An air carrier MD80 flight crew departed before obtaining their final weight and balance information...

Attributes
ACN	400881
Time
Date	199804
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	400881
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	400120
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

No excuse -- we departed without a load closeout. After pwrback from gate, I asked first officer to obtain new numbers for runway 36R because the temperature had dropped 9 degrees. While taxiing to runway 36R I was concerned about our departure path due to the storm that was overhead, after obtaining our new numbers. Now that we were approaching runway 36R we had a big line of other aircraft waiting to depart. We asked for sequence in line and were not on the list until later. Again focusing on the storm overhead, we were distraction by the change in our departure sequence and were ready to go. After departure the load closeout came over the ACARS. First officer was very sorry for not getting this earlier. I indicated to him that it's my fault. However, I thought that when he was reading the new numbers that they included the load closeout. There is no good excuse that can be indicated here. I know that this will never happen to me again. I'm the captain -- I was at fault.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC DEPARTED BEFORE OBTAINING THEIR FINAL WT AND BAL INFO.

Narrative: NO EXCUSE -- WE DEPARTED WITHOUT A LOAD CLOSEOUT. AFTER PWRBACK FROM GATE, I ASKED FO TO OBTAIN NEW NUMBERS FOR RWY 36R BECAUSE THE TEMP HAD DROPPED 9 DEGS. WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 36R I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR DEP PATH DUE TO THE STORM THAT WAS OVERHEAD, AFTER OBTAINING OUR NEW NUMBERS. NOW THAT WE WERE APCHING RWY 36R WE HAD A BIG LINE OF OTHER ACFT WAITING TO DEPART. WE ASKED FOR SEQUENCE IN LINE AND WERE NOT ON THE LIST UNTIL LATER. AGAIN FOCUSING ON THE STORM OVERHEAD, WE WERE DISTR BY THE CHANGE IN OUR DEP SEQUENCE AND WERE READY TO GO. AFTER DEP THE LOAD CLOSEOUT CAME OVER THE ACARS. FO WAS VERY SORRY FOR NOT GETTING THIS EARLIER. I INDICATED TO HIM THAT IT'S MY FAULT. HOWEVER, I THOUGHT THAT WHEN HE WAS READING THE NEW NUMBERS THAT THEY INCLUDED THE LOAD CLOSEOUT. THERE IS NO GOOD EXCUSE THAT CAN BE INDICATED HERE. I KNOW THAT THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN. I'M THE CAPT -- I WAS AT FAULT.

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.