Narrative:

Taxied out of dtw en route to tpa. 30 mins after start of taxi, load agent advises that the aircraft is 2000 pounds over maximum allowable ramp gross weight (manufacturer's structural limitation!). Flight contacts flight dispatch to request advice. Dispatcher says, stay where you are. Chief dispatcher is consulted. Chief says to taxi back to the gate for off-loading and inspection. Captain states he is unwilling to taxi the aircraft and wants to be towed. Dispatcher says that is the captain's option. Chief dispatcher speaks to flight, captain asks, are you ordering me to taxi this aircraft? Chief dispatcher states, I am authorizing you to taxi back. Captain complies. 1 hour later, captain contacts dispatch, flight is still sitting in the gate. No one has approached the aircraft. No cargo bins have been opened. Meanwhile, maintenance control advises that an overweight landing inspection has been completed on the aircraft! Question: is that inspection legal if the aircraft is still over gross? Chief dispatcher advises management that if someone does not take care of the flight immediately, he will advise the captain to order the aircraft evacuate/evacuationed. This produces the required miracle: 3000 pounds off-loaded from the aircraft. New release issued, new weight tab computed, ATC refiled, flight departed 2:15 late. P.south. Maintenance says the aircraft has a flat strut that has to be pumped up, but it is not related to the over gross taxi. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said it was the captain who threatened to evacuate/evacuation his passenger if his aircraft wasn't svced soon. He said reason for delay was a manpwr shortage. Ground crew works trip 1 then trip 2. Trip 2 leaves and ground crew goes to trip 3. If trip 2 then returns to the gate, there is no one to handle him. Reporter claims that middle management is to blame. His biggest question: if it is illegal to taxi an aircraft heavier than its maximum taxi weight, isn't it illegal to leave the gate until after the actual aircraft weights are received?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG IS TAXIED WEIGHING MORE THAN ITS MAX TAXI WT.

Narrative: TAXIED OUT OF DTW ENRTE TO TPA. 30 MINS AFTER START OF TAXI, LOAD AGENT ADVISES THAT THE ACFT IS 2000 POUNDS OVER MAX ALLOWABLE RAMP GROSS WT (MANUFACTURER'S STRUCTURAL LIMITATION!). FLT CONTACTS FLT DISPATCH TO REQUEST ADVICE. DISPATCHER SAYS, STAY WHERE YOU ARE. CHIEF DISPATCHER IS CONSULTED. CHIEF SAYS TO TAXI BACK TO THE GATE FOR OFF-LOADING AND INSPECTION. CAPT STATES HE IS UNWILLING TO TAXI THE ACFT AND WANTS TO BE TOWED. DISPATCHER SAYS THAT IS THE CAPT'S OPTION. CHIEF DISPATCHER SPEAKS TO FLT, CAPT ASKS, ARE YOU ORDERING ME TO TAXI THIS ACFT? CHIEF DISPATCHER STATES, I AM AUTHORIZING YOU TO TAXI BACK. CAPT COMPLIES. 1 HR LATER, CAPT CONTACTS DISPATCH, FLT IS STILL SITTING IN THE GATE. NO ONE HAS APCHED THE ACFT. NO CARGO BINS HAVE BEEN OPENED. MEANWHILE, MAINT CTL ADVISES THAT AN OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON THE ACFT! QUESTION: IS THAT INSPECTION LEGAL IF THE ACFT IS STILL OVER GROSS? CHIEF DISPATCHER ADVISES MGMNT THAT IF SOMEONE DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF THE FLT IMMEDIATELY, HE WILL ADVISE THE CAPT TO ORDER THE ACFT EVACED. THIS PRODUCES THE REQUIRED MIRACLE: 3000 POUNDS OFF-LOADED FROM THE ACFT. NEW RELEASE ISSUED, NEW WT TAB COMPUTED, ATC REFILED, FLT DEPARTED 2:15 LATE. P.S. MAINT SAYS THE ACFT HAS A FLAT STRUT THAT HAS TO BE PUMPED UP, BUT IT IS NOT RELATED TO THE OVER GROSS TAXI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID IT WAS THE CAPT WHO THREATENED TO EVAC HIS PAX IF HIS ACFT WASN'T SVCED SOON. HE SAID REASON FOR DELAY WAS A MANPWR SHORTAGE. GND CREW WORKS TRIP 1 THEN TRIP 2. TRIP 2 LEAVES AND GND CREW GOES TO TRIP 3. IF TRIP 2 THEN RETURNS TO THE GATE, THERE IS NO ONE TO HANDLE HIM. RPTR CLAIMS THAT MIDDLE MGMNT IS TO BLAME. HIS BIGGEST QUESTION: IF IT IS ILLEGAL TO TAXI AN ACFT HEAVIER THAN ITS MAX TAXI WT, ISN'T IT ILLEGAL TO LEAVE THE GATE UNTIL AFTER THE ACTUAL ACFT WTS ARE RECEIVED?

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.