Narrative:

Flew on 3/wed/89. Internal airstairs were written up as being inoperative. Dmi log was entered with correct write up/MEL reference. Airstairs controls and light had correct placard. My release listed airstairs inoperative and MEL number. Dmi log also noted, 'numerous parts needed, is on order,' all done to my knowledge/MEL by the book. Picked up aircraft again on 3/sat/89. Local departure at mia (our major maintenance base, new month different first officer) first day air carrier strike. Booked to 70 passenger (capacity 122). Scheduled to fly mia-mdw-mia. Mdw WX below landing minimums but forecast to be up at ETA. Given gear up time of am I received paperwork from agents with partially completed weight and balance (normal, first officer completes). Signed release and weight and balance. 3 times normal # agents at gate to help with strike. I asked if we were getting any air carrier passenger. At am they said not yet. Told them we could board any time because we only had 13 min delay. Went to cockpit and first officer immediately said we had indefinite delay. Told agents not to board. Did checklist and while reading previous log book write ups first officer asked what was wrong with airstairs. Told him dmi log a few days ago listed them as inoperative and today someone annotated it with, 'airstairs removed.' do not recollect seeing log entry, 'airstairs removed.' believe release said airstairs inoperative. ATC said expect update at XX30. Went out to tell agents. They said we were now starting to get air carrier passenger. At +15 to our surprise we were released. Immediately started boarding. Boarded and gave agent weight and balance. Were short approximately 25 meals. Agent said they were on way. Waiting for meals we got more passenger. Finally got final count and bag correction and said, 'you make your corrections, I'll make mine.' 35 mins to board and get meals. My procedure and for this very reason is to not ask first officer to make multitudes of corrections but to wait till the door is closed and runway assignment received. I then review the final weight and balance. I believe this totally follows company policy. On our weight and balance we have space for: passenger correction, bag correction and MEL/cdl penalty. The correction for airstairs removed is found in our weight and balance book. It gives a weight and cg correction. If this isn't subtracted from bow there is no real space to put it and it is my policy to subtract it after all other corrections. This takes cg setting into play. Airstairs inoperative is MEL item. Airstairs removed is not cdl item. Dmi log stated both. All corrections made. 3/89 ramp check pb by FAA with another captain. FAA asked to see his incoming weight and balance. All corrections made. His release stated airstairs removed make weight and balance correct. FAA said no log book entry saying aircraft safe to fly with airstairs removed. Took all names of previous capts. I was the first. Took 2 hour delay. Prevention: have numbers read to us via radio by someone doing all computations. I do not want this. While more work for me and first officer, we work very close to maximum performance at mdw and I want to evaluate all options all along the way. This is the third run in with this individual/fll office I've had. First: found several screws missing on aircraft exterior--made me write it up. Second: said he would violate me if I took aircraft with omega CDU removed to repair because aircraft had not been reweighed (for a 3# item)!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR STAIRS REMOVED, RECALCULATE WEIGHT AND BALANCE.

Narrative: FLEW ON 3/WED/89. INTERNAL AIRSTAIRS WERE WRITTEN UP AS BEING INOP. DMI LOG WAS ENTERED WITH CORRECT WRITE UP/MEL REF. AIRSTAIRS CONTROLS AND LIGHT HAD CORRECT PLACARD. MY RELEASE LISTED AIRSTAIRS INOP AND MEL NUMBER. DMI LOG ALSO NOTED, 'NUMEROUS PARTS NEEDED, IS ON ORDER,' ALL DONE TO MY KNOWLEDGE/MEL BY THE BOOK. PICKED UP ACFT AGAIN ON 3/SAT/89. LCL DEP AT MIA (OUR MAJOR MAINT BASE, NEW MONTH DIFFERENT F/O) FIRST DAY ACR STRIKE. BOOKED TO 70 PAX (CAPACITY 122). SCHEDULED TO FLY MIA-MDW-MIA. MDW WX BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS BUT FORECAST TO BE UP AT ETA. GIVEN GEAR UP TIME OF AM I RECEIVED PAPERWORK FROM AGENTS WITH PARTIALLY COMPLETED WT AND BAL (NORMAL, F/O COMPLETES). SIGNED RELEASE AND WT AND BAL. 3 TIMES NORMAL # AGENTS AT GATE TO HELP WITH STRIKE. I ASKED IF WE WERE GETTING ANY ACR PAX. AT AM THEY SAID NOT YET. TOLD THEM WE COULD BOARD ANY TIME BECAUSE WE ONLY HAD 13 MIN DELAY. WENT TO COCKPIT AND F/O IMMEDIATELY SAID WE HAD INDEFINITE DELAY. TOLD AGENTS NOT TO BOARD. DID CHKLIST AND WHILE READING PREVIOUS LOG BOOK WRITE UPS F/O ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG WITH AIRSTAIRS. TOLD HIM DMI LOG A FEW DAYS AGO LISTED THEM AS INOP AND TODAY SOMEONE ANNOTATED IT WITH, 'AIRSTAIRS REMOVED.' DO NOT RECOLLECT SEEING LOG ENTRY, 'AIRSTAIRS REMOVED.' BELIEVE RELEASE SAID AIRSTAIRS INOP. ATC SAID EXPECT UPDATE AT XX30. WENT OUT TO TELL AGENTS. THEY SAID WE WERE NOW STARTING TO GET ACR PAX. AT +15 TO OUR SURPRISE WE WERE RELEASED. IMMEDIATELY STARTED BOARDING. BOARDED AND GAVE AGENT WT AND BAL. WERE SHORT APPROX 25 MEALS. AGENT SAID THEY WERE ON WAY. WAITING FOR MEALS WE GOT MORE PAX. FINALLY GOT FINAL COUNT AND BAG CORRECTION AND SAID, 'YOU MAKE YOUR CORRECTIONS, I'LL MAKE MINE.' 35 MINS TO BOARD AND GET MEALS. MY PROC AND FOR THIS VERY REASON IS TO NOT ASK F/O TO MAKE MULTITUDES OF CORRECTIONS BUT TO WAIT TILL THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND RWY ASSIGNMENT RECEIVED. I THEN REVIEW THE FINAL WT AND BAL. I BELIEVE THIS TOTALLY FOLLOWS COMPANY POLICY. ON OUR WT AND BAL WE HAVE SPACE FOR: PAX CORRECTION, BAG CORRECTION AND MEL/CDL PENALTY. THE CORRECTION FOR AIRSTAIRS REMOVED IS FOUND IN OUR WT AND BAL BOOK. IT GIVES A WT AND CG CORRECTION. IF THIS ISN'T SUBTRACTED FROM BOW THERE IS NO REAL SPACE TO PUT IT AND IT IS MY POLICY TO SUBTRACT IT AFTER ALL OTHER CORRECTIONS. THIS TAKES CG SETTING INTO PLAY. AIRSTAIRS INOP IS MEL ITEM. AIRSTAIRS REMOVED IS NOT CDL ITEM. DMI LOG STATED BOTH. ALL CORRECTIONS MADE. 3/89 RAMP CHK PB BY FAA WITH ANOTHER CAPT. FAA ASKED TO SEE HIS INCOMING WT AND BAL. ALL CORRECTIONS MADE. HIS RELEASE STATED AIRSTAIRS REMOVED MAKE WT AND BAL CORRECT. FAA SAID NO LOG BOOK ENTRY SAYING ACFT SAFE TO FLY WITH AIRSTAIRS REMOVED. TOOK ALL NAMES OF PREVIOUS CAPTS. I WAS THE FIRST. TOOK 2 HR DELAY. PREVENTION: HAVE NUMBERS READ TO US VIA RADIO BY SOMEONE DOING ALL COMPUTATIONS. I DO NOT WANT THIS. WHILE MORE WORK FOR ME AND F/O, WE WORK VERY CLOSE TO MAX PERFORMANCE AT MDW AND I WANT TO EVALUATE ALL OPTIONS ALL ALONG THE WAY. THIS IS THE THIRD RUN IN WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL/FLL OFFICE I'VE HAD. FIRST: FOUND SEVERAL SCREWS MISSING ON ACFT EXTERIOR--MADE ME WRITE IT UP. SECOND: SAID HE WOULD VIOLATE ME IF I TOOK ACFT WITH OMEGA CDU REMOVED TO REPAIR BECAUSE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN REWEIGHED (FOR A 3# ITEM)!!

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.