A tour helicopter operator found that a weight and balance was not being prepared for each flight.

Attributes
ACN	455240
Time
Date	199911
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	455240
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company
Situations
Publication	Weight and Balance

Narrative:

I have been an owner/operator of helicopters for the past 13 yrs. The company operations manuals, operations specifications and procedures have been approved and supervised by the local FSDO since the operation started many yrs ago. The company conducts tour operations under far part 135 regulations. During an in-house company audit that I conducted nov/xa/99, I noticed an anomaly in the company procedures which may directly pertain to the safe operation of the tour flts. As the tour originated and ended at the same heliport with the same passenger load confign, only 1 passenger manifest was being prepared by the company/pilot for the flight, although the flight stopped en route for refueling and the fuel quantity was different than that used for the weight and balance calculation in the manifest. It was noticed, that such erroneous calculation of the weight and balance could be potential reason for flight over gross weight. As a corrective action, the company under my instructions has formulated a new procedure to recalculate a new weight and balance at each refueling although the passenger load confign remains the same. I would like to bring this to your notice, so that you could take the required steps to avoid similar problems in other companies who are in such operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TOUR HELI OPERATOR FOUND THAT A WT AND BAL WAS NOT BEING PREPARED FOR EACH FLT.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN AN OWNER/OPERATOR OF HELIS FOR THE PAST 13 YRS. THE COMPANY OPS MANUALS, OPS SPECS AND PROCS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND SUPERVISED BY THE LCL FSDO SINCE THE OP STARTED MANY YRS AGO. THE COMPANY CONDUCTS TOUR OPS UNDER FAR PART 135 REGS. DURING AN IN-HOUSE COMPANY AUDIT THAT I CONDUCTED NOV/XA/99, I NOTICED AN ANOMALY IN THE COMPANY PROCS WHICH MAY DIRECTLY PERTAIN TO THE SAFE OP OF THE TOUR FLTS. AS THE TOUR ORIGINATED AND ENDED AT THE SAME HELIPORT WITH THE SAME PAX LOAD CONFIGN, ONLY 1 PAX MANIFEST WAS BEING PREPARED BY THE COMPANY/PLT FOR THE FLT, ALTHOUGH THE FLT STOPPED ENRTE FOR REFUELING AND THE FUEL QUANTITY WAS DIFFERENT THAN THAT USED FOR THE WT AND BAL CALCULATION IN THE MANIFEST. IT WAS NOTICED, THAT SUCH ERRONEOUS CALCULATION OF THE WT AND BAL COULD BE POTENTIAL REASON FOR FLT OVER GROSS WT. AS A CORRECTIVE ACTION, THE COMPANY UNDER MY INSTRUCTIONS HAS FORMULATED A NEW PROC TO RECALCULATE A NEW WT AND BAL AT EACH REFUELING ALTHOUGH THE PAX LOAD CONFIGN REMAINS THE SAME. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THIS TO YOUR NOTICE, SO THAT YOU COULD TAKE THE REQUIRED STEPS TO AVOID SIMILAR PROBS IN OTHER COMPANIES WHO ARE IN SUCH OP.

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.