 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Captain of an MD88 noticed a difference in the flight release weights over that of the actual weight during preflight. He learned that non revenue passenger were not shown as 'payload,' and therefore, not shown as exceeding the 2000 pounds difference of the original flight release, even though it totaled 2451 pounds. On this basis, company dispatcher did not make a new release.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 368270 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| 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 : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 368270 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Flight was planned at a weight of 140891 pounds. Flight actually took off at a weight of 143342 pounds. I was captain on flight air carrier X, a scheduled part 121, MD88 flight from lax to mke. No alternate was required. The release (flight plan) was planned for a ramp weight of 140891 pounds. Fuel required was 30504 pounds and the payload was planned at 23300 pounds. The final closeout showed a takeoff weight of 143342 pounds. Company procedures require a new release be issued only when the payload increases by more than 2000 pounds. When I saw the increased takeoff weight, I called dispatch and was told that the payload had increased by only 1531 pounds for a total of 24831 pounds -- not requiring a new release. The flight departed using the speeds for 143342 pounds, but with the fuel burn figured at 140891. The problem comes from the area of empty operating weight (eow) exceptions. This is used for different galley weights, or flight attendant compliments. In some cases, non revenue passenger will situation in the aft compartment, in what the company calls the tunnel. This flight had 8 non revenues in the tunnel that were not added to the bow. How to solve the problem: change load planning procedures to ensure that only passenger located in the tunnel are included in the actual passenger weight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF AN MD88 NOTICED A DIFFERENCE IN THE FLT RELEASE WTS OVER THAT OF THE ACTUAL WT DURING PREFLT. HE LEARNED THAT NON REVENUE PAX WERE NOT SHOWN AS 'PAYLOAD,' AND THEREFORE, NOT SHOWN AS EXCEEDING THE 2000 LBS DIFFERENCE OF THE ORIGINAL FLT RELEASE, EVEN THOUGH IT TOTALED 2451 LBS. ON THIS BASIS, COMPANY DISPATCHER DID NOT MAKE A NEW RELEASE.
Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED AT A WT OF 140891 LBS. FLT ACTUALLY TOOK OFF AT A WT OF 143342 LBS. I WAS CAPT ON FLT ACR X, A SCHEDULED PART 121, MD88 FLT FROM LAX TO MKE. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED. THE RELEASE (FLT PLAN) WAS PLANNED FOR A RAMP WT OF 140891 LBS. FUEL REQUIRED WAS 30504 LBS AND THE PAYLOAD WAS PLANNED AT 23300 LBS. THE FINAL CLOSEOUT SHOWED A TKOF WT OF 143342 LBS. COMPANY PROCS REQUIRE A NEW RELEASE BE ISSUED ONLY WHEN THE PAYLOAD INCREASES BY MORE THAN 2000 LBS. WHEN I SAW THE INCREASED TKOF WT, I CALLED DISPATCH AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PAYLOAD HAD INCREASED BY ONLY 1531 LBS FOR A TOTAL OF 24831 LBS -- NOT REQUIRING A NEW RELEASE. THE FLT DEPARTED USING THE SPDS FOR 143342 LBS, BUT WITH THE FUEL BURN FIGURED AT 140891. THE PROB COMES FROM THE AREA OF EMPTY OPERATING WT (EOW) EXCEPTIONS. THIS IS USED FOR DIFFERENT GALLEY WTS, OR FLT ATTENDANT COMPLIMENTS. IN SOME CASES, NON REVENUE PAX WILL SIT IN THE AFT COMPARTMENT, IN WHAT THE COMPANY CALLS THE TUNNEL. THIS FLT HAD 8 NON REVENUES IN THE TUNNEL THAT WERE NOT ADDED TO THE BOW. HOW TO SOLVE THE PROB: CHANGE LOAD PLANNING PROCS TO ENSURE THAT ONLY PAX LOCATED IN THE TUNNEL ARE INCLUDED IN THE ACTUAL PAX WT.
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.