During preflight the first officer noticed that the aircraft's gross ramp weight was exceeded, to wh...

Attributes
ACN	458250
Time
Date	199912
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Do 328 TP (Turboprop)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : taxi ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	458250
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : aircraft manifest other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On dec/xa/99, an error was made while figuring our weight and balance, causing us to depart about 800 pounds over maximum takeoff weight. This was our first leg of a 3-DAY trip. I was coming down with a cold and feeling tired. The captain, flight attendant and I were waiting for our aircraft to arrive, which was running late. Once our aircraft arrived I completed the preflight for our flight from denver, co, to bismarck, nd. We were running about 30 mins behind schedule. Our paperwork for passenger is given to us just prior to before start. This is a very busy time for the first officer. I completed the weight and balance form and noticed that the proposed landing weight was a few hundred pounds over the maximum landing weight. I handed the captain the form and showed him the problem. He assured me that with the strong headwinds we would burn more fuel than our planned fuel burn and that would not be a problem. The captain checked and signed the form and gave a copy to the ramp personnel. Both the captain and I failed to notice that we had exceeded our maximum ramp weight of 31019 pounds and our maximum takeoff weight of 30843 pounds by about 800 pounds. We then departed denver for bismarck. About 15 mins into the flight, the captain observed on the FMS that the weight was over our maximum takeoff weight. We decided to continue to bismarck and if necessary we could circle at the destination and burn any additional fuel to be at maximum landing weight. We arrived at bismarck and were below our maximum landing weight and landed without any further incident. The flight was smooth the entire flight and no extreme conditions were incurred. We then notified our chief pilot of the mistake. Factors that I believe to have contributed to the error: 1) I was tired and coming down with a cold. 2) being rushed at this portion of the preflight. 3) not looking more carefully at the whole form and focusing on just one problem. Having a load planner would help with insuring that these kinds of mistakes do not occur.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING PREFLT THE FO NOTICED THAT THE ACFT'S GROSS RAMP WT WAS EXCEEDED, TO WHICH THE CAPT REPLIED THAT IT WAS OK SINCE FUEL COULD BE BURNED OFF PRIOR TO LNDG. HOWEVER, THE CREW DISCOVERED AFTER TKOF THAT THE GROSS TKOF WT HAD ALSO BEEN EXCEEDED.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/99, AN ERROR WAS MADE WHILE FIGURING OUR WT AND BAL, CAUSING US TO DEPART ABOUT 800 LBS OVER MAX TKOF WT. THIS WAS OUR FIRST LEG OF A 3-DAY TRIP. I WAS COMING DOWN WITH A COLD AND FEELING TIRED. THE CAPT, FLT ATTENDANT AND I WERE WAITING FOR OUR ACFT TO ARRIVE, WHICH WAS RUNNING LATE. ONCE OUR ACFT ARRIVED I COMPLETED THE PREFLT FOR OUR FLT FROM DENVER, CO, TO BISMARCK, ND. WE WERE RUNNING ABOUT 30 MINS BEHIND SCHEDULE. OUR PAPERWORK FOR PAX IS GIVEN TO US JUST PRIOR TO BEFORE START. THIS IS A VERY BUSY TIME FOR THE FO. I COMPLETED THE WT AND BAL FORM AND NOTICED THAT THE PROPOSED LNDG WT WAS A FEW HUNDRED LBS OVER THE MAX LNDG WT. I HANDED THE CAPT THE FORM AND SHOWED HIM THE PROB. HE ASSURED ME THAT WITH THE STRONG HEADWINDS WE WOULD BURN MORE FUEL THAN OUR PLANNED FUEL BURN AND THAT WOULD NOT BE A PROB. THE CAPT CHKED AND SIGNED THE FORM AND GAVE A COPY TO THE RAMP PERSONNEL. BOTH THE CAPT AND I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT WE HAD EXCEEDED OUR MAX RAMP WT OF 31019 LBS AND OUR MAX TKOF WT OF 30843 LBS BY ABOUT 800 LBS. WE THEN DEPARTED DENVER FOR BISMARCK. ABOUT 15 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE CAPT OBSERVED ON THE FMS THAT THE WT WAS OVER OUR MAX TKOF WT. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO BISMARCK AND IF NECESSARY WE COULD CIRCLE AT THE DEST AND BURN ANY ADDITIONAL FUEL TO BE AT MAX LNDG WT. WE ARRIVED AT BISMARCK AND WERE BELOW OUR MAX LNDG WT AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. THE FLT WAS SMOOTH THE ENTIRE FLT AND NO EXTREME CONDITIONS WERE INCURRED. WE THEN NOTIFIED OUR CHIEF PLT OF THE MISTAKE. FACTORS THAT I BELIEVE TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR: 1) I WAS TIRED AND COMING DOWN WITH A COLD. 2) BEING RUSHED AT THIS PORTION OF THE PREFLT. 3) NOT LOOKING MORE CAREFULLY AT THE WHOLE FORM AND FOCUSING ON JUST ONE PROB. HAVING A LOAD PLANNER WOULD HELP WITH INSURING THAT THESE KINDS OF MISTAKES DO NOT OCCUR.

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.

During preflight the first officer noticed that the aircraft's gross ramp weight was exceeded, to which the captain replied that it was ok since fuel could be burned off prior to landing. However, the crew discovered after takeoff that the gross takeoff weight had also been exceeded.