Narrative:

The flight was from dca-isp. The initial number of passenger were 16, then on the release was 18, not a problem with an aircraft full of fuel, but when they brought the passenger, there were 37, full load. The captain mentioned something about it, and I saw him talking to the refueler very briefly, so I assumed it was for the refueler not to put more than 4500 pounds which will be ok. We were late off the gate, we have people fighting (verbally) in the back, the flight attendant was very upset, and then aircraft was waiting for us to get the parking spots, the ramp people started giving us signal to start #2 engine, so we did. I finished the weight and balance with 4500 pounds of fuel instead of 5600 pounds (the real value). Well we did the takeoff over gross weight. The plane flew like always but when I went to call the times and fuel load to operations because of no ACARS, I found the mistake when I looked at the gauges. En route, I told the captain that I made a mistake and we need to talk about it. So, I told him, he said don't worry, what about the landing weight and we were below maximum landing weight. So, he said don't worry and gave an explanation why. The first thing was 1) if we mention to the company our management is cruel we will be suspended without pay for 3 days (which I can't afford, because of my salary), then they will put a nasty letter in the file (which I'm 25 yrs old and I still dream of a job in major airline and with a letter in my file forget it), and the third one, he told me that if we took the carry-on baggage (which we put in the cargo compartment and include them in total cargo) and put them inside the airplane, then that weight will not be included in the cargo and it is legal, all the sudden in paper weight disappear by putting bags inside the aircraft. Then we count it as babies, and we have 3 kids, so weight was less. We did not exceed in cargo at the cargo compartment and landing weight. So, he said again don't worry about it, but he said and I quoted 'I'm not going to a major, I'm too old but you are 25 you can still do it, so send a NASA report and keep your mouth closed, or our management will destroy your career, as I have seen it before. It is a shame that we have to do this, but this is the part people don't know, beside if they found out I will cover you up I said we had only 4500 pounds. You are a good first officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC TOOK OFF OVER MAX GROSS WT.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM DCA-ISP. THE INITIAL NUMBER OF PAX WERE 16, THEN ON THE RELEASE WAS 18, NOT A PROB WITH AN ACFT FULL OF FUEL, BUT WHEN THEY BROUGHT THE PAX, THERE WERE 37, FULL LOAD. THE CAPT MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND I SAW HIM TALKING TO THE REFUELER VERY BRIEFLY, SO I ASSUMED IT WAS FOR THE REFUELER NOT TO PUT MORE THAN 4500 LBS WHICH WILL BE OK. WE WERE LATE OFF THE GATE, WE HAVE PEOPLE FIGHTING (VERBALLY) IN THE BACK, THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS VERY UPSET, AND THEN ACFT WAS WAITING FOR US TO GET THE PARKING SPOTS, THE RAMP PEOPLE STARTED GIVING US SIGNAL TO START #2 ENG, SO WE DID. I FINISHED THE WT AND BAL WITH 4500 LBS OF FUEL INSTEAD OF 5600 LBS (THE REAL VALUE). WELL WE DID THE TKOF OVER GROSS WT. THE PLANE FLEW LIKE ALWAYS BUT WHEN I WENT TO CALL THE TIMES AND FUEL LOAD TO OPS BECAUSE OF NO ACARS, I FOUND THE MISTAKE WHEN I LOOKED AT THE GAUGES. ENRTE, I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I MADE A MISTAKE AND WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. SO, I TOLD HIM, HE SAID DON'T WORRY, WHAT ABOUT THE LNDG WT AND WE WERE BELOW MAX LNDG WT. SO, HE SAID DON'T WORRY AND GAVE AN EXPLANATION WHY. THE FIRST THING WAS 1) IF WE MENTION TO THE COMPANY OUR MGMNT IS CRUEL WE WILL BE SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY FOR 3 DAYS (WHICH I CAN'T AFFORD, BECAUSE OF MY SALARY), THEN THEY WILL PUT A NASTY LETTER IN THE FILE (WHICH I'M 25 YRS OLD AND I STILL DREAM OF A JOB IN MAJOR AIRLINE AND WITH A LETTER IN MY FILE FORGET IT), AND THE THIRD ONE, HE TOLD ME THAT IF WE TOOK THE CARRY-ON BAGGAGE (WHICH WE PUT IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AND INCLUDE THEM IN TOTAL CARGO) AND PUT THEM INSIDE THE AIRPLANE, THEN THAT WT WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE CARGO AND IT IS LEGAL, ALL THE SUDDEN IN PAPER WT DISAPPEAR BY PUTTING BAGS INSIDE THE ACFT. THEN WE COUNT IT AS BABIES, AND WE HAVE 3 KIDS, SO WT WAS LESS. WE DID NOT EXCEED IN CARGO AT THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AND LNDG WT. SO, HE SAID AGAIN DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, BUT HE SAID AND I QUOTED 'I'M NOT GOING TO A MAJOR, I'M TOO OLD BUT YOU ARE 25 YOU CAN STILL DO IT, SO SEND A NASA RPT AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED, OR OUR MGMNT WILL DESTROY YOUR CAREER, AS I HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE. IT IS A SHAME THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT THIS IS THE PART PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, BESIDE IF THEY FOUND OUT I WILL COVER YOU UP I SAID WE HAD ONLY 4500 LBS. YOU ARE A GOOD FO.

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.