BE-1900D CREW RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT WHEN THE FO ON THE FLT WAS NOT THE SAME ONE LISTED ON THE CREW MANIFEST.

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THE FLT DEPARTED MCI WITH AN INCORRECT CREW MEMBER SHOWN ON DISPATCH RELEASE. THE CREW DISCOVERED THIS ERROR IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP; ADVISED COMPANY OF NECESSITY TO RETURN; AND CALLED ATC REQUESTING RETURN TO FIELD. FLT LANDED AND RETURNED TO GATE. FLT WAS RE-DISPATCHED WITH NEW RELEASE AND CREW MEMBER; AND FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS FLT HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN SCHEDULED FOR BOTH CREW MEMBERS TO DEADHEAD; AND A SEPARATE CREW TO FLY. CREW SCHEDULING HAD ADVISED US OF MULTIPLE CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE WK. FOR 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE; WE HAD BEEN REASSIGNED TO FLY THE FLT. ON NOV/THU/03; ONLY THE CAPT WAS ASSIGNED TO FLY; THE INVOLVED FO TO DEADHEAD; AND THE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FO TO FLY WITH THE NEWLY ASSIGNED CAPT -- CONFUSING; ISN'T IT? THESE SCHEDULING CHANGES HAVE BECOME DAILY OCCURRENCES (WE ARE TOLD DUE TO UNDERSTAFFING); AND FOR THIS FLT NOBODY CAUGHT THE CHANGE. NOT OPS; WHO PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED THE RELEASE; NOT THE FO WHO WAS TO FLY IT; AND NOT MYSELF. IN ADDITION; THE PRESSURES AND CHALLENGES TO STAY ON-TIME HAVE BEEN INCREASING. MORE UTILIZATION OF CREWS AND PLANES MEANS SHORTENED TURN-AROUND TIMES; WHICH; IF NOT SCHEDULED RESPONSIBLY; ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY ACCOMPLISH. ADDITIONALLY POINT-TO-POINT BLOCK TIMES HAVE BEEN SHORTENED TO BELOW THE 'HISTORIC AVERAGES' THAT THE UNION AND COMPANY RECALCULATE EVERY 6 MONTHS. THESE ARE TABULATED AND RECORDED FIGURES. AS A RESULT; FLTS WILL RUN LATE; THEY ARE SET UP TO DO SO. A CONSCIENTIOUS CREW DESIRES TO OPERATE SAFELY; LEGALLY; AND ON-TIME. THE FACT THAT WE WERE RUNNING LATE; AND ON A 15 MIN TURN TO INCLUDE FUELING; PAX DEPLANING AND BOARDING; AND CREW PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS (AS WE ARE FLYING A 1900 WITH NO LAVATORY OR BEVERAGE SVC) HELPED TO CREATE A HURRIED ENVIRONMENT. ADDITIONALLY; OPS HAD NOTIFIED THE CREW TO CONTACT DISPATCH. THE CALL WAS MADE WHILE AFFORDING A QUICK TURNAROUND OF THE FLT. A HURRIED ENVIRONMENT IS BOUND TO BE THE CASE FROM TIME TO TIME IN THIS INDUSTRY. HOWEVER; TO SET IT UP AND PLAN IT TO BE SO SEEMS IRRESPONSIBLE; AND RESULTS IN AN INCREASED FACTOR OF HUMAN ERROR THAT COULD RESULT IN SOMETHING MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN NOT OBSERVING AN INCORRECT NAME ON A RELEASE.