B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 229; Flight Crew Total 32500; Flight Crew Type 4410
Communication Breakdown
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
Dispatcher re-release #2 with route change. He provided a new ICAO flight plan to crew but never filed it with ATC. Flight crew resolved with Montreal Center and communicated with Dispatch to re-file with upcoming centers.
About four hours into our flight I returned from break. I received a briefing from the flying pilots. In addition to this briefing they informed me that Montreal Center had questioned our route of flight. The route we were flying did not match what Montreal Center was showing. The crew contacted Dispatch to find out what the discrepancy was. Dispatch reviewed the paperwork and informed them that they changed our flight plan after the Captain had requested additional fuel; but never filed that flight plan with ATC. When we downloaded the flight plan to our iPad's we had already received release 2-which is not uncommon-and it had the revised fuel and the new flight plan that had not been filed with ATC. We never saw release 1 which did have the filed flight plan. There was no mention of a route change from Dispatch just that additional fuel had been added. In the flight planning area; we all checked the ICAO flight plan against the operating flight plan; and they did match. I was not aware that the ICAO flight plan could be displayed on the paperwork; while another flight plan had been filed. When we received our PDC was 'as filed' so there was no indication that any changes had been made to our route. Many aviation errors are attributable to a lack of communication. This one is no exception. While we had no idea that the new flight plan had not been filed I do feel that going forward it would be in our best interest to continue to review any release changes thoroughly and make sure our Dispatcher fully agrees with those changes.
B777 flight crew reported Dispatch failure to file a re-release #2 with ATC resulting in a course deviation.