Narrative:

Company changed from flight crew doing weight and balance computations to a computer generated weight and balance closeout. Flcs were allowed to override computer closeout if a conflict was noted. After using the new system for approximately 2 months with no problems I was approached by a member of operations on the night of oct/xx/91 during a quick turn from chicago to new york. He stated that the computer weight and balance was in error and requested that I allow the manual computations which he had completed to be used. I agreed and used the manual weight and balance to be used which allowed for more cargo to be loaded on the flight. The next day a close review of the paperwork to try to uncover the conflict between the manual system and the computer system showed that the operations person had used the wrong aircraft empty weight on the manual closeout form with a different north number shown. This resulted in an overweight takeoff for the runway used. A change in company procedures so as to only have 1 system in use or color coded forms for different aircraft when using the manual system could have prevented this event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC ALLEGEDLY TOOK OFF WITH ACFT OVERWT FOR THE RWY USED.

Narrative: COMPANY CHANGED FROM FLC DOING WT AND BAL COMPUTATIONS TO A COMPUTER GENERATED WT AND BAL CLOSEOUT. FLCS WERE ALLOWED TO OVERRIDE COMPUTER CLOSEOUT IF A CONFLICT WAS NOTED. AFTER USING THE NEW SYS FOR APPROX 2 MONTHS WITH NO PROBLEMS I WAS APCHED BY A MEMBER OF OPS ON THE NIGHT OF OCT/XX/91 DURING A QUICK TURN FROM CHICAGO TO NEW YORK. HE STATED THAT THE COMPUTER WT AND BAL WAS IN ERROR AND REQUESTED THAT I ALLOW THE MANUAL COMPUTATIONS WHICH HE HAD COMPLETED TO BE USED. I AGREED AND USED THE MANUAL WT AND BAL TO BE USED WHICH ALLOWED FOR MORE CARGO TO BE LOADED ON THE FLT. THE NEXT DAY A CLOSE REVIEW OF THE PAPERWORK TO TRY TO UNCOVER THE CONFLICT BTWN THE MANUAL SYS AND THE COMPUTER SYS SHOWED THAT THE OPS PERSON HAD USED THE WRONG ACFT EMPTY WT ON THE MANUAL CLOSEOUT FORM WITH A DIFFERENT N NUMBER SHOWN. THIS RESULTED IN AN OVERWT TKOF FOR THE RWY USED. A CHANGE IN COMPANY PROCS SO AS TO ONLY HAVE 1 SYS IN USE OR COLOR CODED FORMS FOR DIFFERENT ACFT WHEN USING THE MANUAL SYS COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS EVENT.

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.