Narrative:

We were flying a scheduled flight from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. Due to stronger than forecast winds and worsening WX in ZZZ2, a fuel stop became necessary. We elected to land in ZZZ because it is a company station and had the capability to turn us around quickly. Prior to landing in ZZZ, we had written up a 'dirty sock' smell in the air conditioning system. This write-up was entered in the logbook almost 5 hours before our unscheduled landing and in my opinion, the smell (only occurring at low altitude in the clouds) in no way compromised the safety of the flight. The turnaround was accomplished quickly and we left for ZZZ2 after approximately 30 mins on the ground in ZZZ. Our problem is that we took off from ZZZ without dealing with our logbook write-up. Before any takeoff, we are required to have any open maintenance items fixed or deferred. A deferral probably could have been easily obtained, but both of us had forgotten all about the write-up we had entered 5 hours prior. I believe that if the write-up had been more serious or had been entered later in the flight, one of us would have remembered to deal with it in ZZZ. Our flight was never in any danger or in any way not airworthy, but I am very frustrated with myself for not dealing with this situation in an appropriate manner. Several factors contributed to this incident. First, concern about our fuel state. Then planning an unscheduled fuel stop and coordinating with all the necessary people. It was also the middle of a long trip and I think fatigue had a small role to play. Also, concerns over schedule, connections and passenger comfort were on my mind. In the future, I think that in unusual sits, I need to slow down a little and take a look at the big picture to make sure everything is taken care of before any departure. I know that the aircraft logbook is going to receive special attention from now on so that this type of event doesn't happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MEDIUM LARGE TRANSPORT WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN OPEN LOGBOOK RPT NOT DEFERRED OR CLRED.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A SCHEDULED FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. DUE TO STRONGER THAN FORECAST WINDS AND WORSENING WX IN ZZZ2, A FUEL STOP BECAME NECESSARY. WE ELECTED TO LAND IN ZZZ BECAUSE IT IS A COMPANY STATION AND HAD THE CAPABILITY TO TURN US AROUND QUICKLY. PRIOR TO LNDG IN ZZZ, WE HAD WRITTEN UP A 'DIRTY SOCK' SMELL IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. THIS WRITE-UP WAS ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK ALMOST 5 HRS BEFORE OUR UNSCHEDULED LNDG AND IN MY OPINION, THE SMELL (ONLY OCCURRING AT LOW ALT IN THE CLOUDS) IN NO WAY COMPROMISED THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. THE TURNAROUND WAS ACCOMPLISHED QUICKLY AND WE LEFT FOR ZZZ2 AFTER APPROX 30 MINS ON THE GND IN ZZZ. OUR PROB IS THAT WE TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ WITHOUT DEALING WITH OUR LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. BEFORE ANY TKOF, WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE ANY OPEN MAINT ITEMS FIXED OR DEFERRED. A DEFERRAL PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY OBTAINED, BUT BOTH OF US HAD FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT THE WRITE-UP WE HAD ENTERED 5 HRS PRIOR. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE WRITE-UP HAD BEEN MORE SERIOUS OR HAD BEEN ENTERED LATER IN THE FLT, ONE OF US WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED TO DEAL WITH IT IN ZZZ. OUR FLT WAS NEVER IN ANY DANGER OR IN ANY WAY NOT AIRWORTHY, BUT I AM VERY FRUSTRATED WITH MYSELF FOR NOT DEALING WITH THIS SIT IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. FIRST, CONCERN ABOUT OUR FUEL STATE. THEN PLANNING AN UNSCHEDULED FUEL STOP AND COORDINATING WITH ALL THE NECESSARY PEOPLE. IT WAS ALSO THE MIDDLE OF A LONG TRIP AND I THINK FATIGUE HAD A SMALL ROLE TO PLAY. ALSO, CONCERNS OVER SCHEDULE, CONNECTIONS AND PAX COMFORT WERE ON MY MIND. IN THE FUTURE, I THINK THAT IN UNUSUAL SITS, I NEED TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE ANY DEP. I KNOW THAT THE ACFT LOGBOOK IS GOING TO RECEIVE SPECIAL ATTN FROM NOW ON SO THAT THIS TYPE OF EVENT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.