Narrative:

Maximum takeoff weight for a dc-9-30 of 108000 pounds was exceeded on departure msp-rno. The load was booked at 12 first, 79 coach, so 26300 pounds fuel was boarded rather than the load permitting fuel of 27300 pounds. A final load and weight of 106300 pounds was sent to the aircraft via ACARS prior to push. I questioned this because by my math we should have weighed 107800 pounds. Just prior to push, another weight and 107300 pounds appeared which was closer to what I expected. After having already closed the door at XA40 the passenger service agent re-opened the door, indicating he had 2 more passenger. In reality, I believe he put on 2 adults and 2 teenagers. Because of re-opening the door all previous ACARS data including the weights dumped from the ACARS. After a call to dispatch for a takeoff alternate due to deteriorating WX in msp. A call was made to load control to ask for a new weight for takeoff. At first they said they were working on it because it appeared we were overweight but moments later after communicating our actual fuel load of 26000 pounds we received a new takeoff weight of 107600 pounds. Just after liftoff we received 2 ACARS messages that we were overweight and should return to the gate. In reconstructing what happened it appears load control determined we were overweight, elected to have us remove 5 passenger, figured out a new weight with 5 passenger removed, sent us this new weight with 5 passenger off, and then and only then, after we were already airborne, directed us back to the gate to remove the 5 passenger. We took off because we had no reason to believe 107600 pounds was not our actual weight. Supplemental information from acn 291771: company ACARS message not received in a timely manner. We were #1 for takeoff as we approached the end of the runway. We did not have our final ACARS weight tab. I called load control they said, 'there was a delay in the weight tab and we may have a problem.' then a final weight tab came up on the ACARS. I said thank you it just came up and clicked them off. Our load department should not send load data until they are sure it is correct or has been corrected. We were hung out to dry. Late weight data occurs often and we can not do anything about it!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TKOF BY A DC-9 CREW. ACFT GROSS WT EXCEEDED AFTER LOADING PROC PAX COMPLETED. NIGHT OP.

Narrative: MAX TKOF WT FOR A DC-9-30 OF 108000 LBS WAS EXCEEDED ON DEP MSP-RNO. THE LOAD WAS BOOKED AT 12 FIRST, 79 COACH, SO 26300 LBS FUEL WAS BOARDED RATHER THAN THE LOAD PERMITTING FUEL OF 27300 LBS. A FINAL LOAD AND WT OF 106300 LBS WAS SENT TO THE ACFT VIA ACARS PRIOR TO PUSH. I QUESTIONED THIS BECAUSE BY MY MATH WE SHOULD HAVE WEIGHED 107800 LBS. JUST PRIOR TO PUSH, ANOTHER WT AND 107300 LBS APPEARED WHICH WAS CLOSER TO WHAT I EXPECTED. AFTER HAVING ALREADY CLOSED THE DOOR AT XA40 THE PAX SVC AGENT RE-OPENED THE DOOR, INDICATING HE HAD 2 MORE PAX. IN REALITY, I BELIEVE HE PUT ON 2 ADULTS AND 2 TEENAGERS. BECAUSE OF RE-OPENING THE DOOR ALL PREVIOUS ACARS DATA INCLUDING THE WTS DUMPED FROM THE ACARS. AFTER A CALL TO DISPATCH FOR A TKOF ALTERNATE DUE TO DETERIORATING WX IN MSP. A CALL WAS MADE TO LOAD CTL TO ASK FOR A NEW WT FOR TKOF. AT FIRST THEY SAID THEY WERE WORKING ON IT BECAUSE IT APPEARED WE WERE OVERWT BUT MOMENTS LATER AFTER COMMUNICATING OUR ACTUAL FUEL LOAD OF 26000 LBS WE RECEIVED A NEW TKOF WT OF 107600 LBS. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF WE RECEIVED 2 ACARS MESSAGES THAT WE WERE OVERWT AND SHOULD RETURN TO THE GATE. IN RECONSTRUCTING WHAT HAPPENED IT APPEARS LOAD CTL DETERMINED WE WERE OVERWT, ELECTED TO HAVE US REMOVE 5 PAX, FIGURED OUT A NEW WT WITH 5 PAX REMOVED, SENT US THIS NEW WT WITH 5 PAX OFF, AND THEN AND ONLY THEN, AFTER WE WERE ALREADY AIRBORNE, DIRECTED US BACK TO THE GATE TO REMOVE THE 5 PAX. WE TOOK OFF BECAUSE WE HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE 107600 LBS WAS NOT OUR ACTUAL WT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 291771: COMPANY ACARS MSG NOT RECEIVED IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF AS WE APCHED THE END OF THE RWY. WE DID NOT HAVE OUR FINAL ACARS WT TAB. I CALLED LOAD CTL THEY SAID, 'THERE WAS A DELAY IN THE WT TAB AND WE MAY HAVE A PROB.' THEN A FINAL WT TAB CAME UP ON THE ACARS. I SAID THANK YOU IT JUST CAME UP AND CLICKED THEM OFF. OUR LOAD DEPT SHOULD NOT SEND LOAD DATA UNTIL THEY ARE SURE IT IS CORRECT OR HAS BEEN CORRECTED. WE WERE HUNG OUT TO DRY. LATE WT DATA OCCURS OFTEN AND WE CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!

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.