Narrative:

This is one of those odd situations. When the preceding crew landed they reported the first officer altimeter was out of tolerance. It was replaced by maintenance and pronounced fixed, the flight delayed 30 minutes. On takeoff roll at ord, no airspeed indication was observed on either side and takeoff was aborted. The tower was informed as to the reason. Back at the gate, it was determined that maintenance had left drain valves open. They were closed and off we went to cwa, mke and back. Upon return we were met by FAA inspectors who made copies of the log sheets. In the course of inspecting the airplane, one of the inspectors observed that our airplane, cdfxy, had the registration for cdexy displayed on the left center bulkhead. The aircraft was grounded, passengers unloaded. When cdexy arrived later, it had the registration for our airplane. They were switched to the proper planes (FAA present) and we were on our way. The point is that for an airline to run efficiently there has to be division of labor and everyone has to do their job. Our planes are preflted by maintenance every 72 hours and maintenance is supposed to check the paperwork at that time. The registration is visible on the captain's side and on this occasion, as usual, he confirmed that there was a registration present but I know of no one who presses their nose to the glass to read the 'north' number on it. It's almost beyond belief that a maintenance person would put the wrong registration on board but yet here it happened. There's no telling how long it was like that or how many crews flew those planes before this was discovered. In the future, I will personally read the airplane number on the registration.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT ABORTED TKOF ACCOUNT NO AIRSPEED INDICATIONS. WHEN ACI MET ACFT FOUND ACFT HAD WRONG REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE.

Narrative: THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ODD SITUATIONS. WHEN THE PRECEDING CREW LANDED THEY REPORTED THE F/O ALTIMETER WAS OUT OF TOLERANCE. IT WAS REPLACED BY MAINT AND PRONOUNCED FIXED, THE FLT DELAYED 30 MINUTES. ON TKOF ROLL AT ORD, NO AIRSPEED INDICATION WAS OBSERVED ON EITHER SIDE AND TKOF WAS ABORTED. THE TWR WAS INFORMED AS TO THE REASON. BACK AT THE GATE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MAINT HAD LEFT DRAIN VALVES OPEN. THEY WERE CLOSED AND OFF WE WENT TO CWA, MKE AND BACK. UPON RETURN WE WERE MET BY FAA INSPECTORS WHO MADE COPIES OF THE LOG SHEETS. IN THE COURSE OF INSPECTING THE AIRPLANE, ONE OF THE INSPECTORS OBSERVED THAT OUR AIRPLANE, CDFXY, HAD THE REGISTRATION FOR CDEXY DISPLAYED ON THE LEFT CENTER BULKHEAD. THE ACFT WAS GNDED, PASSENGERS UNLOADED. WHEN CDEXY ARRIVED LATER, IT HAD THE REGISTRATION FOR OUR AIRPLANE. THEY WERE SWITCHED TO THE PROPER PLANES (FAA PRESENT) AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. THE POINT IS THAT FOR AN AIRLINE TO RUN EFFICIENTLY THERE HAS TO BE DIVISION OF LABOR AND EVERYONE HAS TO DO THEIR JOB. OUR PLANES ARE PREFLTED BY MAINT EVERY 72 HOURS AND MAINT IS SUPPOSED TO CHECK THE PAPERWORK AT THAT TIME. THE REGISTRATION IS VISIBLE ON THE CAPT'S SIDE AND ON THIS OCCASION, AS USUAL, HE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A REGISTRATION PRESENT BUT I KNOW OF NO ONE WHO PRESSES THEIR NOSE TO THE GLASS TO READ THE 'N' NUMBER ON IT. IT'S ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF THAT A MAINT PERSON WOULD PUT THE WRONG REGISTRATION ON BOARD BUT YET HERE IT HAPPENED. THERE'S NO TELLING HOW LONG IT WAS LIKE THAT OR HOW MANY CREWS FLEW THOSE PLANES BEFORE THIS WAS DISCOVERED. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PERSONALLY READ THE AIRPLANE NUMBER ON THE REGISTRATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.