Overweight takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	295627
Time
Date	199502
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12300 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	295627
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Early morning departure on the final leg of a continuous duty overnight, 5 hours plus 30 mins away from airplane on overnight. Automatic feather would not pass automatic feather test. Consulted MEL and performance charts to decide whether legal to defer automatic feather. Charts indicate 7080 pound weight penalty for runway limit and 12980 pound weight penalty for climb limit. I mistakenly used the runway penalty when I should have used climb limit penalty. I had been taught that the climb limit restr was always the correct penalty to use. I was confused by the runway penalty even being published. It can never be used so why publish it? Also, at a XB40 show time for an XC10 departure following a XA53 arrival the night before. We were in the hotel for a bout 5 hours. After departure, I notified the company that I had deferred the automatic feather as per the standard practice. Upon arrival at the destination the chief pilot asked me to show him how I calculated the takeoff penalty. I showed him and he thought it was correct. He called dispatch and they informed us both that the climb limit penalty was the correct penalty, not the runway penalty. I filled out company unusual occurrence report. My error caused approximately a 4000 pound overweight takeoff for conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERWT TKOF.

Narrative: EARLY MORNING DEP ON THE FINAL LEG OF A CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT, 5 HRS PLUS 30 MINS AWAY FROM AIRPLANE ON OVERNIGHT. AUTO FEATHER WOULD NOT PASS AUTO FEATHER TEST. CONSULTED MEL AND PERFORMANCE CHARTS TO DECIDE WHETHER LEGAL TO DEFER AUTO FEATHER. CHARTS INDICATE 7080 LB WT PENALTY FOR RWY LIMIT AND 12980 LB WT PENALTY FOR CLB LIMIT. I MISTAKENLY USED THE RWY PENALTY WHEN I SHOULD HAVE USED CLB LIMIT PENALTY. I HAD BEEN TAUGHT THAT THE CLB LIMIT RESTR WAS ALWAYS THE CORRECT PENALTY TO USE. I WAS CONFUSED BY THE RWY PENALTY EVEN BEING PUBLISHED. IT CAN NEVER BE USED SO WHY PUBLISH IT? ALSO, AT A XB40 SHOW TIME FOR AN XC10 DEP FOLLOWING A XA53 ARR THE NIGHT BEFORE. WE WERE IN THE HOTEL FOR A BOUT 5 HRS. AFTER DEP, I NOTIFIED THE COMPANY THAT I HAD DEFERRED THE AUTO FEATHER AS PER THE STANDARD PRACTICE. UPON ARR AT THE DEST THE CHIEF PLT ASKED ME TO SHOW HIM HOW I CALCULATED THE TKOF PENALTY. I SHOWED HIM AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS CORRECT. HE CALLED DISPATCH AND THEY INFORMED US BOTH THAT THE CLB LIMIT PENALTY WAS THE CORRECT PENALTY, NOT THE RWY PENALTY. I FILLED OUT COMPANY UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE RPT. MY ERROR CAUSED APPROX A 4000 LB OVERWT TKOF FOR CONDITIONS.

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.