Narrative:

We had a short (45 min) turn including an aircraft swap and long distance between gates. Flight release was not provided to me until 20 mins before takeoff. Strong headwinds (140+ KTS) and consequent fuel usage became immediate focus. Aircraft had MEL for automatic-brake and anti-skid inoperative placarded and entered in logbook. MEL not on dispatch release and due to rush to get flight out on time and focus on fuel and winds, I didn't doublechk with dispatch. Aircraft had been dispatched on previous flight in same condition and I did not believe the penalty was great enough to significantly affect us. Aircraft had sat in pit for 3 hours, but no work was done to correct problem. Finally, at the runway, we were getting close to minimum fuel. Weight and balance information was not available via ACARS and we got it via radio. Takeoff was normal, but we later discovered we had been overweight due to computer system snafu that did not pass maintenance information about MEL to dispatch or load control. Approach and landing in sna were normal except we unknowingly again were overweight due to MEL penalty. We complied with all briefed MEL procedures except for adjustment of takeoff and landing performance data. We reasonably relied on dispatch or load control to provide accurate and reliable information. Apparently, due to transition to computer system, that did not happen. (In fact, the following day, I was again provided a release that did not show a fuel system MEL that existed. This, after the system had supposedly been changed to prevent this problem.) contributing to the problem is the unbelievably excessive information contained on the computer release, not receiving the release until 20 mins before departure, having to load the entire route (instead of canned route), short turn and long walk, no maintenance done during 3 hour break, not correcting MEL, MEL not on release, dispatch not being notified of MEL by maintenance, load control not notified, returning to gate for misloading, high headwinds and concern for fuel status, relying on company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EXCEEDED MEL GROSS WT RESTRS ON TKOF AND LNDG.

Narrative: WE HAD A SHORT (45 MIN) TURN INCLUDING AN ACFT SWAP AND LONG DISTANCE BTWN GATES. FLT RELEASE WAS NOT PROVIDED TO ME UNTIL 20 MINS BEFORE TKOF. STRONG HEADWINDS (140+ KTS) AND CONSEQUENT FUEL USAGE BECAME IMMEDIATE FOCUS. ACFT HAD MEL FOR AUTO-BRAKE AND ANTI-SKID INOP PLACARDED AND ENTERED IN LOGBOOK. MEL NOT ON DISPATCH RELEASE AND DUE TO RUSH TO GET FLT OUT ON TIME AND FOCUS ON FUEL AND WINDS, I DIDN'T DOUBLECHK WITH DISPATCH. ACFT HAD BEEN DISPATCHED ON PREVIOUS FLT IN SAME CONDITION AND I DID NOT BELIEVE THE PENALTY WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT US. ACFT HAD SAT IN PIT FOR 3 HRS, BUT NO WORK WAS DONE TO CORRECT PROB. FINALLY, AT THE RWY, WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO MINIMUM FUEL. WT AND BAL INFO WAS NOT AVAILABLE VIA ACARS AND WE GOT IT VIA RADIO. TKOF WAS NORMAL, BUT WE LATER DISCOVERED WE HAD BEEN OVERWT DUE TO COMPUTER SYS SNAFU THAT DID NOT PASS MAINT INFO ABOUT MEL TO DISPATCH OR LOAD CTL. APCH AND LNDG IN SNA WERE NORMAL EXCEPT WE UNKNOWINGLY AGAIN WERE OVERWT DUE TO MEL PENALTY. WE COMPLIED WITH ALL BRIEFED MEL PROCS EXCEPT FOR ADJUSTMENT OF TKOF AND LNDG PERFORMANCE DATA. WE REASONABLY RELIED ON DISPATCH OR LOAD CTL TO PROVIDE ACCURATE AND RELIABLE INFO. APPARENTLY, DUE TO TRANSITION TO COMPUTER SYS, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. (IN FACT, THE FOLLOWING DAY, I WAS AGAIN PROVIDED A RELEASE THAT DID NOT SHOW A FUEL SYS MEL THAT EXISTED. THIS, AFTER THE SYS HAD SUPPOSEDLY BEEN CHANGED TO PREVENT THIS PROB.) CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB IS THE UNBELIEVABLY EXCESSIVE INFO CONTAINED ON THE COMPUTER RELEASE, NOT RECEIVING THE RELEASE UNTIL 20 MINS BEFORE DEP, HAVING TO LOAD THE ENTIRE RTE (INSTEAD OF CANNED RTE), SHORT TURN AND LONG WALK, NO MAINT DONE DURING 3 HR BREAK, NOT CORRECTING MEL, MEL NOT ON RELEASE, DISPATCH NOT BEING NOTIFIED OF MEL BY MAINT, LOAD CTL NOT NOTIFIED, RETURNING TO GATE FOR MISLOADING, HIGH HEADWINDS AND CONCERN FOR FUEL STATUS, RELYING ON COMPANY.

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.