Flight crew of B735 failed to obtain and validate a flight release (plan) for an unplanned short fli...

Attributes
ACN	585799
Time
Date	200306
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	585799
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Prior to the leg from ZOA to sfo following a WX divert, the dispatcher sent a new flight plan for our continuation to sfo (originally departed from yvr). I failed to sign the release prior to departure. The following facts contributed to the oversight: 1) the door at runway 1L was never opened, so company computers never realized we had been blocked in at ZOA and all the messages from the just completed flight were still listed, 2) when I went to check to see what the release number was from the message log, I found release 01. It didn't dawn on me that it was from the previous leg until we were airborne, 3) I hadn't done a divert where the door at runway 1L wasn't opened, so I wasn't aware of the pitfalls here and was not diligent enough to ensure the proper leg was released, 4) several of the passenger were very upset about having missed their connections and were showing up at the flight deck door to inquire what we were going to do and if they could get off, etc, so I was dealing with them, leaving my first officer to handle the remainder of the coordination with the outside agencies. When we were ready to taxi, all the paperwork looked correct, along with my notation on the ATC clearance that we had release 01, when in fact, I had not signed the release at all.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B735 FAILED TO OBTAIN AND VALIDATE A FLT RELEASE (PLAN) FOR AN UNPLANNED SHORT FLT TO THEIR DEST AFTER A WX DIVERSION.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE LEG FROM ZOA TO SFO FOLLOWING A WX DIVERT, THE DISPATCHER SENT A NEW FLT PLAN FOR OUR CONTINUATION TO SFO (ORIGINALLY DEPARTED FROM YVR). I FAILED TO SIGN THE RELEASE PRIOR TO DEP. THE FOLLOWING FACTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERSIGHT: 1) THE DOOR AT RWY 1L WAS NEVER OPENED, SO COMPANY COMPUTERS NEVER REALIZED WE HAD BEEN BLOCKED IN AT ZOA AND ALL THE MESSAGES FROM THE JUST COMPLETED FLT WERE STILL LISTED, 2) WHEN I WENT TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT THE RELEASE NUMBER WAS FROM THE MESSAGE LOG, I FOUND RELEASE 01. IT DIDN'T DAWN ON ME THAT IT WAS FROM THE PREVIOUS LEG UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE, 3) I HADN'T DONE A DIVERT WHERE THE DOOR AT RWY 1L WASN'T OPENED, SO I WASN'T AWARE OF THE PITFALLS HERE AND WAS NOT DILIGENT ENOUGH TO ENSURE THE PROPER LEG WAS RELEASED, 4) SEVERAL OF THE PAX WERE VERY UPSET ABOUT HAVING MISSED THEIR CONNECTIONS AND WERE SHOWING UP AT THE FLT DECK DOOR TO INQUIRE WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO AND IF THEY COULD GET OFF, ETC, SO I WAS DEALING WITH THEM, LEAVING MY FO TO HANDLE THE REMAINDER OF THE COORDINATION WITH THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES. WHEN WE WERE READY TO TAXI, ALL THE PAPERWORK LOOKED CORRECT, ALONG WITH MY NOTATION ON THE ATC CLRNC THAT WE HAD RELEASE 01, WHEN IN FACT, I HAD NOT SIGNED THE RELEASE AT ALL.

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.

Flight crew of B735 failed to obtain and validate a flight release (plan) for an unplanned short flight to their destination after a WX diversion.