Air carrier pilot complains of company notice that directs flight crews to ignore passenger count discrepancies if normal recount procedures do not remedy the problem.

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Attributes
ACN	167996
Time
Date	199101
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	167996
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Unable to get accurate passenger count by load closeout. Long time recurring problem. Possible security problem. If we follow company's directive, we may be ignoring potential security threat. If we follow union's suggestion, we face disciplinary action by company. Management is currently harassing pilots for alleged slowdown. Secondary consideration: is our flight load showing correct weight and balance information? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: by pilot association request, the company had rescinded the advisory notice that advised flight crews to ignore passenger county discrepancy if no immediate solution could be found. However, the company has not set a policy to deal with the situation, because, in their words, there is no federal aviation regulation that deals with the situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT COMPLAINS OF COMPANY NOTICE THAT DIRECTS FLT CREWS TO IGNORE PASSENGER COUNT DISCREPANCIES IF NORMAL RECOUNT PROCS DO NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.

Narrative: UNABLE TO GET ACCURATE PAX COUNT BY LOAD CLOSEOUT. LONG TIME RECURRING PROB. POSSIBLE SECURITY PROB. IF WE FOLLOW COMPANY'S DIRECTIVE, WE MAY BE IGNORING POTENTIAL SECURITY THREAT. IF WE FOLLOW UNION'S SUGGESTION, WE FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY COMPANY. MGMNT IS CURRENTLY HARASSING PLTS FOR ALLEGED SLOWDOWN. SECONDARY CONSIDERATION: IS OUR FLT LOAD SHOWING CORRECT WT AND BAL INFO? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: BY PLT ASSOCIATION REQUEST, THE COMPANY HAD RESCINDED THE ADVISORY NOTICE THAT ADVISED FLT CREWS TO IGNORE PAX COUNTY DISCREPANCY IF NO IMMEDIATE SOLUTION COULD BE FOUND. HOWEVER, THE COMPANY HAS NOT SET A POLICY TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION, BECAUSE, IN THEIR WORDS, THERE IS NO FEDERAL AVIATION REG THAT DEALS WITH THE SITUATION.

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.