Narrative:

I got to the aircraft about 50 mins prior to block time, which was about XA00. I completed my preflight. Flight plan/release scheduled fuel was 51000 pounds. Fuel on board was 51400 pounds. Data was entered into the airport performance laptop computer up to the point of weight and balance information. Weight and balance was delivered 5-10 mins prior to block time. Flight plan/release showed a payload of 50010 pounds. Actual cargo total on the weight and balance was 50234 pounds. The appropriate information was in the airport performance laptop computer and the program was executed to get the takeoff data. (The flight deck area was busy with final preparations and I was trying to get the paperwork straight.) the airport performance laptop computer would not run, as it should when a limit is exceeded. I decided to input all the data in the airport performance laptop computer again. When I did this, I entered the maximum landing takeoff gross weight in error, 199700 pounds instead of 198700 pounds. The takeoff data program ran this time and I handed the data card, weight and balance, and computer up to the pilot for verification. The verification was completed and the error was missed. Since we were close to our limits the captain reviewed the paperwork again after leveloff. At this point the error was found. We were about 250 pounds over our maximum landing takeoff gross weight. Fuel burn was closely monitored and no aircraft limits were exceeded. I know from this experience I will pay closer attention to the airport performance laptop computer error message before I input data again, take more time to doublechk all inputs and make sure I confer with the pilots when I run into a problem. Supplemental information from acn 456357: this report involves an aircraft performance problem caused by a breakdown in CRM and a procedural error by our flight engineer who had been on the line for 1 month. When the ramp supervisor presented the weight and balance he stated the aircraft zero fuel weight exceeded the 'release' (flight plan) limit by approximately 200 pounds (actually 220 pounds). On our flight plan (release) we have an aircraft weight that should not be exceeded called the limiting maximum operational takeoff gross weight (lmtogw). If this weight is exceeded, there could be a weight performance problem (in our case destination maximum landing weight). We use a computer called the airport performance laptop computer to calculate our takeoff performance. The computer will not run the performance numbers if the takeoff gross weight exceeds the limiting maximum operational takeoff gross weight. On this flight, the actual gross weight exceeded the limiting maximum operational takeoff gross weight and the computer did not run. Therefore, the flight engineer who did not inform the captain of the problem changed the release figure in the computer (limiting maximum operational takeoff gross weight) from 198700 pounds to 199700 pounds and the computer ran. Our procedures do not allow the flight engineer to do this. I thought the problem was due to normal procedure of using standard power and flaps 15 degrees for takeoff and asked him to try maximum power EPR and flaps 15 degrees. After my request he seemed to have no problem running the data. I cannot say why the captain and first officer missed this discrepancy, but we did. As luck would have it, this night we did not exceed any aircraft performance limits (weights). We were within all takeoff landing performance limits. Supplemental information from acn 456670: on this flight we were very close to our maximum landing weight. Refuelers put an extra 500 pounds above requested and loaders put over 220 pounds extra cargo on board without checking with crew. We did not land over weight. No aircraft limitations were exceeded at any time, but the potential was certainly there. Company safety report submitted. Bottom line: verify critical takeoff/landing data.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO A LACK OF COCKPIT COORD A B727 FREIGHTER PERFORMS A TKOF IN EXCESS OF ITS LIMITING MAX OPERATIONAL GROSS WT AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: I GOT TO THE ACFT ABOUT 50 MINS PRIOR TO BLOCK TIME, WHICH WAS ABOUT XA00. I COMPLETED MY PREFLT. FLT PLAN/RELEASE SCHEDULED FUEL WAS 51000 LBS. FUEL ON BOARD WAS 51400 LBS. DATA WAS ENTERED INTO THE ARPT PERFORMANCE LAPTOP COMPUTER UP TO THE POINT OF WT AND BAL INFO. WT AND BAL WAS DELIVERED 5-10 MINS PRIOR TO BLOCK TIME. FLT PLAN/RELEASE SHOWED A PAYLOAD OF 50010 LBS. ACTUAL CARGO TOTAL ON THE WT AND BAL WAS 50234 LBS. THE APPROPRIATE INFO WAS IN THE ARPT PERFORMANCE LAPTOP COMPUTER AND THE PROGRAM WAS EXECUTED TO GET THE TKOF DATA. (THE FLT DECK AREA WAS BUSY WITH FINAL PREPARATIONS AND I WAS TRYING TO GET THE PAPERWORK STRAIGHT.) THE ARPT PERFORMANCE LAPTOP COMPUTER WOULD NOT RUN, AS IT SHOULD WHEN A LIMIT IS EXCEEDED. I DECIDED TO INPUT ALL THE DATA IN THE ARPT PERFORMANCE LAPTOP COMPUTER AGAIN. WHEN I DID THIS, I ENTERED THE MAX LNDG TKOF GROSS WT IN ERROR, 199700 LBS INSTEAD OF 198700 LBS. THE TKOF DATA PROGRAM RAN THIS TIME AND I HANDED THE DATA CARD, WT AND BAL, AND COMPUTER UP TO THE PLT FOR VERIFICATION. THE VERIFICATION WAS COMPLETED AND THE ERROR WAS MISSED. SINCE WE WERE CLOSE TO OUR LIMITS THE CAPT REVIEWED THE PAPERWORK AGAIN AFTER LEVELOFF. AT THIS POINT THE ERROR WAS FOUND. WE WERE ABOUT 250 LBS OVER OUR MAX LNDG TKOF GROSS WT. FUEL BURN WAS CLOSELY MONITORED AND NO ACFT LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED. I KNOW FROM THIS EXPERIENCE I WILL PAY CLOSER ATTN TO THE ARPT PERFORMANCE LAPTOP COMPUTER ERROR MESSAGE BEFORE I INPUT DATA AGAIN, TAKE MORE TIME TO DOUBLECHK ALL INPUTS AND MAKE SURE I CONFER WITH THE PLTS WHEN I RUN INTO A PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 456357: THIS RPT INVOLVES AN ACFT PERFORMANCE PROB CAUSED BY A BREAKDOWN IN CRM AND A PROCEDURAL ERROR BY OUR FE WHO HAD BEEN ON THE LINE FOR 1 MONTH. WHEN THE RAMP SUPVR PRESENTED THE WT AND BAL HE STATED THE ACFT ZERO FUEL WT EXCEEDED THE 'RELEASE' (FLT PLAN) LIMIT BY APPROX 200 LBS (ACTUALLY 220 LBS). ON OUR FLT PLAN (RELEASE) WE HAVE AN ACFT WT THAT SHOULD NOT BE EXCEEDED CALLED THE LIMITING MAX OPERATIONAL TKOF GROSS WT (LMTOGW). IF THIS WT IS EXCEEDED, THERE COULD BE A WT PERFORMANCE PROB (IN OUR CASE DEST MAX LNDG WT). WE USE A COMPUTER CALLED THE ARPT PERFORMANCE LAPTOP COMPUTER TO CALCULATE OUR TKOF PERFORMANCE. THE COMPUTER WILL NOT RUN THE PERFORMANCE NUMBERS IF THE TKOF GROSS WT EXCEEDS THE LIMITING MAX OPERATIONAL TKOF GROSS WT. ON THIS FLT, THE ACTUAL GROSS WT EXCEEDED THE LIMITING MAX OPERATIONAL TKOF GROSS WT AND THE COMPUTER DID NOT RUN. THEREFORE, THE FE WHO DID NOT INFORM THE CAPT OF THE PROB CHANGED THE RELEASE FIGURE IN THE COMPUTER (LIMITING MAX OPERATIONAL TKOF GROSS WT) FROM 198700 LBS TO 199700 LBS AND THE COMPUTER RAN. OUR PROCS DO NOT ALLOW THE FE TO DO THIS. I THOUGHT THE PROB WAS DUE TO NORMAL PROC OF USING STANDARD PWR AND FLAPS 15 DEGS FOR TKOF AND ASKED HIM TO TRY MAX PWR EPR AND FLAPS 15 DEGS. AFTER MY REQUEST HE SEEMED TO HAVE NO PROB RUNNING THE DATA. I CANNOT SAY WHY THE CAPT AND FO MISSED THIS DISCREPANCY, BUT WE DID. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THIS NIGHT WE DID NOT EXCEED ANY ACFT PERFORMANCE LIMITS (WTS). WE WERE WITHIN ALL TKOF LNDG PERFORMANCE LIMITS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 456670: ON THIS FLT WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO OUR MAX LNDG WT. REFUELERS PUT AN EXTRA 500 LBS ABOVE REQUESTED AND LOADERS PUT OVER 220 LBS EXTRA CARGO ON BOARD WITHOUT CHKING WITH CREW. WE DID NOT LAND OVER WT. NO ACFT LIMITATIONS WERE EXCEEDED AT ANY TIME, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS CERTAINLY THERE. COMPANY SAFETY RPT SUBMITTED. BOTTOM LINE: VERIFY CRITICAL TKOF/LNDG DATA.

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.