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B747-200 aircraft in oceanic cruise was advised by company that weight and balance was in error and fuel burn would worsen the center of gravity, so flight crew returned to departure airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 379262 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zan |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : oak |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zan |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 379262 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approximately 2.5 hours into our flight (anc-kix), we received company message (via hnl HF) stating that our aircraft had been misloaded with 2 pallets that were too heavy, and our center of gravity was aft of legal limits. Continued fuel burnoff would worsen the aft center of gravity condition and they recommended we return to anc. After having dispatch and load control verify the data, we obtained a reverse course clearance to anc. Takeoff from anc was at 745000 pounds. With stabilizer trim set at 6.2 units, no abnormal control forces were noted. Landing was at about 610000 pounds and except for a noticeably light nosewheel, no abnormal control forces were noted. Touchdown was smooth, with no crosswind. A maintenance inspection revealed no problems. We have no cockpit procedures for either calculating or checking center of gravity. There are no graphs or charts available to us in the cockpit for any such calculations.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B747-200 ACFT IN OCEANIC CRUISE WAS ADVISED BY COMPANY THAT WT AND BAL WAS IN ERROR AND FUEL BURN WOULD WORSEN THE CTR OF GRAVITY, SO FLC RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.
Narrative: APPROX 2.5 HRS INTO OUR FLT (ANC-KIX), WE RECEIVED COMPANY MESSAGE (VIA HNL HF) STATING THAT OUR ACFT HAD BEEN MISLOADED WITH 2 PALLETS THAT WERE TOO HVY, AND OUR CTR OF GRAVITY WAS AFT OF LEGAL LIMITS. CONTINUED FUEL BURNOFF WOULD WORSEN THE AFT CTR OF GRAVITY CONDITION AND THEY RECOMMENDED WE RETURN TO ANC. AFTER HAVING DISPATCH AND LOAD CTL VERIFY THE DATA, WE OBTAINED A REVERSE COURSE CLRNC TO ANC. TKOF FROM ANC WAS AT 745000 LBS. WITH STABILIZER TRIM SET AT 6.2 UNITS, NO ABNORMAL CTL FORCES WERE NOTED. LNDG WAS AT ABOUT 610000 LBS AND EXCEPT FOR A NOTICEABLY LIGHT NOSEWHEEL, NO ABNORMAL CTL FORCES WERE NOTED. TOUCHDOWN WAS SMOOTH, WITH NO XWIND. A MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED NO PROBS. WE HAVE NO COCKPIT PROCS FOR EITHER CALCULATING OR CHKING CTR OF GRAVITY. THERE ARE NO GRAPHS OR CHARTS AVAILABLE TO US IN THE COCKPIT FOR ANY SUCH CALCULATIONS.
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.