Narrative:

This incident involves a takeoff with inaccurate aircraft gross weight and v-spds. The pertinent data is depicted below: a reduced thrust takeoff was accomplished using 140 degrees F assumed temperature. Maximum weight for this temperature was 86900 pounds. This means the takeoff was accomplished 3200 pounds overweight for the completed takeoff thrust setting. We did, however, set the thrust approximately 2% north over the computed thrust setting, so adequate thrust was available. The error was noticed when the aircraft was slow to rotate at computed vr. The flap 5 maximum takeoff gross weight of 112200 pounds for bur runway 15 at 88% F was not exceeded or approached. I feel the problem here was 2-FOLD: the operations agent working the flight knew the correct fuel load, but simply made a mistake in putting it in to the fuel column and failed to detect that mistake in checking here work. The operations agent was a new employee, having worked for another airline previously, and had not been through company sponsored training, but rather had simply received OJT. 2 pilots in the cockpit and an FAA asi on the jump seat failed to detect the mistake. It is fairly common to see both large and small errors in 0 fuel weight calculations, and our attention generally goes toward picking those up. It is very rare (I've never seen) to see an incorrect fuel entry. Once the ZFW is typed in the computer, my attention usually goes to assuring that maximum ATOG has not been exceeded, and my primary reference for fuel is to ensure we have the minimum specified and that that amount is logically correct for the situation on that particular leg. Unfortunately, we generally use the takeoff weight computed on the paperwork rather than that in the computer to calculate V speeds because the V speeds must be obtained from a chart rather than being automatically calculated by the computer. The page in the computer where we type in the V speeds is different than the page where takeoff weight is displayed, so it's just easier to use the takeoff weight on the operations paperwork. This also correlates with the way we compute V speeds in the non computer aircraft. Perhaps having the - fuel weight/fuel qty/takeoff weight lines on the same page as the V speed lines would help simplify the computer operation, and possibly help keep this kind of mistake from happening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ON TKOF ROTATED AND TOOK OFF WITH ACFT 3200# OVER PLANNED TKOF WEIGHT AND THE ROTATION AND TKOF SPEEDS PLANNED.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT INVOLVES A TKOF WITH INACCURATE ACFT GROSS WT AND V-SPDS. THE PERTINENT DATA IS DEPICTED BELOW: A REDUCED THRUST TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED USING 140 DEGS F ASSUMED TEMP. MAX WT FOR THIS TEMP WAS 86900 POUNDS. THIS MEANS THE TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED 3200 POUNDS OVERWT FOR THE COMPLETED TKOF THRUST SETTING. WE DID, HOWEVER, SET THE THRUST APPROX 2% N OVER THE COMPUTED THRUST SETTING, SO ADEQUATE THRUST WAS AVAILABLE. THE ERROR WAS NOTICED WHEN THE ACFT WAS SLOW TO ROTATE AT COMPUTED VR. THE FLAP 5 MAX TKOF GROSS WT OF 112200 POUNDS FOR BUR RWY 15 AT 88% F WAS NOT EXCEEDED OR APCHED. I FEEL THE PROB HERE WAS 2-FOLD: THE OPS AGENT WORKING THE FLT KNEW THE CORRECT FUEL LOAD, BUT SIMPLY MADE A MISTAKE IN PUTTING IT IN TO THE FUEL COLUMN AND FAILED TO DETECT THAT MISTAKE IN CHKING HERE WORK. THE OPS AGENT WAS A NEW EMPLOYEE, HAVING WORKED FOR ANOTHER AIRLINE PREVIOUSLY, AND HAD NOT BEEN THROUGH COMPANY SPONSORED TRNING, BUT RATHER HAD SIMPLY RECEIVED OJT. 2 PLTS IN THE COCKPIT AND AN FAA ASI ON THE JUMP SEAT FAILED TO DETECT THE MISTAKE. IT IS FAIRLY COMMON TO SEE BOTH LARGE AND SMALL ERRORS IN 0 FUEL WT CALCULATIONS, AND OUR ATTN GENERALLY GOES TOWARD PICKING THOSE UP. IT IS VERY RARE (I'VE NEVER SEEN) TO SEE AN INCORRECT FUEL ENTRY. ONCE THE ZFW IS TYPED IN THE COMPUTER, MY ATTN USUALLY GOES TO ASSURING THAT MAX ATOG HAS NOT BEEN EXCEEDED, AND MY PRIMARY REF FOR FUEL IS TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE MINIMUM SPECIFIED AND THAT THAT AMOUNT IS LOGICALLY CORRECT FOR THE SITUATION ON THAT PARTICULAR LEG. UNFORTUNATELY, WE GENERALLY USE THE TKOF WT COMPUTED ON THE PAPERWORK RATHER THAN THAT IN THE COMPUTER TO CALCULATE V SPDS BECAUSE THE V SPDS MUST BE OBTAINED FROM A CHART RATHER THAN BEING AUTOMATICALLY CALCULATED BY THE COMPUTER. THE PAGE IN THE COMPUTER WHERE WE TYPE IN THE V SPDS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE PAGE WHERE TKOF WT IS DISPLAYED, SO IT'S JUST EASIER TO USE THE TKOF WT ON THE OPS PAPERWORK. THIS ALSO CORRELATES WITH THE WAY WE COMPUTE V SPDS IN THE NON COMPUTER ACFT. PERHAPS HAVING THE - FUEL WT/FUEL QTY/TKOF WT LINES ON THE SAME PAGE AS THE V SPD LINES WOULD HELP SIMPLIFY THE COMPUTER OPERATION, AND POSSIBLY HELP KEEP THIS KIND OF MISTAKE FROM HAPPENING.

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.