Narrative:

Upon landing and taxiing to the terminal ramp at stp, I shut down both engines and unloaded my 7 passenger. They picked up all the papers in the aircraft while exiting. After they had left the airport, 2 men approached and idented themselves as FAA inspectors. One asked to see my pilot certificate, medical, aircraft airworthiness certification, registration and radio license. After reviewing such documents, he asked to see the load manifest. I searched but could not find it in the place where it was kept. I explained that it must have been taken inadvertently by a passenger when he picked up his papers in the aircraft. The inspector asked to see the aircraft fuel gauges and recorded the amount of fuel he assumed was in each tank. I was then asked to reconstruct another load manifest. It was difficult to remember the exact figures of passenger weights. I completed another load manifest and gave it to him. After they left, I sat in the aircraft and double-checked a copy of the load manifest and found that I made an error in my calculations. Later that afternoon, I walked across to where a seaplane was operating. I was talking to one of the pilots and he informed me that the inspector who asked for my load manifest was giving check rides to them. He was told by this inspector about the incident and said that I must have been over gross when I departed C47. He also said that I would be receiving a registered letter. I knew exactly the amount of fuel in the aircraft prior to departing C47, and was within weight limitations and cg. I have since recovered the correct load manifest. Internal cockpit fuel gauges do not reflect the accurate amount of fuel in tanks--especially in older GA aircraft. Knowing how much fuel was put in the aircraft is the only accurate method.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAMP CHECK BY FAA INSPECTOR. LOAD MANIFEST APPARENTLY REMOVED BY PASSENGER.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AND TAXIING TO THE TERMINAL RAMP AT STP, I SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS AND UNLOADED MY 7 PAX. THEY PICKED UP ALL THE PAPERS IN THE ACFT WHILE EXITING. AFTER THEY HAD LEFT THE ARPT, 2 MEN APCHED AND IDENTED THEMSELVES AS FAA INSPECTORS. ONE ASKED TO SEE MY PLT CERTIFICATE, MEDICAL, ACFT AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION, REGISTRATION AND RADIO LICENSE. AFTER REVIEWING SUCH DOCUMENTS, HE ASKED TO SEE THE LOAD MANIFEST. I SEARCHED BUT COULD NOT FIND IT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS KEPT. I EXPLAINED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN TAKEN INADVERTENTLY BY A PAX WHEN HE PICKED UP HIS PAPERS IN THE ACFT. THE INSPECTOR ASKED TO SEE THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES AND RECORDED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL HE ASSUMED WAS IN EACH TANK. I WAS THEN ASKED TO RECONSTRUCT ANOTHER LOAD MANIFEST. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO REMEMBER THE EXACT FIGURES OF PAX WTS. I COMPLETED ANOTHER LOAD MANIFEST AND GAVE IT TO HIM. AFTER THEY LEFT, I SAT IN THE ACFT AND DOUBLE-CHKED A COPY OF THE LOAD MANIFEST AND FOUND THAT I MADE AN ERROR IN MY CALCULATIONS. LATER THAT AFTERNOON, I WALKED ACROSS TO WHERE A SEAPLANE WAS OPERATING. I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE PLTS AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THE INSPECTOR WHO ASKED FOR MY LOAD MANIFEST WAS GIVING CHK RIDES TO THEM. HE WAS TOLD BY THIS INSPECTOR ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND SAID THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN OVER GROSS WHEN I DEPARTED C47. HE ALSO SAID THAT I WOULD BE RECEIVING A REGISTERED LETTER. I KNEW EXACTLY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE ACFT PRIOR TO DEPARTING C47, AND WAS WITHIN WT LIMITATIONS AND CG. I HAVE SINCE RECOVERED THE CORRECT LOAD MANIFEST. INTERNAL COCKPIT FUEL GAUGES DO NOT REFLECT THE ACCURATE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANKS--ESPECIALLY IN OLDER GA ACFT. KNOWING HOW MUCH FUEL WAS PUT IN THE ACFT IS THE ONLY ACCURATE METHOD.

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.