Narrative:

While being ramp checked at rno airport I was asked how cargo weight was derived. The weight is distributed to our aircraft by eight different couriers who have numbered bags weighed at bank locations. These bags are delivered to a central courier who in turn takes the numbered bags and tallies the weight which happen to come to a total of 43 pieces at 730 pounds. Last night the FAA safety inspector asked me this question and I told him the same. He then asked a ground courier the same, as the last bags arrived. He told him his work was estimated. I received a manifest stating the precise weight from the other courier and proceeded on with the flight. All of the bags ranged from 10-15 pounds. If this courier did estimate, his work I felt it was as accurate as you may have gotten on a bathroom scale.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR QUESTIONED THE ACTUAL ACTUAL CARGO WT FOR AN ATX SMT CARGO JET.

Narrative: WHILE BEING RAMP CHKED AT RNO ARPT I WAS ASKED HOW CARGO WT WAS DERIVED. THE WT IS DISTRIBUTED TO OUR ACFT BY EIGHT DIFFERENT COURIERS WHO HAVE NUMBERED BAGS WEIGHED AT BANK LOCATIONS. THESE BAGS ARE DELIVERED TO A CENTRAL COURIER WHO IN TURN TAKES THE NUMBERED BAGS AND TALLIES THE WT WHICH HAPPEN TO COME TO A TOTAL OF 43 PIECES AT 730 LBS. LAST NIGHT THE FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR ASKED ME THIS QUESTION AND I TOLD HIM THE SAME. HE THEN ASKED A GND COURIER THE SAME, AS THE LAST BAGS ARRIVED. HE TOLD HIM HIS WORK WAS ESTIMATED. I RECEIVED A MANIFEST STATING THE PRECISE WT FROM THE OTHER COURIER AND PROCEEDED ON WITH THE FLT. ALL OF THE BAGS RANGED FROM 10-15 LBS. IF THIS COURIER DID ESTIMATE, HIS WORK I FELT IT WAS AS ACCURATE AS YOU MAY HAVE GOTTEN ON A BATHROOM SCALE.

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.