A ferry flight required ballast. Ground personnel added the ballast to takeoff weight twice, showing the freight aircraft 40000 pounds heavier than actual.

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Attributes
ACN	303795
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpe
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	303795
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 39
ASRS Report	303910
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft was being ferried from tpe-sfo. Because it was empty we needed 40000 pounds of ballast fuel for weight and balance limitations. Our computer generated flight plan showed takeoff ballast fuel as 40000 pounds and the trip fuel as 175000 pounds. Both of these amounts were added together to show a total ramp fuel of 215000 pounds. The weight and balance also showed the 40000 pounds of ballast, but then showed a total fuel of 215000 pounds, resulting in the 40000 pounds being added twice. Because we saw the total fuel as matching (a normal check we do), and both documents showed ballast fuel, we did not notice the error during preflight. En route I added up the numbers again because it just didn't look right to me. At that point the FMS was showing 40000 pounds remaining and 40000 pounds ballast. Our bow was around 255000 pounds so our gross weight should have been 335000 pounds but the FMS showed it as 375000 pounds. As ferry flts are very rare we do not see these numbers often. I would like to see additional training for the ramp personnel (who made the weight and balance error) and flcs. Supplemental information from acn 303910: ballast fuel is unusable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FERRY FLT REQUIRED BALLAST. GND PERSONNEL ADDED THE BALLAST TO TKOF WT TWICE, SHOWING THE FREIGHT ACFT 40000 LBS HEAVIER THAN ACTUAL.

Narrative: ACFT WAS BEING FERRIED FROM TPE-SFO. BECAUSE IT WAS EMPTY WE NEEDED 40000 LBS OF BALLAST FUEL FOR WT AND BAL LIMITATIONS. OUR COMPUTER GENERATED FLT PLAN SHOWED TKOF BALLAST FUEL AS 40000 LBS AND THE TRIP FUEL AS 175000 LBS. BOTH OF THESE AMOUNTS WERE ADDED TOGETHER TO SHOW A TOTAL RAMP FUEL OF 215000 LBS. THE WT AND BAL ALSO SHOWED THE 40000 LBS OF BALLAST, BUT THEN SHOWED A TOTAL FUEL OF 215000 LBS, RESULTING IN THE 40000 LBS BEING ADDED TWICE. BECAUSE WE SAW THE TOTAL FUEL AS MATCHING (A NORMAL CHK WE DO), AND BOTH DOCUMENTS SHOWED BALLAST FUEL, WE DID NOT NOTICE THE ERROR DURING PREFLT. ENRTE I ADDED UP THE NUMBERS AGAIN BECAUSE IT JUST DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT TO ME. AT THAT POINT THE FMS WAS SHOWING 40000 LBS REMAINING AND 40000 LBS BALLAST. OUR BOW WAS AROUND 255000 LBS SO OUR GROSS WT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 335000 LBS BUT THE FMS SHOWED IT AS 375000 LBS. AS FERRY FLTS ARE VERY RARE WE DO NOT SEE THESE NUMBERS OFTEN. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR THE RAMP PERSONNEL (WHO MADE THE WT AND BAL ERROR) AND FLCS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 303910: BALLAST FUEL IS UNUSABLE.

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.