Narrative:

At the gate, load takeoff performance system showed 123 passenger with 6200 pounds cargo. After aircraft loaded, agent entered cockpit and said, you're full, I am closing the door. This seemed odd, given the passenger numbers, but we were given no reason to question -- assuming the agent cleared load between crew chief, cargo, and loads section. Wrong! On taxi out, load sends a message to count children. Instead of 8 children we had 4 and were 540 pounds over ramp weight. Had to return to gate for inspection, fuel, release and some embarrassing discussions to the passenger. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the error took place 5 mins before pushback. 'On time performance' pressure was a major contributing factor. Agent was in a hurry, the flight had already been delayed, so the captain accepted a passenger count that should have created a question. This was a weight restr flight. Communication simply broke down between all of the people responsible for the proper load. Captain failed to question, and either the agent didn't communication with load control in a timely manner, or cargo didn't connect until after aircraft's departure from the gate. Load control found the mistake when closeout was sent. This was after the aircraft had begun taxiing. Supplemental information from acn 313034: I knew that we had more than enough people to go over the maximum weights but assumed that we could be taken care of by adjusting cargo. Flight was not capped, there were no notes to me about accommodating payload. I taxied, once again assuming it was taken care of.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERWT TAXI RESULTED FROM GND CREW FLC COORD AND COM PROBS.

Narrative: AT THE GATE, LOAD TKOF PERFORMANCE SYS SHOWED 123 PAX WITH 6200 LBS CARGO. AFTER ACFT LOADED, AGENT ENTERED COCKPIT AND SAID, YOU'RE FULL, I AM CLOSING THE DOOR. THIS SEEMED ODD, GIVEN THE PAX NUMBERS, BUT WE WERE GIVEN NO REASON TO QUESTION -- ASSUMING THE AGENT CLRED LOAD BTWN CREW CHIEF, CARGO, AND LOADS SECTION. WRONG! ON TAXI OUT, LOAD SENDS A MESSAGE TO COUNT CHILDREN. INSTEAD OF 8 CHILDREN WE HAD 4 AND WERE 540 LBS OVER RAMP WT. HAD TO RETURN TO GATE FOR INSPECTION, FUEL, RELEASE AND SOME EMBARRASSING DISCUSSIONS TO THE PAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ERROR TOOK PLACE 5 MINS BEFORE PUSHBACK. 'ON TIME PERFORMANCE' PRESSURE WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. AGENT WAS IN A HURRY, THE FLT HAD ALREADY BEEN DELAYED, SO THE CAPT ACCEPTED A PAX COUNT THAT SHOULD HAVE CREATED A QUESTION. THIS WAS A WT RESTR FLT. COM SIMPLY BROKE DOWN BTWN ALL OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROPER LOAD. CAPT FAILED TO QUESTION, AND EITHER THE AGENT DIDN'T COM WITH LOAD CTL IN A TIMELY MANNER, OR CARGO DIDN'T CONNECT UNTIL AFTER ACFT'S DEP FROM THE GATE. LOAD CTL FOUND THE MISTAKE WHEN CLOSEOUT WAS SENT. THIS WAS AFTER THE ACFT HAD BEGUN TAXIING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 313034: I KNEW THAT WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH PEOPLE TO GO OVER THE MAX WTS BUT ASSUMED THAT WE COULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY ADJUSTING CARGO. FLT WAS NOT CAPPED, THERE WERE NO NOTES TO ME ABOUT ACCOMMODATING PAYLOAD. I TAXIED, ONCE AGAIN ASSUMING IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF.

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.