Narrative:

On taxi out in oak with a passenger load of 2/60, I was given a ZFW of 107200. This triggered a red flag in my mind. ZFW's this high would be with a full passenger load only or a large freight/bag load. It put us over the release tow also. I reminded the operations agent to get an amended release weight -- which he did after my query. I then got the belly load from him: 1400 pounds of bags, 256 pounds dogs, 447 pounds freight. Knowing an MD80 weighs about 82000 pounds empty, I ran some quick numbers of my own and came up with a ZFW of 95.0 or 97.0. I queried the operations agent again. He said he ran the numbers 3 times and was sure of their accuracy. Since we had no other information to go on, and the given weights seemed higher (rather than lower) than normal, we elected to proceed. There was the possibility that there was a heavy freight load we did not know about. The operations agent mentioned that he was working 2 flts at the same time. En route, I insisted we continue to peruse the 'red flag' I had. We had to call back to oak to get the empty weight of the aircraft (84827.5 pounds) we then completed a load manifest and came up with a 10000 pound difference in the ZFW: 97.2: still not sure if we had all the cargo information. We continued the flight to landing using the operations. Provided information. Telephone calls upon arrival at geg to dispatch started a chain of events whereby the information in oak was checked by a supervisor we were right. The problem arose because the operations agent was working 2 flts at one time, and was a bit too casual in his approach to an important job. When a flight crew calls to get a belly load, he should know something seems amiss. The problem was discovered by my intuition about aircraft weights after 4 yrs in this seat. I think the next time I will suggest the captain park the aircraft and clarify the paperwork before takeoff. I will also suggest the operations agent got a second person to check his/her work. Had the numbers seemed 10000 pounds low to me, this is what I would have done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG WT AND BAL INFO GIVEN TO FLC.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT IN OAK WITH A PAX LOAD OF 2/60, I WAS GIVEN A ZFW OF 107200. THIS TRIGGERED A RED FLAG IN MY MIND. ZFW'S THIS HIGH WOULD BE WITH A FULL PAX LOAD ONLY OR A LARGE FREIGHT/BAG LOAD. IT PUT US OVER THE RELEASE TOW ALSO. I REMINDED THE OPS AGENT TO GET AN AMENDED RELEASE WT -- WHICH HE DID AFTER MY QUERY. I THEN GOT THE BELLY LOAD FROM HIM: 1400 LBS OF BAGS, 256 LBS DOGS, 447 LBS FREIGHT. KNOWING AN MD80 WEIGHS ABOUT 82000 LBS EMPTY, I RAN SOME QUICK NUMBERS OF MY OWN AND CAME UP WITH A ZFW OF 95.0 OR 97.0. I QUERIED THE OPS AGENT AGAIN. HE SAID HE RAN THE NUMBERS 3 TIMES AND WAS SURE OF THEIR ACCURACY. SINCE WE HAD NO OTHER INFO TO GO ON, AND THE GIVEN WTS SEEMED HIGHER (RATHER THAN LOWER) THAN NORMAL, WE ELECTED TO PROCEED. THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE WAS A HVY FREIGHT LOAD WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. THE OPS AGENT MENTIONED THAT HE WAS WORKING 2 FLTS AT THE SAME TIME. ENRTE, I INSISTED WE CONTINUE TO PERUSE THE 'RED FLAG' I HAD. WE HAD TO CALL BACK TO OAK TO GET THE EMPTY WT OF THE ACFT (84827.5 LBS) WE THEN COMPLETED A LOAD MANIFEST AND CAME UP WITH A 10000 LB DIFFERENCE IN THE ZFW: 97.2: STILL NOT SURE IF WE HAD ALL THE CARGO INFO. WE CONTINUED THE FLT TO LNDG USING THE OPS. PROVIDED INFO. TELEPHONE CALLS UPON ARR AT GEG TO DISPATCH STARTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHEREBY THE INFO IN OAK WAS CHKED BY A SUPVR WE WERE R. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE THE OPS AGENT WAS WORKING 2 FLTS AT ONE TIME, AND WAS A BIT TOO CASUAL IN HIS APCH TO AN IMPORTANT JOB. WHEN A FLC CALLS TO GET A BELLY LOAD, HE SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING SEEMS AMISS. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED BY MY INTUITION ABOUT ACFT WTS AFTER 4 YRS IN THIS SEAT. I THINK THE NEXT TIME I WILL SUGGEST THE CAPT PARK THE ACFT AND CLARIFY THE PAPERWORK BEFORE TKOF. I WILL ALSO SUGGEST THE OPS AGENT GOT A SECOND PERSON TO CHK HIS/HER WORK. HAD THE NUMBERS SEEMED 10000 LBS LOW TO ME, THIS IS WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE.

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.