Narrative:

After takeoff, while dealing with failure of first officer's airspeed indicator requiring return to point of departure, a 10000 pound takeoff fuel discrepancy was discovered on the company computer generated flight plan. The correct takeoff fuel of 33500 pounds was printed in the fuel column. The incorrect fuel of 23500 pounds was printed in the r-hand column immediately under the weight and balance zero fuel weight. The incorrect fuel was used by weight and balance personnel to generate the computerized weight and balance form, leading to a weight and balance takeoff gross weight 10000 pounds too light. Takeoff performance numbers were then calculated by the crew using this incorrect takeoff gross weight figure. Fortunately the airplane was lightwt with valsan engines, and no abnormal flight characteristics were noted during takeoff. The weight and balance zero fuel weight plus the actual fuel on board were used to compute the correct landing weight and associated landing performance data prior to landing which was uneventful. This appears to be a transposition error beginning with company and continuing on down the line, escaping verification by both weight and balance personnel and the flight crew. It appears that 10000 pound errors may be particularly vulnerable to being missed during verification. Recommend emphasis on verification at company weight and balance personnel, and flight crew levels. Also recommend computer program to compare and reject numbers which are supposed to be equal on the flight plan, but are not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC RETURNS AND LANDS OVER MAX LNDG GROSS WT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, WHILE DEALING WITH FAILURE OF FO'S AIRSPD INDICATOR REQUIRING RETURN TO POINT OF DEP, A 10000 LB TKOF FUEL DISCREPANCY WAS DISCOVERED ON THE COMPANY COMPUTER GENERATED FLT PLAN. THE CORRECT TKOF FUEL OF 33500 LBS WAS PRINTED IN THE FUEL COLUMN. THE INCORRECT FUEL OF 23500 LBS WAS PRINTED IN THE R-HAND COLUMN IMMEDIATELY UNDER THE WT AND BAL ZERO FUEL WT. THE INCORRECT FUEL WAS USED BY WT AND BAL PERSONNEL TO GENERATE THE COMPUTERIZED WT AND BAL FORM, LEADING TO A WT AND BAL TKOF GROSS WT 10000 LBS TOO LIGHT. TKOF PERFORMANCE NUMBERS WERE THEN CALCULATED BY THE CREW USING THIS INCORRECT TKOF GROSS WT FIGURE. FORTUNATELY THE AIRPLANE WAS LIGHTWT WITH VALSAN ENGS, AND NO ABNORMAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS WERE NOTED DURING TKOF. THE WT AND BAL ZERO FUEL WT PLUS THE ACTUAL FUEL ON BOARD WERE USED TO COMPUTE THE CORRECT LNDG WT AND ASSOCIATED LNDG PERFORMANCE DATA PRIOR TO LNDG WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL. THIS APPEARS TO BE A TRANSPOSITION ERROR BEGINNING WITH COMPANY AND CONTINUING ON DOWN THE LINE, ESCAPING VERIFICATION BY BOTH WT AND BAL PERSONNEL AND THE FLC. IT APPEARS THAT 10000 LB ERRORS MAY BE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO BEING MISSED DURING VERIFICATION. RECOMMEND EMPHASIS ON VERIFICATION AT COMPANY WT AND BAL PERSONNEL, AND FLC LEVELS. ALSO RECOMMEND COMPUTER PROGRAM TO COMPARE AND REJECT NUMBERS WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE EQUAL ON THE FLT PLAN, BUT ARE NOT.

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.