Narrative:

Captain asked for 'flex' (reduced power takeoff). I questioned it, was overridden. On takeoff, rotated at end of runway. Captain pulled hard to get airborne slightly before my 'rotate' call. En route to ewr, we received a message that rome airport reported that a tree was blown down after our takeoff at the end of runway 25. After the flight engineer checked his data, it struck him that the load plan was for runway 16L (2500 ft longer). After landing and close inspection, no evidence of foreign object contact to any part of aircraft. Obviously the flight engineer made a major error in not pointing correct runway and captain and first officer not catching it. Near departure runway, tower changed departure and some distraction in checking and verifying departure. Flex power was not wise and wrong data was the culprit, not enough flap for runway 25 and higher speeds. Tree was probably blown down by jet blast. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the DC10-30. There was no aircraft damage and the aircraft did not hit the trees, but vortices blew down some dead limbs onto the runway overrun. Load slip comes via teletype or telephone. The air carrier has no ACARS at rome. This piece of paper was of poor quality, 'like the third copy of a carbonless form.' all 3 crew persons were taken off line for a debrief and then given line checks. The air carrier has reported this to the FAA, but this reporter has not heard from the FAA. This reporter believes that all 3 crew persons reported this incident to the ASRS. Runway 25 is the normal takeoff runway even though runway 16 is longer. Crews have to ask for runway 16 specifically if it is needed. The air carrier's load center often sends information for the longer runway even when it is not needed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC10-30 USED TKOF DATA FOR THE WRONG RWY. A VERY LATE TKOF CAUSED THEM TO BLOW OFF SOME DEAD BRANCHES FROM TREES PAST THE END OF THE RWY.

Narrative: CAPT ASKED FOR 'FLEX' (REDUCED PWR TKOF). I QUESTIONED IT, WAS OVERRIDDEN. ON TKOF, ROTATED AT END OF RWY. CAPT PULLED HARD TO GET AIRBORNE SLIGHTLY BEFORE MY 'ROTATE' CALL. ENRTE TO EWR, WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT ROME ARPT RPTED THAT A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN AFTER OUR TKOF AT THE END OF RWY 25. AFTER THE FE CHKED HIS DATA, IT STRUCK HIM THAT THE LOAD PLAN WAS FOR RWY 16L (2500 FT LONGER). AFTER LNDG AND CLOSE INSPECTION, NO EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN OBJECT CONTACT TO ANY PART OF ACFT. OBVIOUSLY THE FE MADE A MAJOR ERROR IN NOT POINTING CORRECT RWY AND CAPT AND FO NOT CATCHING IT. NEAR DEP RWY, TWR CHANGED DEP AND SOME DISTR IN CHKING AND VERIFYING DEP. FLEX PWR WAS NOT WISE AND WRONG DATA WAS THE CULPRIT, NOT ENOUGH FLAP FOR RWY 25 AND HIGHER SPDS. TREE WAS PROBABLY BLOWN DOWN BY JET BLAST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE DC10-30. THERE WAS NO ACFT DAMAGE AND THE ACFT DID NOT HIT THE TREES, BUT VORTICES BLEW DOWN SOME DEAD LIMBS ONTO THE RWY OVERRUN. LOAD SLIP COMES VIA TELETYPE OR TELEPHONE. THE ACR HAS NO ACARS AT ROME. THIS PIECE OF PAPER WAS OF POOR QUALITY, 'LIKE THE THIRD COPY OF A CARBONLESS FORM.' ALL 3 CREW PERSONS WERE TAKEN OFF LINE FOR A DEBRIEF AND THEN GIVEN LINE CHKS. THE ACR HAS RPTED THIS TO THE FAA, BUT THIS RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA. THIS RPTR BELIEVES THAT ALL 3 CREW PERSONS RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO THE ASRS. RWY 25 IS THE NORMAL TKOF RWY EVEN THOUGH RWY 16 IS LONGER. CREWS HAVE TO ASK FOR RWY 16 SPECIFICALLY IF IT IS NEEDED. THE ACR'S LOAD CTR OFTEN SENDS INFO FOR THE LONGER RWY EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT NEEDED.

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.