B767-300 and 300 ER
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Other / Unknown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Human Factors; Equipment / Tooling; Company Policy
We departed without signing the second release. I signed the original release 3+15 prior to show time while in the hotel. I loaded the document on my iPad. I prefer to go paperless on domestic flights. If there is a new release; I have always received some type of notification from Dispatch. In this event; I never received any notification that there was a new release. The dispatcher issued a new release because the destination forecast changed which required the addition of an alternate. I discovered the second release which I never signed when I was looking for my return flight plan.It looks like a breakdown of communication occurred. Procedures must be changed to necessitate notification of the Captain if a new release is initiated after the Captain signs an earlier version. The final backstop to this process must be technology: for example; the final weight and balance cannot be sent unless the Captain has signed the flight plan release.
I arrived in the hotel lobby and the Captain told me that he had already signed the release; but if I had any problems with it; just let him know and we would remedy the issues. I told him I hadn't looked at it yet; but would review it when we got to the ramp. Upon arrival at the ramp office; Captain told me that he had created a PDF that had a marked-up copy of our release (highlighting; underlining; plus added notes for reserve fuel; arrival times; etc); the MEL pages for open MELs on our aircraft; and the weather/NOTAMs. We had previously decided that we would be using electronic documents all week; just as we had done on the previous 3 legs of this pairing. He asked if I wanted him to AirDrop the file from his iPad to mine. I find his marked-up copies to be very helpful; so I said I would prefer his file to downloading my own. I received it on my iPad; reviewed everything; and told him it all looked good to me. We proceeded to the aircraft and flew an uneventful flight.After a snack and a nap; I met the Captain for the return flight. At that point he informed me that as he was pulling up the release for the upcoming flight; he noticed that there was an unsigned release #2 for our previous leg. He said that the weather forecast at our destination had changed to less than a 2;000 foot ceiling within an hour of our arrival time; so the dispatcher had created a new release with an alternate (there was no destination alternate on the initial release).I see two causes to this event; one on my part and one on the dispatcher's part:1) If I had logged into the computers at the ramp to review the release and weather; rather than using the Captain's PDF file; I would have noticed release #2.2) If the dispatcher had seen that release #1 was already signed; he could have amended release #1 (which the FOM says is preferred to a new release) and notified us via ACARS or phone call. If the dispatcher did choose to issue a new release; he should have contacted us; which the FOM says the dispatcher 'will' do; time permitting.Depending on the timing of the first release; Captain's signature; second release; show time; and push time; this event is easily preventable. I don't know how the Dispatch computers work; but they should not allow a dispatcher to issue a new release if the previous release is already signed; without notifying him that he needs to contact the crew to let us know that a new release exists. Better yet; I would recommend that Dispatch not be allowed to create a new release once the previous release is signed; but only be allowed to amend the signed release. Then it is as simple as an ACARS message of the amendment. That would eliminate the existence of an unsigned release that the crew never knows about.
Air carrier flight crew reported departing without detecting that a second release has been issued for their flight adding an alternate. The first release was signed by the Captain electronically three hours before departure and the Dispatcher was not aware of this signing.