALL CAME IN. MOC MADE THE EQUIP SWAP AT XA34Z. AT XB35Z I ISSUED THE RELEASE FOR FLT 123. THE RELEASE HAD ACFT Y AS THE ASSIGNED EQUIP. ABOUT 90 MINS LATER, I ISSUED THE FLT PLAN FOR FLT 456, WITH ACFT X AS THE ASSIGNED SHIP. AT ABOUT XE30Z I RECEIVED A CALL FROM FLT SUPPORT LIMA INFORMING ME THAT DURING A ROUTINE CELCALL CHK HE REALIZED FLT 123 WAS AIRBORNE WITH ACFT X. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED FLT 456 IN SCL, WHICH WAS JUST PUSHING OFF THE GATE AND ASKED HIM TO VERIFY THE TAIL NUMBER OF THE ACFT THEY WERE IN. THEY WERE IN ACFT Y AND THE PROB WAS VERIFIED. I INSTRUCTED FLT 456 TO COME BACK TO THE GATE IN ORDER TO GET A VALID FLT PLAN. MOC WAS CONTACTED TO SWAP TAILS ACFT Y AND ACFT X AND I RE-RELEASED FLT 456. I THEN CONTACTED CENTRAL LOADS AND TOLD THEM OF THE TAIL NUMBER MIX UP. ALL DATA IN THE COMPUTER SYS WAS CORRECTED AND FLT 456 DEPARTED SCL WITH THE PROPER EQUIP AND PAPERWORK. FLT 123 HOWEVER, WAS ALREADY ENRTE TO MIA AND WAS IN A SHIP NUMBER THAT DID NOT MATCH THE DISPATCH RELEASE. I CONTACTED THE CREW ON FLT 123 AGAIN. ALSO THE CAPT ON FLT 123 WILL CONTACT THE MIA CHIEF PLT UPON ARR. SCL MISSED THE EQUIP SWAP AND NEITHER OF THE FLT CREWS NOTICED THAT THE TAIL NUMBERS ON THEIR RELEASES DID NOT MATCH THE ACTUAL EQUIP. ONE OTHER FACTOR LEADING TO THE CONFUSION WAS THAT SCL OPS PULLS ALL PAPERWORK (EXCEPT FOR THE FLT PLAN) ABOUT 2 HRS PRIOR TO CREW ARR AT THE ARPT. IF THE CREW WAS TO MATCH THEIR SHIP NUMBER AGAINST ANY OF THE OTHER PAPERWORK (EXCEPT FOR THE FLT PLAN), IT WOULD GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE IN THE PROPER EQUIP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 582330: DEPARTED SANTIAGO ARPT WITH THE INCORRECT ACFT TAIL NUMBER ON TPS AND FLT PLAN. NEW PEGASUS ONBOARD UNABLE TO AUTO DOWNLOAD ANYTHING. HAD TO REDO RTE AND TKOF DATA. HAD TO GET LOAD CLOSEOUT OVER VHF. CHANGED SPDS MANUALLY. SEVERAL OTHER DOCUMENTS IN FLT FOLDER INDICATED THAT OUR ACFT X WAS CORRECT, IE, THE ACR INTL SECURITY FORM, GENERAL DECS, ETC. THE TPS AND FLT PLAN WERE FOR ACFT Y, THE OTHER B767 PARKED ON THE RAMP. WE DISCOVERED OUR PROB PASSING FL190 WITH FLT SUPPORT LIMA. CALLED DISPATCH. GOT NEW ZFW AND LOADING DATA. FUEL LOAD WAS NORMAL. REST OF FLT WAS NORMAL.

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.