Narrative:

After an XA25 sign-in for a short air carrier flight from bna, the gate agent escorted an FAA safety inspector to the cockpit prior to beginning passenger boarding. After verifying his credentials we welcomed him to our cockpit. Later, upon receipt of our final weight and balance paperwork, I asked the agent if the count was correct as is my custom. The agent's response was, 'it is exactly right.' at the top of the weight and balance sheet was the notation 'no passenger or cargo tolerance.' I thought this odd, considering our light load of passenger and fuel (normally, on all but heavy gross weight takeoffs, there is a tolerance allowing pilot addition of last min passenger, cargo, or jump seaters without requiring a new weight and balance calculation). I asked the agent why the 'no tolerance' note, but he said he didn't know. In my curiosity I failed to note the lack of indicating the occupied jump seat. I gave the agent the dispatch release and he left. The flight proceeded without incident. After blocking in at our destination, FAA inspector gave us a few comments. He brought to our attention that 'he had been let off' the final weight and balance paperwork somehow and that the 'no tolerance' note had required us to request new weight and balance paperwork to properly dispatch with a jump seat rider. This was first operation from this airport in over 5 yrs, a dark predawn departure, and I was somewhat flustered by the inspector. When presented with the final weight and balance paperwork I was distraction by the curious 'no tolerance' statement and failed to verify that the agent's 'exactly right' count included the FAA jump seat rider. Both my first officer and myself missed it. The 'no tolerance' statement would have made me more keenly alert for accuracy had I perceived it as correct rather than as a curious error. Supplemental information from acn 537375: when we arrived at the gate the FAA inspector asked us about the weight and balance paperwork. Looking it over it did not list him as an extra crew member jump seat rider. In fact, there was no jump seat rider listed on the paperwork and without a tolerance allowance we did not have legal weight and balance numbers to use. The FAA inspector said that he did check in with the agent so the agent should have had him listed on the paperwork. We should have caught the error before pushback and ordered new weight and balance paperwork.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW, DEPARTING BNA, FAILED TO NOTE AN ERROR IN THE FINAL PAPERWORK IN WHICH OMITTED THEIR 'FAA INSPECTOR,' JUMP SEATER, FROM THE WT AND BAL CALCULATIONS.

Narrative: AFTER AN XA25 SIGN-IN FOR A SHORT ACR FLT FROM BNA, THE GATE AGENT ESCORTED AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR TO THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO BEGINNING PAX BOARDING. AFTER VERIFYING HIS CREDENTIALS WE WELCOMED HIM TO OUR COCKPIT. LATER, UPON RECEIPT OF OUR FINAL WT AND BAL PAPERWORK, I ASKED THE AGENT IF THE COUNT WAS CORRECT AS IS MY CUSTOM. THE AGENT'S RESPONSE WAS, 'IT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.' AT THE TOP OF THE WT AND BAL SHEET WAS THE NOTATION 'NO PAX OR CARGO TOLERANCE.' I THOUGHT THIS ODD, CONSIDERING OUR LIGHT LOAD OF PAX AND FUEL (NORMALLY, ON ALL BUT HVY GROSS WT TKOFS, THERE IS A TOLERANCE ALLOWING PLT ADDITION OF LAST MIN PAX, CARGO, OR JUMP SEATERS WITHOUT REQUIRING A NEW WT AND BAL CALCULATION). I ASKED THE AGENT WHY THE 'NO TOLERANCE' NOTE, BUT HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW. IN MY CURIOSITY I FAILED TO NOTE THE LACK OF INDICATING THE OCCUPIED JUMP SEAT. I GAVE THE AGENT THE DISPATCH RELEASE AND HE LEFT. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER BLOCKING IN AT OUR DEST, FAA INSPECTOR GAVE US A FEW COMMENTS. HE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN THAT 'HE HAD BEEN LET OFF' THE FINAL WT AND BAL PAPERWORK SOMEHOW AND THAT THE 'NO TOLERANCE' NOTE HAD REQUIRED US TO REQUEST NEW WT AND BAL PAPERWORK TO PROPERLY DISPATCH WITH A JUMP SEAT RIDER. THIS WAS FIRST OP FROM THIS ARPT IN OVER 5 YRS, A DARK PREDAWN DEP, AND I WAS SOMEWHAT FLUSTERED BY THE INSPECTOR. WHEN PRESENTED WITH THE FINAL WT AND BAL PAPERWORK I WAS DISTR BY THE CURIOUS 'NO TOLERANCE' STATEMENT AND FAILED TO VERIFY THAT THE AGENT'S 'EXACTLY RIGHT' COUNT INCLUDED THE FAA JUMP SEAT RIDER. BOTH MY FO AND MYSELF MISSED IT. THE 'NO TOLERANCE' STATEMENT WOULD HAVE MADE ME MORE KEENLY ALERT FOR ACCURACY HAD I PERCEIVED IT AS CORRECT RATHER THAN AS A CURIOUS ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537375: WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE THE FAA INSPECTOR ASKED US ABOUT THE WT AND BAL PAPERWORK. LOOKING IT OVER IT DID NOT LIST HIM AS AN EXTRA CREW MEMBER JUMP SEAT RIDER. IN FACT, THERE WAS NO JUMP SEAT RIDER LISTED ON THE PAPERWORK AND WITHOUT A TOLERANCE ALLOWANCE WE DID NOT HAVE LEGAL WT AND BAL NUMBERS TO USE. THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID THAT HE DID CHK IN WITH THE AGENT SO THE AGENT SHOULD HAVE HAD HIM LISTED ON THE PAPERWORK. WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR BEFORE PUSHBACK AND ORDERED NEW WT AND BAL PAPERWORK.

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.