Narrative:

I was the PIC and it was the first officer's leg. There was a line check, so in the jump seat observing my so. According to our weight and balance, we were within 1000 pounds of the maximum runway allowable takeoff weight. The first officer stated that he wanted to make a static takeoff, and I agreed. Power was set, and he released the brakes. The first officer announced at vr that the nose felt heavy. With 1000 ft of runway remaining, the aircraft nose was up, and the airspeed was at V2. The aircraft climbed out slowly, I called positive rate, and we cleaned up the gear and flaps on schedule. Our departure appeared to be marginal to all 4 pilots in the cockpit, so I called our dispatcher and requested a full cargo load audit at our arrival destination. On our approach, bug speed +15 KTS was required to center the speed donut. The cargo audit was performed after arrival, and then I went to see my chief pilot. The chief pilot was able to find a second weight and balance record that had been issued 4 mins after our departure. We were not notified of this change and neither was our dispatcher. Although the weight had been increased in bin #1, according to the second weight and balance record, we were still legal for takeoff. However, the full cargo load audit showed we were overweight for takeoff, and neither weight and balance record was correct. The following weights show the relationships of the load audit to the weight and balance record we had and to the second weight and balance record that was issued after we departed. Note that our actual weight was 2233 pounds more than the second weight and balance record and 3583 pounds more than the weight and balance record we had based our takeoff on. Using either weight and balance record, we were overweight for takeoff. In addition, my chief pilot calculated a center of gravity of 17.8 using data from the load audit, versus a center of gravity of 21.2 which we got from our weight and balance record. So our stabilizer setting was off for our takeoff, resulting in a nose heavy feel to the first officer. This is the second time in the last 6 months my weight and balance has been changed after my departure from the gate without notification to me or the dispatcher. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has discussed the situation with the company safety department and with pilot group safety department. So far there has been no action other than to say that a plan has been formed. Unfortunately there is a history of agents changing the information after aircraft has left the gate and the crew is unaware of the problem until they pull back for liftoff. Too late then to do anything. Reporter has suggested that the company do a weight audit for a full day on their flts to check the inaccuracies.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 HAD DIFFICULTY WITH TKOF AND CLB AND REQUESTS A LOAD AUDIT ON ARR. THE WT IS 3583 LBS MORE THAN THE WT AND BAL RECORD ISSUED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES TO THIS CREW AND OTHERS.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC AND IT WAS THE FO'S LEG. THERE WAS A LINE CHK, SO IN THE JUMP SEAT OBSERVING MY SO. ACCORDING TO OUR WT AND BAL, WE WERE WITHIN 1000 LBS OF THE MAX RWY ALLOWABLE TKOF WT. THE FO STATED THAT HE WANTED TO MAKE A STATIC TKOF, AND I AGREED. PWR WAS SET, AND HE RELEASED THE BRAKES. THE FO ANNOUNCED AT VR THAT THE NOSE FELT HVY. WITH 1000 FT OF RWY REMAINING, THE ACFT NOSE WAS UP, AND THE AIRSPD WAS AT V2. THE ACFT CLBED OUT SLOWLY, I CALLED POSITIVE RATE, AND WE CLEANED UP THE GEAR AND FLAPS ON SCHEDULE. OUR DEP APPEARED TO BE MARGINAL TO ALL 4 PLTS IN THE COCKPIT, SO I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND REQUESTED A FULL CARGO LOAD AUDIT AT OUR ARR DEST. ON OUR APCH, BUG SPD +15 KTS WAS REQUIRED TO CTR THE SPD DONUT. THE CARGO AUDIT WAS PERFORMED AFTER ARR, AND THEN I WENT TO SEE MY CHIEF PLT. THE CHIEF PLT WAS ABLE TO FIND A SECOND WT AND BAL RECORD THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED 4 MINS AFTER OUR DEP. WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS CHANGE AND NEITHER WAS OUR DISPATCHER. ALTHOUGH THE WT HAD BEEN INCREASED IN BIN #1, ACCORDING TO THE SECOND WT AND BAL RECORD, WE WERE STILL LEGAL FOR TKOF. HOWEVER, THE FULL CARGO LOAD AUDIT SHOWED WE WERE OVERWT FOR TKOF, AND NEITHER WT AND BAL RECORD WAS CORRECT. THE FOLLOWING WTS SHOW THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE LOAD AUDIT TO THE WT AND BAL RECORD WE HAD AND TO THE SECOND WT AND BAL RECORD THAT WAS ISSUED AFTER WE DEPARTED. NOTE THAT OUR ACTUAL WT WAS 2233 LBS MORE THAN THE SECOND WT AND BAL RECORD AND 3583 LBS MORE THAN THE WT AND BAL RECORD WE HAD BASED OUR TKOF ON. USING EITHER WT AND BAL RECORD, WE WERE OVERWT FOR TKOF. IN ADDITION, MY CHIEF PLT CALCULATED A CTR OF GRAVITY OF 17.8 USING DATA FROM THE LOAD AUDIT, VERSUS A CTR OF GRAVITY OF 21.2 WHICH WE GOT FROM OUR WT AND BAL RECORD. SO OUR STABILIZER SETTING WAS OFF FOR OUR TKOF, RESULTING IN A NOSE HVY FEEL TO THE FO. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS MY WT AND BAL HAS BEEN CHANGED AFTER MY DEP FROM THE GATE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION TO ME OR THE DISPATCHER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE COMPANY SAFETY DEPT AND WITH PLT GROUP SAFETY DEPT. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO ACTION OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT A PLAN HAS BEEN FORMED. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS A HISTORY OF AGENTS CHANGING THE INFO AFTER ACFT HAS LEFT THE GATE AND THE CREW IS UNAWARE OF THE PROB UNTIL THEY PULL BACK FOR LIFTOFF. TOO LATE THEN TO DO ANYTHING. RPTR HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE COMPANY DO A WT AUDIT FOR A FULL DAY ON THEIR FLTS TO CHK THE INACCURACIES.

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.