Aircraft departed without cleared fuel on board and over maximum ATOG.

Attributes
ACN	137271
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	137271
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Ewr to iah cabin door closes on time aircraft is still fueling and no weight and balance data has been received from load planning. Fueling completed no fuel slip received yet. Engines started. Receive fuel slip and copy numbers from load planning (fuel slip through cockpit window). Receive passenger count from F/a. Inform captain that we have about 12 too many people and 1000 pounds too little fuel (about 2000 pounds over a to G). Captain decides to depart as is rather than return to gate to deplane passenger and receive fuel. Flight proceeded as normal. I feel airline flight should not be allowed to close cabin door until weight and balance data and fuel slip is received by crew. Otherwise the pressure to go with an illegal and possibly unsafe weight and fuel condition is too great.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEPARTED WITHOUT CLEARED FUEL ON BOARD AND OVER MAX ATOG.

Narrative: EWR TO IAH CABIN DOOR CLOSES ON TIME ACFT IS STILL FUELING AND NO WT AND BALANCE DATA HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM LOAD PLANNING. FUELING COMPLETED NO FUEL SLIP RECEIVED YET. ENGS STARTED. RECEIVE FUEL SLIP AND COPY NUMBERS FROM LOAD PLANNING (FUEL SLIP THROUGH COCKPIT WINDOW). RECEIVE PAX COUNT FROM F/A. INFORM CAPT THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 12 TOO MANY PEOPLE AND 1000 LBS TOO LITTLE FUEL (ABOUT 2000 LBS OVER A TO G). CAPT DECIDES TO DEPART AS IS RATHER THAN RETURN TO GATE TO DEPLANE PAX AND RECEIVE FUEL. FLT PROCEEDED AS NORMAL. I FEEL AIRLINE FLT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CLOSE CABIN DOOR UNTIL WT AND BALANCE DATA AND FUEL SLIP IS RECEIVED BY CREW. OTHERWISE THE PRESSURE TO GO WITH AN ILLEGAL AND POSSIBLY UNSAFE WT AND FUEL CONDITION IS TOO GREAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.