Flight crew of large transport type aircraft allegedly landed 200 pounds over allowable gross weight...

Attributes
ACN	197886
Time
Date	199112
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	197886
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departure from dtw was at a gross weight several hundred pounds less than planned en route fuel burn plus landing maximum gross weight. We flew the first hour of a 2 hour flight 10000 ft lower than planned due to turbulence. At the beginning of the descent the so informed me that we were about 1600 pounds over the maximum landing weight. This seemed about right as I figured it would take about 1000 pounds to complete the descent and terminal maneuvering and 600 pounds for the approach. About 12 mi out the so said we were 800 pounds heavy so I configured early with full flaps and planned to burn the remaining extra fuel through the high drag of the approach confign. I did not place full credence on the so's observation since the aircraft was nose down and decelerating. A condition known to produce false fuel readings. After parking we determined that we were probably 200 pounds over our maximum landing weight. The FAA sets maximum landing weights and specifies that an aircraft that lands over this weight must be inspected before flight. It doesn't matter if it is 1 pound over or 50000 pounds, the initial inspection is the same. The delay this causes may prevent crews from writing up trivial overweight conditions even though the technical violation still exists.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LGT TYPE ACFT ALLEGEDLY LANDED 200 POUNDS OVER ALLOWABLE GROSS WT.

Narrative: DEP FROM DTW WAS AT A GROSS WT SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS LESS THAN PLANNED ENRTE FUEL BURN PLUS LNDG MAX GROSS WT. WE FLEW THE FIRST HR OF A 2 HR FLT 10000 FT LOWER THAN PLANNED DUE TO TURB. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DSCNT THE SO INFORMED ME THAT WE WERE ABOUT 1600 POUNDS OVER THE MAX LNDG WT. THIS SEEMED ABOUT RIGHT AS I FIGURED IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 1000 POUNDS TO COMPLETE THE DSCNT AND TERMINAL MANEUVERING AND 600 POUNDS FOR THE APCH. ABOUT 12 MI OUT THE SO SAID WE WERE 800 POUNDS HVY SO I CONFIGURED EARLY WITH FULL FLAPS AND PLANNED TO BURN THE REMAINING EXTRA FUEL THROUGH THE HIGH DRAG OF THE APCH CONFIGN. I DID NOT PLACE FULL CREDENCE ON THE SO'S OBSERVATION SINCE THE ACFT WAS NOSE DOWN AND DECELERATING. A CONDITION KNOWN TO PRODUCE FALSE FUEL READINGS. AFTER PARKING WE DETERMINED THAT WE WERE PROBABLY 200 POUNDS OVER OUR MAX LNDG WT. THE FAA SETS MAX LNDG WTS AND SPECIFIES THAT AN ACFT THAT LANDS OVER THIS WT MUST BE INSPECTED BEFORE FLT. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS 1 POUND OVER OR 50000 POUNDS, THE INITIAL INSPECTION IS THE SAME. THE DELAY THIS CAUSES MAY PREVENT CREWS FROM WRITING UP TRIVIAL OVERWT CONDITIONS EVEN THOUGH THE TECHNICAL VIOLATION STILL EXISTS.

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.