Narrative:

When I went to order fuel at operations for flight, I was informed the plane had been fueled with 5000 pounds. I was only going to order 4500 pounds. I then was told an earlier flight canceled and we were to get all the passenger and bags. I told operations to defuel the aircraft to 3800 pounds. I proceeded to the aircraft only to find them loading extra bags on and my fuel gauges still reading 5000 pounds. I notified operations and they assured me the fueler had been notified. I made a PA to the passenger explaining what happened and the approximately time of our delay. I then received the load manifest from the ramp personnel. I handed it to the first officer to begin computing the weight and balance. The flight attendant called up with the passenger count and the first officer computed the weight and balance. Now we are 5 mins late and no defuel truck in sight. I have flown with this first officer on many occasions and know he performs his duties with the highest competence. He then informs me we are good to go with 5000 pounds of fuel. In disbelief, I doublechked his math on the weight and balance form. It did work out perfect. 000 pounds below maximum gross weight. We fired up both engines and headed for baton rouge. Still in disbelief shortly after climb out, I doublechked the weight and balance. After comparing the load manifest that had been changed and scribbled out many times by the ramp personnel, I noticed 730 pounds of freight entered in the wrong place. I asked the first officer if he included this anywhere and he said he had not noticed it. We just took off 700 pounds over gross weight. We were still climbing, I asked center for a leveloff at 11000 ft to increase speed. We had to burn all that extra fuel to get down below maximum landing weight. After computing the extra fuel I had to burn, I asked for a descent to 5000 ft. Luckily it was a smooth ride and the passenger got a great view of east texas and louisiana. We were able to burn all the extra fuel before landing and made a non eventful landing. Chain of events: error by operations to fuel an airplane without captain's fuel order. Cancellation of earlier flight (due to air return). Possible overconfidence in first officer's ability. Ramp personnel putting freight in nonstandard place (messy work). My desire to reduce the passenger delay as much as possible. Possibly a little rushing on my part to get aircraft back on schedule. My desire to believe the ATR could take all that fuel. My failure to doublechk the load manifest prior to departure. The fact that I doublechked weight and balance in-flight meant I had doubts. I should have checked earlier. To avoid the situation in the future, when in doubt check it out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OVERWT TKOF WAS MADE DUE TO MISCALCULATION OF WT AND BAL FIGURES.

Narrative: WHEN I WENT TO ORDER FUEL AT OPS FOR FLT, I WAS INFORMED THE PLANE HAD BEEN FUELED WITH 5000 LBS. I WAS ONLY GOING TO ORDER 4500 LBS. I THEN WAS TOLD AN EARLIER FLT CANCELED AND WE WERE TO GET ALL THE PAX AND BAGS. I TOLD OPS TO DEFUEL THE ACFT TO 3800 LBS. I PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT ONLY TO FIND THEM LOADING EXTRA BAGS ON AND MY FUEL GAUGES STILL READING 5000 LBS. I NOTIFIED OPS AND THEY ASSURED ME THE FUELER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. I MADE A PA TO THE PAX EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED AND THE APPROX TIME OF OUR DELAY. I THEN RECEIVED THE LOAD MANIFEST FROM THE RAMP PERSONNEL. I HANDED IT TO THE FO TO BEGIN COMPUTING THE WT AND BAL. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED UP WITH THE PAX COUNT AND THE FO COMPUTED THE WT AND BAL. NOW WE ARE 5 MINS LATE AND NO DEFUEL TRUCK IN SIGHT. I HAVE FLOWN WITH THIS FO ON MANY OCCASIONS AND KNOW HE PERFORMS HIS DUTIES WITH THE HIGHEST COMPETENCE. HE THEN INFORMS ME WE ARE GOOD TO GO WITH 5000 LBS OF FUEL. IN DISBELIEF, I DOUBLECHKED HIS MATH ON THE WT AND BAL FORM. IT DID WORK OUT PERFECT. 000 LBS BELOW MAX GROSS WT. WE FIRED UP BOTH ENGS AND HEADED FOR BATON ROUGE. STILL IN DISBELIEF SHORTLY AFTER CLBOUT, I DOUBLECHKED THE WT AND BAL. AFTER COMPARING THE LOAD MANIFEST THAT HAD BEEN CHANGED AND SCRIBBLED OUT MANY TIMES BY THE RAMP PERSONNEL, I NOTICED 730 LBS OF FREIGHT ENTERED IN THE WRONG PLACE. I ASKED THE FO IF HE INCLUDED THIS ANYWHERE AND HE SAID HE HAD NOT NOTICED IT. WE JUST TOOK OFF 700 LBS OVER GROSS WT. WE WERE STILL CLBING, I ASKED CTR FOR A LEVELOFF AT 11000 FT TO INCREASE SPD. WE HAD TO BURN ALL THAT EXTRA FUEL TO GET DOWN BELOW MAX LNDG WT. AFTER COMPUTING THE EXTRA FUEL I HAD TO BURN, I ASKED FOR A DSCNT TO 5000 FT. LUCKILY IT WAS A SMOOTH RIDE AND THE PAX GOT A GREAT VIEW OF EAST TEXAS AND LOUISIANA. WE WERE ABLE TO BURN ALL THE EXTRA FUEL BEFORE LNDG AND MADE A NON EVENTFUL LNDG. CHAIN OF EVENTS: ERROR BY OPS TO FUEL AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT CAPT'S FUEL ORDER. CANCELLATION OF EARLIER FLT (DUE TO AIR RETURN). POSSIBLE OVERCONFIDENCE IN FO'S ABILITY. RAMP PERSONNEL PUTTING FREIGHT IN NONSTANDARD PLACE (MESSY WORK). MY DESIRE TO REDUCE THE PAX DELAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. POSSIBLY A LITTLE RUSHING ON MY PART TO GET ACFT BACK ON SCHEDULE. MY DESIRE TO BELIEVE THE ATR COULD TAKE ALL THAT FUEL. MY FAILURE TO DOUBLECHK THE LOAD MANIFEST PRIOR TO DEP. THE FACT THAT I DOUBLECHKED WT AND BAL INFLT MEANT I HAD DOUBTS. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED EARLIER. TO AVOID THE SIT IN THE FUTURE, WHEN IN DOUBT CHK IT OUT.

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.