Narrative:

I landed a B727 at tol express airport. The landing was 2600 pounds over maximum landing weight. Approximately 2% over gross. The aircraft, after being fueled to 24000 pounds, jet a, was re-dispatched with a planned fuel load of 20200 pounds to accommodate additional freight, but the fuel had already been loaded. The estimated time required to de-fuel the aircraft was approximately 2 hours, thus making the freight too late at the destination to make the schedule. I still had 3 other options, 1) offload 3000 pounds of freight, 2) dump fuel en route, or 3) make an overweight landing at the next station. I contacted our maintenance control and asked if they had a preference. They said it would be better and (cheaper) to land overweight than dump the fuel or to offload fuel on the ground and end up paying for it anyway. It is an unwritten policy at my company never to offload freight for fuel so that all but eliminated option #1. Taking these variables into account, I confirmed that I had the performance data available for the overweight approach and landing, conferred with my first officer and engineer, and as long as they had no apprehensions, chose to make the overweight landing. The flight was uneventful, I made a smooth landing and wrote it up as overweight. Maintenance performed the required inspection. Hopefully that will be it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727 LANDED OVERWT ON PURPOSE DUE TO ADVICE FROM COMPANY MAINT CTL DUE TO LESS EXPENSIVE TO INSPECT THE ACFT AFTER LNDG THAN TO REMOVE CARGO OR FUEL.

Narrative: I LANDED A B727 AT TOL EXPRESS ARPT. THE LNDG WAS 2600 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT. APPROX 2% OVER GROSS. THE ACFT, AFTER BEING FUELED TO 24000 LBS, JET A, WAS RE-DISPATCHED WITH A PLANNED FUEL LOAD OF 20200 LBS TO ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL FREIGHT, BUT THE FUEL HAD ALREADY BEEN LOADED. THE ESTIMATED TIME REQUIRED TO DE-FUEL THE ACFT WAS APPROX 2 HRS, THUS MAKING THE FREIGHT TOO LATE AT THE DEST TO MAKE THE SCHEDULE. I STILL HAD 3 OTHER OPTIONS, 1) OFFLOAD 3000 LBS OF FREIGHT, 2) DUMP FUEL ENRTE, OR 3) MAKE AN OVERWT LNDG AT THE NEXT STATION. I CONTACTED OUR MAINT CTL AND ASKED IF THEY HAD A PREFERENCE. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE BETTER AND (CHEAPER) TO LAND OVERWT THAN DUMP THE FUEL OR TO OFFLOAD FUEL ON THE GND AND END UP PAYING FOR IT ANYWAY. IT IS AN UNWRITTEN POLICY AT MY COMPANY NEVER TO OFFLOAD FREIGHT FOR FUEL SO THAT ALL BUT ELIMINATED OPTION #1. TAKING THESE VARIABLES INTO ACCOUNT, I CONFIRMED THAT I HAD THE PERFORMANCE DATA AVAILABLE FOR THE OVERWT APCH AND LNDG, CONFERRED WITH MY FO AND ENGINEER, AND AS LONG AS THEY HAD NO APPREHENSIONS, CHOSE TO MAKE THE OVERWT LNDG. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, I MADE A SMOOTH LNDG AND WROTE IT UP AS OVERWT. MAINT PERFORMED THE REQUIRED INSPECTION. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE IT.

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.