Narrative:

Crew scheduling called me out for a short call trip. I promised that I would be able to get to the aircraft shortly after arriving at the airport, changing into my uniform and retrieving my kit bag. I made it to the aircraft in a very short time, in a dead run. Crew scheduling had advised me that the first officer had pulled the paperwork and I would just have to make my way to the gate and he'd have everything done. The agent got my attention when I arrived at the gate, asking me to sign the station copy, which I did. I pulled up a copy of the crew list and my trip sequence, which had me as the captain. I figured that all the paperwork was correct, since these documents were correct. The old captain would be removed and I would be added (since the crew scheduler left him on the trip, with the intent of the first arriving captain taking the trip.) after pulling up the small amount of paperwork, I was in the aircraft within 2 mins, quickly went through briefings and the checklist and pushed back. Upon reaching cruise altitude, when things were starting to quiet down, I looked at the flight plan and noticed that the old captain's name was on the flight plan and not mine. I immediately contacted dispatch via ACARS, with his authority/authorized to 'line out' the other captain's name and replace it with mine. I know that this would be acceptable if I was at the gate, but we had already departed. I am 99% sure that the station copy had his name on it, but not positive. I am at a loss as to how this could have happened in our heavily automated, computerized environment. The first officer's paperwork showed me on the trip, but the flight plan didn't. I thought they were linked together, but maybe not. I accept the fact that I should have compared the names on the flight plan, I was just complacent about the fact since we are so automated and everything always matches. I shouldn't have rushed -- to the point of missing something this easy. I'm not positive that I signed my name on the old flight plan -- it might have been a new copy. Especially if the 'sharp' dispatcher had it waiting for me at the gate. These dispatchers are overworked with all the cutbacks and changes we have undergone at this airline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RESERVE B757 CAPT, CALLED OUT ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE, NOTES THAT THE FLT PLAN ON BOARD HAD THE REPLACED CAPT'S NAME ON IT AFTER TKOF FROM ORD, IL.

Narrative: CREW SCHEDULING CALLED ME OUT FOR A SHORT CALL TRIP. I PROMISED THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET TO THE ACFT SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT THE ARPT, CHANGING INTO MY UNIFORM AND RETRIEVING MY KIT BAG. I MADE IT TO THE ACFT IN A VERY SHORT TIME, IN A DEAD RUN. CREW SCHEDULING HAD ADVISED ME THAT THE FO HAD PULLED THE PAPERWORK AND I WOULD JUST HAVE TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE GATE AND HE'D HAVE EVERYTHING DONE. THE AGENT GOT MY ATTN WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE GATE, ASKING ME TO SIGN THE STATION COPY, WHICH I DID. I PULLED UP A COPY OF THE CREW LIST AND MY TRIP SEQUENCE, WHICH HAD ME AS THE CAPT. I FIGURED THAT ALL THE PAPERWORK WAS CORRECT, SINCE THESE DOCUMENTS WERE CORRECT. THE OLD CAPT WOULD BE REMOVED AND I WOULD BE ADDED (SINCE THE CREW SCHEDULER LEFT HIM ON THE TRIP, WITH THE INTENT OF THE FIRST ARRIVING CAPT TAKING THE TRIP.) AFTER PULLING UP THE SMALL AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK, I WAS IN THE ACFT WITHIN 2 MINS, QUICKLY WENT THROUGH BRIEFINGS AND THE CHKLIST AND PUSHED BACK. UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT, WHEN THINGS WERE STARTING TO QUIET DOWN, I LOOKED AT THE FLT PLAN AND NOTICED THAT THE OLD CAPT'S NAME WAS ON THE FLT PLAN AND NOT MINE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA ACARS, WITH HIS AUTH TO 'LINE OUT' THE OTHER CAPT'S NAME AND REPLACE IT WITH MINE. I KNOW THAT THIS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE IF I WAS AT THE GATE, BUT WE HAD ALREADY DEPARTED. I AM 99% SURE THAT THE STATION COPY HAD HIS NAME ON IT, BUT NOT POSITIVE. I AM AT A LOSS AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR HEAVILY AUTOMATED, COMPUTERIZED ENVIRONMENT. THE FO'S PAPERWORK SHOWED ME ON THE TRIP, BUT THE FLT PLAN DIDN'T. I THOUGHT THEY WERE LINKED TOGETHER, BUT MAYBE NOT. I ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I SHOULD HAVE COMPARED THE NAMES ON THE FLT PLAN, I WAS JUST COMPLACENT ABOUT THE FACT SINCE WE ARE SO AUTOMATED AND EVERYTHING ALWAYS MATCHES. I SHOULDN'T HAVE RUSHED -- TO THE POINT OF MISSING SOMETHING THIS EASY. I'M NOT POSITIVE THAT I SIGNED MY NAME ON THE OLD FLT PLAN -- IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A NEW COPY. ESPECIALLY IF THE 'SHARP' DISPATCHER HAD IT WAITING FOR ME AT THE GATE. THESE DISPATCHERS ARE OVERWORKED WITH ALL THE CUTBACKS AND CHANGES WE HAVE UNDERGONE AT THIS AIRLINE.

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.