Narrative:

On nov/wed/94 my company, air carrier X, informed me that an error was made on a weight and balance form we had filled out prior to our departure from shv to houston, tx. The company claims that my captain and I took off 100 pounds over maximum allowable takeoff weight. It appears that a mistake was made on the weight and balance form in that the numbers do not add up to the weight maximum allowed, however, after recalculation of the actual weights at the time of departure, I find that we took off 13 pounds under the maximum allowable takeoff weight. I feel this error was made at the time due to the constant 'rush rush' philosophy prevalent throughout the commuter airline industry. Lately, at my company, and on the date of this incident, we had to do a 20 min turn accompanied by an aircraft swap, with a full load of 30 people and a last second addition of a jumpseater. These last min changes had to be recalculated on the weight and balance form in question, notwithstanding the pressure placed on all flcs to be 'on time' of course this invites future errors until more time is allowed between flts. Addressing this flight in question, for weight and balance purposes our company uses adjusted weights and statistical averages to compute weight and balance -- not actual weights. Using the actual weight of our jumpseater and the number of bags in the baggage compartment yields a weight 13 pounds under the maximum allowable takeoff weight. How you can be actually under gross weight but statistically over gross weight is a question I feel our company should address and change since this contributed to our error. There also is a discrepancy between what the fueler read our fuel gauges at and what our digital fuel totalizer read in the cockpit prior to leaving the ramp area. Because our cockpit gauges are analog and digital (highly accurate) and the gauges on the wing are merely repeaters. I maintain and stand by what I wrote on the weight and balance form...that we had no more than 2400 pounds of fuel on board. Fuel invoices should not be relied upon to be accurate, especially when there is a possibility of error in reading by someone other than a flight crew member.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WT AND BAL PROB -- GROSS WT CALCULATION.

Narrative: ON NOV/WED/94 MY COMPANY, ACR X, INFORMED ME THAT AN ERROR WAS MADE ON A WT AND BAL FORM WE HAD FILLED OUT PRIOR TO OUR DEP FROM SHV TO HOUSTON, TX. THE COMPANY CLAIMS THAT MY CAPT AND I TOOK OFF 100 LBS OVER MAX ALLOWABLE TKOF WT. IT APPEARS THAT A MISTAKE WAS MADE ON THE WT AND BAL FORM IN THAT THE NUMBERS DO NOT ADD UP TO THE WT MAX ALLOWED, HOWEVER, AFTER RECALCULATION OF THE ACTUAL WTS AT THE TIME OF DEP, I FIND THAT WE TOOK OFF 13 LBS UNDER THE MAX ALLOWABLE TKOF WT. I FEEL THIS ERROR WAS MADE AT THE TIME DUE TO THE CONSTANT 'RUSH RUSH' PHILOSOPHY PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUTER AIRLINE INDUSTRY. LATELY, AT MY COMPANY, AND ON THE DATE OF THIS INCIDENT, WE HAD TO DO A 20 MIN TURN ACCOMPANIED BY AN ACFT SWAP, WITH A FULL LOAD OF 30 PEOPLE AND A LAST SECOND ADDITION OF A JUMPSEATER. THESE LAST MIN CHANGES HAD TO BE RECALCULATED ON THE WT AND BAL FORM IN QUESTION, NOTWITHSTANDING THE PRESSURE PLACED ON ALL FLCS TO BE 'ON TIME' OF COURSE THIS INVITES FUTURE ERRORS UNTIL MORE TIME IS ALLOWED BTWN FLTS. ADDRESSING THIS FLT IN QUESTION, FOR WT AND BAL PURPOSES OUR COMPANY USES ADJUSTED WTS AND STATISTICAL AVERAGES TO COMPUTE WT AND BAL -- NOT ACTUAL WTS. USING THE ACTUAL WT OF OUR JUMPSEATER AND THE NUMBER OF BAGS IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT YIELDS A WT 13 LBS UNDER THE MAX ALLOWABLE TKOF WT. HOW YOU CAN BE ACTUALLY UNDER GROSS WT BUT STATISTICALLY OVER GROSS WT IS A QUESTION I FEEL OUR COMPANY SHOULD ADDRESS AND CHANGE SINCE THIS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR ERROR. THERE ALSO IS A DISCREPANCY BTWN WHAT THE FUELER READ OUR FUEL GAUGES AT AND WHAT OUR DIGITAL FUEL TOTALIZER READ IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO LEAVING THE RAMP AREA. BECAUSE OUR COCKPIT GAUGES ARE ANALOG AND DIGITAL (HIGHLY ACCURATE) AND THE GAUGES ON THE WING ARE MERELY REPEATERS. I MAINTAIN AND STAND BY WHAT I WROTE ON THE WT AND BAL FORM...THAT WE HAD NO MORE THAN 2400 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. FUEL INVOICES SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON TO BE ACCURATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ERROR IN READING BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN A FLC MEMBER.

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.