An air carrier E120 flight crew departs on a revenue passenger flight approximately 407 pounds over their aircraft's gross weight limit. The flight crew caught the error before departure and thought that they had corrected it, but the ground personnel simply put the checked bags in the passenger cabin and removed them from the freight weight total.

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Attributes
ACN	369420
Time
Date	199705
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lft
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
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 : 225 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	369420
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I'm captain on an E120 brasilia for an air carrier. On a flight from mei to lft to dfw, I had a problem with the ground crew at lft that, upon inspection in dfw, allowed me to takeoff 407 pounds above maximum takeoff weight. Lft loaded the plane with 26 people, 30 bags, 1 military bag, 149 pounds and 13 carryons. My first officer did the weight and balance and found we were 407 pounds over maximum takeoff weight. Lft ground crew asked how many bags that would be, we said 17. They asked if they could put a few carryons in the cabin. I agreed. Then he brought the load manifest worksheet back with 24 bags instead of 30. It said, 'no, you have to take 17 bags off, not 6.' he said, 'oh that's 14 not 24 bags, and 12 carryons.' we did the weight and balance, it was within limits and we took off. I got suspicious the more I thought about it and requested a bag count in dfw. We were 9 bags over 14 in the back and they had put checked luggage in the cabin not carryons. The flight attendant was new so she didn't notice they were checked bags. I should have gone outside and counted the bags they pulled off, but I trusted them. This was very dangerous. I can't believe they could send us off knowing they'd lied and we were over maximum takeoff weight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR E120 FLC DEPARTS ON A REVENUE PAX FLT APPROX 407 LBS OVER THEIR ACFT'S GROSS WT LIMIT. THE FLC CAUGHT THE ERROR BEFORE DEP AND THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD CORRECTED IT, BUT THE GND PERSONNEL SIMPLY PUT THE CHKED BAGS IN THE PAX CABIN AND REMOVED THEM FROM THE FREIGHT WT TOTAL.

Narrative: I'M CAPT ON AN E120 BRASILIA FOR AN ACR. ON A FLT FROM MEI TO LFT TO DFW, I HAD A PROB WITH THE GND CREW AT LFT THAT, UPON INSPECTION IN DFW, ALLOWED ME TO TKOF 407 LBS ABOVE MAX TKOF WT. LFT LOADED THE PLANE WITH 26 PEOPLE, 30 BAGS, 1 MIL BAG, 149 LBS AND 13 CARRYONS. MY FO DID THE WT AND BAL AND FOUND WE WERE 407 LBS OVER MAX TKOF WT. LFT GND CREW ASKED HOW MANY BAGS THAT WOULD BE, WE SAID 17. THEY ASKED IF THEY COULD PUT A FEW CARRYONS IN THE CABIN. I AGREED. THEN HE BROUGHT THE LOAD MANIFEST WORKSHEET BACK WITH 24 BAGS INSTEAD OF 30. IT SAID, 'NO, YOU HAVE TO TAKE 17 BAGS OFF, NOT 6.' HE SAID, 'OH THAT'S 14 NOT 24 BAGS, AND 12 CARRYONS.' WE DID THE WT AND BAL, IT WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND WE TOOK OFF. I GOT SUSPICIOUS THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND REQUESTED A BAG COUNT IN DFW. WE WERE 9 BAGS OVER 14 IN THE BACK AND THEY HAD PUT CHKED LUGGAGE IN THE CABIN NOT CARRYONS. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS NEW SO SHE DIDN'T NOTICE THEY WERE CHKED BAGS. I SHOULD HAVE GONE OUTSIDE AND COUNTED THE BAGS THEY PULLED OFF, BUT I TRUSTED THEM. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY COULD SEND US OFF KNOWING THEY'D LIED AND WE WERE OVER MAX TKOF 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.