Narrative:

I may have operated a helicopter over the gross weight of 13000 pounds. The flight was a contract of mail/cargo from sna to lax. The problem arose in 2 ways: 1) fuel--fuel quantity indicators are calibrated at 3 degrees nose low. On the ground, however, the gauges may be more than 300 pounds different. This is not addressed in the flight manual and it can make a major difference in weight calculations. As a minimum, some kind of conversion is needed to determine when the helicopter is on the ground, what amount of fuel is actually in the tanks. 2) cargo--I was confronted with a situation where I was given a freight weight significantly higher than I had ever seen before (1 yr of doing this). As I loaded it myself, the manifest weight seemed incorrect (too high). There was no recourse however, as I had no method of checking individual weights on each truck. The trucks come from different stations and radio the weights to a central location which then radios the total weight to the helicopter. I was placed in a situation where I either believed the manifest weight or my own estimate, which was much lower. In addition, any off-loaded freight weight would just be an estimate due to lack of a scale. Contributing factors: the trucks were late. How discovered: freight and fuel subsequently weighed. Corrective actions: the cargo issue has been resolved through coordination with my company ad shipper. The fuel quantity gauge issue is something the manufacturer should look at.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HELICOPTER CONCERNED THAT HE MAY HAVE FLOWN OVERWEIGHT.

Narrative: I MAY HAVE OPERATED A HELI OVER THE GROSS WT OF 13000 LBS. THE FLT WAS A CONTRACT OF MAIL/CARGO FROM SNA TO LAX. THE PROB AROSE IN 2 WAYS: 1) FUEL--FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS ARE CALIBRATED AT 3 DEGS NOSE LOW. ON THE GND, HOWEVER, THE GAUGES MAY BE MORE THAN 300 LBS DIFFERENT. THIS IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE FLT MANUAL AND IT CAN MAKE A MAJOR DIFFERENCE IN WT CALCULATIONS. AS A MINIMUM, SOME KIND OF CONVERSION IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHEN THE HELI IS ON THE GND, WHAT AMOUNT OF FUEL IS ACTUALLY IN THE TANKS. 2) CARGO--I WAS CONFRONTED WITH A SITUATION WHERE I WAS GIVEN A FREIGHT WT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN I HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE (1 YR OF DOING THIS). AS I LOADED IT MYSELF, THE MANIFEST WT SEEMED INCORRECT (TOO HIGH). THERE WAS NO RECOURSE HOWEVER, AS I HAD NO METHOD OF CHKING INDIVIDUAL WTS ON EACH TRUCK. THE TRUCKS COME FROM DIFFERENT STATIONS AND RADIO THE WTS TO A CENTRAL LOCATION WHICH THEN RADIOS THE TOTAL WT TO THE HELI. I WAS PLACED IN A SITUATION WHERE I EITHER BELIEVED THE MANIFEST WT OR MY OWN ESTIMATE, WHICH WAS MUCH LOWER. IN ADDITION, ANY OFF-LOADED FREIGHT WT WOULD JUST BE AN ESTIMATE DUE TO LACK OF A SCALE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE TRUCKS WERE LATE. HOW DISCOVERED: FREIGHT AND FUEL SUBSEQUENTLY WEIGHED. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THE CARGO ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED THROUGH COORD WITH MY COMPANY AD SHIPPER. THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE ISSUE IS SOMETHING THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD LOOK AT.

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.