Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 120
Time Pressure; Distraction; Confusion; Workload; Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors
Our [US to South America] flight was not normally an ETOPS flight. I called and queried dispatch as to why it was being scheduled to operate as an ETOPS flight and was told there was an issue with 60 minute enroute alternate airport and [the dispatch computer program] would not allow them to plan the flight outside of ETOPS as normal. I had reviewed all the paperwork including the DIL/LOG. I noticed that the aircraft had no [pertinent] inbound defects. I went to the aircraft and performed my preflight duties as normal. There were numerous distractions (i.e. misfueled) as well as others. I looked at the maintenance release and verified it with ACARS. It was the same as my paper work. I looked for the class II navigation guide and could not find one in my chart bag nor the spare bag so I completed my preflight duties from memory. I was interrupted and distracted numerous times with load planning issues and other operational intrusions. We pushed back and departed late. After we were airborne and things settled down in cruise I got my IPAD out and reviewed the class II navigation guide.  That is when I realized that the Pre Departure Service Check (PDSC) for my ETOPS flight had not been completed. I contacted dispatch via SAT phone and thankfully we were able to amend the release to a non ETOPS flight at that time. There were several factors involved with this as the trip is not normally an ETOPS flight. There must be a disconnect between dispatch and maintenance when it comes to triggering an ETOPS PDSC. (On traditional ETOPS legs an automatic gripe of ETOPS PDSC breaks the MRD and thus prevents an inadvertent departure) my flight had no such gripe. Therefore; when I was pushed for time and continually distracted and interrupted I was easily assured by my release verification that my [Maintenance Release] was good when in fact it should have been broken and I should not have been able to verify it as good.
Dispatch of a B767 flight from the US to South America was compromised by a dispatch program error requiring it to be conducted under ETOPS requirements; which was abnormal. A breakdown in normal ETOPS protocol resulted when an inspection required for such a departure wasn't completed and went undetected. Fortunately; by the time the error was noted the computer problem had been resolved and the flight was re-dispatched as non ETOPS.