Narrative:

While on ground in dtn, captain had aircraft fueled to 7900 pounds fuel for departure, leaving 8625 pounds available for cargo. Captain then discovered that there would be 10017 pounds of cargo. The captain, who also has a management sales relationship with the company, decided to ignore the 353 pounds of water methanol on board, he changed the fuel paperwork from 7900 to 6900, and removed the aircraft tow bar and arbitrarily assigned it a 100 pound weight. This would allow him on paper to carry 10017 pounds and satisfy the customer. The captain asked me if 'I had a problem with this', and I replied yes, I don't believe in taking off over gross weight. He replied that he would do a 'wet takeoff' and burn the water methanol off and extend taxi and wait till the excess 1000 pounds of fuel was burned before takeoff. I considered refusing to fly the trip, but was uncertain as how management would react, and did not wish to lose my job. The captain made no effort to burn the excess fuel on taxi and we made an immediate departure. He also refused to follow my loading instructions to remain within cg. Stating he felt the load was arranged correctly, even though my calculations indicated an aft cg. I was quite upset over this and the next day I worked a weight and balance using the actual fuel, water, and cargo locations. I discovered at that time the aircraft was 1292 pounds over gross weight, and 2.71 percent aft of cg limits. Had I done this in ktu the day of the flight, I would have acted in a stronger manner regarding this flight. I would have acted in a stronger manner regarding this flight, however, I cannot relieve myself of some responsibility in this matter. I have filed a report with the chief pilot, and he assures me there will be action taken on this matter. The captain is a long-time friend and religious associate of the owner/president, and I still feel that little or no action will be taken against the captain, but I have learned that management or not, job or not, safety of flight is the #1 priority, not sales. As a footnote, the chief pilot indicated to me that he has had other verbal reports on this same captain. It would appear that since the company is on shakey ground finally, management is pushing all parameter as hard as they can.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERWEIGHT TKOF.

Narrative: WHILE ON GND IN DTN, CAPT HAD ACFT FUELED TO 7900 LBS FUEL FOR DEP, LEAVING 8625 LBS AVAILABLE FOR CARGO. CAPT THEN DISCOVERED THAT THERE WOULD BE 10017 LBS OF CARGO. THE CAPT, WHO ALSO HAS A MGMNT SALES RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMPANY, DECIDED TO IGNORE THE 353 LBS OF WATER METHANOL ON BOARD, HE CHANGED THE FUEL PAPERWORK FROM 7900 TO 6900, AND REMOVED THE ACFT TOW BAR AND ARBITRARILY ASSIGNED IT A 100 LB WT. THIS WOULD ALLOW HIM ON PAPER TO CARRY 10017 LBS AND SATISFY THE CUSTOMER. THE CAPT ASKED ME IF 'I HAD A PROB WITH THIS', AND I REPLIED YES, I DON'T BELIEVE IN TAKING OFF OVER GROSS WT. HE REPLIED THAT HE WOULD DO A 'WET TKOF' AND BURN THE WATER METHANOL OFF AND EXTEND TAXI AND WAIT TILL THE EXCESS 1000 LBS OF FUEL WAS BURNED BEFORE TKOF. I CONSIDERED REFUSING TO FLY THE TRIP, BUT WAS UNCERTAIN AS HOW MGMNT WOULD REACT, AND DID NOT WISH TO LOSE MY JOB. THE CAPT MADE NO EFFORT TO BURN THE EXCESS FUEL ON TAXI AND WE MADE AN IMMEDIATE DEP. HE ALSO REFUSED TO FOLLOW MY LOADING INSTRUCTIONS TO REMAIN WITHIN CG. STATING HE FELT THE LOAD WAS ARRANGED CORRECTLY, EVEN THOUGH MY CALCULATIONS INDICATED AN AFT CG. I WAS QUITE UPSET OVER THIS AND THE NEXT DAY I WORKED A WT AND BALANCE USING THE ACTUAL FUEL, WATER, AND CARGO LOCATIONS. I DISCOVERED AT THAT TIME THE ACFT WAS 1292 LBS OVER GROSS WT, AND 2.71 PERCENT AFT OF CG LIMITS. HAD I DONE THIS IN KTU THE DAY OF THE FLT, I WOULD HAVE ACTED IN A STRONGER MANNER REGARDING THIS FLT. I WOULD HAVE ACTED IN A STRONGER MANNER REGARDING THIS FLT, HOWEVER, I CANNOT RELIEVE MYSELF OF SOME RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER. I HAVE FILED A RPT WITH THE CHIEF PLT, AND HE ASSURES ME THERE WILL BE ACTION TAKEN ON THIS MATTER. THE CAPT IS A LONG-TIME FRIEND AND RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATE OF THE OWNER/PRESIDENT, AND I STILL FEEL THAT LITTLE OR NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST THE CAPT, BUT I HAVE LEARNED THAT MGMNT OR NOT, JOB OR NOT, SAFETY OF FLT IS THE #1 PRIORITY, NOT SALES. AS A FOOTNOTE, THE CHIEF PLT INDICATED TO ME THAT HE HAS HAD OTHER VERBAL RPTS ON THIS SAME CAPT. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT SINCE THE COMPANY IS ON SHAKEY GND FINALLY, MGMNT IS PUSHING ALL PARAMETER AS HARD AS THEY CAN.

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.