Narrative:

We departed toronto on the evening the jul/tue/89 as flight xx to chicago. Our aircraft was XXXX, an advanced model of an large transport. We received our final weight manifest numbers during taxi out via ACARS. The final trim setting was xa of mac or less than xx units of nose up trim. There was no indication from the company that our center of gravity was not legal for our flight. The WX at ord was rain showers and thunderstorms and our fuel was loaded in the normal confign with all tanks containing equal amounts. #3 fuel quantity indicating system was inoperative, the upper yaw damper was inoperative, and the first officer and second officer had indicated that they were new. Our passenger load was one first class and fifteen in coach. I called air carrier dispatch via commercial radio and asked if we would still have a legal center of gravity as we burned our fuel out. The dispatcher responded that he did not have access to that information but to stand by while he tried to find out. A few minutes later he told us that the air carrier. Center had been able to obtain the information and for us not to fly the aircraft until we had moved all of our passenger as far forward as possible. We moved eleven coach passenger to first class to keep our one full fare first class passenger company and the remaining four passenger were seated in the first row of coach. Our center of gravity was not xy and we were legal to depart for chicago. The conclusion that I have reached from this incident is that the current air carrier weight and balance program does not insure that we are dispatched with a legal center of gravity. If this is true, it is a blatant disregard for the safety of the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEP CENTER OF GRAVITY QUESTIONED BY FLT CREW. PASSENGERS RELOCATED TO INSURE PROPER ACFT LOADING.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED TORONTO ON THE EVENING THE JUL/TUE/89 AS FLT XX TO CHICAGO. OUR ACFT WAS XXXX, AN ADVANCED MODEL OF AN LGT. WE RECEIVED OUR FINAL WEIGHT MANIFEST NUMBERS DURING TAXI OUT VIA ACARS. THE FINAL TRIM SETTING WAS XA OF MAC OR LESS THAN XX UNITS OF NOSE UP TRIM. THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM THE COMPANY THAT OUR CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS NOT LEGAL FOR OUR FLT. THE WX AT ORD WAS RAIN SHOWERS AND TSTMS AND OUR FUEL WAS LOADED IN THE NORMAL CONFIGN WITH ALL TANKS CONTAINING EQUAL AMOUNTS. #3 FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING SYSTEM WAS INOP, THE UPPER YAW DAMPER WAS INOP, AND THE F/O AND S/O HAD INDICATED THAT THEY WERE NEW. OUR PAX LOAD WAS ONE FIRST CLASS AND FIFTEEN IN COACH. I CALLED ACR DISPATCH VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO AND ASKED IF WE WOULD STILL HAVE A LEGAL CENTER OF GRAVITY AS WE BURNED OUR FUEL OUT. THE DISPATCHER RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFO BUT TO STAND BY WHILE HE TRIED TO FIND OUT. A FEW MINUTES LATER HE TOLD US THAT THE ACR. CENTER HAD BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN THE INFO AND FOR US NOT TO FLY THE ACFT UNTIL WE HAD MOVED ALL OF OUR PAX AS FAR FORWARD AS POSSIBLE. WE MOVED ELEVEN COACH PAX TO FIRST CLASS TO KEEP OUR ONE FULL FARE FIRST CLASS PAX COMPANY AND THE REMAINING FOUR PAX WERE SEATED IN THE FIRST ROW OF COACH. OUR CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS NOT XY AND WE WERE LEGAL TO DEPART FOR CHICAGO. THE CONCLUSION THAT I HAVE REACHED FROM THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THE CURRENT ACR WEIGHT AND BALANCE PROGRAM DOES NOT INSURE THAT WE ARE DISPATCHED WITH A LEGAL CENTER OF GRAVITY. IF THIS IS TRUE, IT IS A BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT.

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.