Narrative:

After flight was complete, flight engineer discovered an error in our weight and balance paperwork. Our #2 fuel tank was listed as having 1000 pounds of fuel, the actual weight at pushback was 10000 pounds. The ramp agent had passed the weight and balance to the flight engineer who reviewed it and then passed me (the first officer) the zero fuel weight and passed the weight and balance paperwork to the captain for review and signature. From the takeoff gross weight on the weight and balance, the flight engineer generated a takeoff data card for the captain and I. None of us caught the error. We took off and landed without incident. I did think that the takeoff gross weight on the data card looked low, so I crosschecked the TOGW against the ZFW and it did 'seem' reasonable against our normal fuel load (we had 8000 pounds extra fuel that day for WX). Bottom line, we the flight crew expected to see 10000 pounds and missed the missing '0' in '1000.' the numbers looked 'normal' for most days that we have flown this flight from mem and the ground crew was rushing us to get out on time after several days of their being very late to block us out. Feeling rushed and seeing the 'expected' numbers (TOGW) instead of verifying against the actual, contributed to this event. In the end, the weight error translated into only a 3 KT difference in vr speed. Supplemental information from acn 538608: I did check the numbers, however my eyes saw what they wanted to see. A strong storm was approaching the field from the west and our flight was going east. I put pressure on myself to hurry and run the numbers to beat the WX. Inaccurate weight and balance was discovered by me upon closeout of our flight with the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT GROSS WT AND FUEL ON BOARD ERROR RESULTS IN A TKOF WT HEAVIER THAN PLANNED BY A B727 CARGO CREW AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: AFTER FLT WAS COMPLETE, FE DISCOVERED AN ERROR IN OUR WT AND BAL PAPERWORK. OUR #2 FUEL TANK WAS LISTED AS HAVING 1000 LBS OF FUEL, THE ACTUAL WT AT PUSHBACK WAS 10000 LBS. THE RAMP AGENT HAD PASSED THE WT AND BAL TO THE FE WHO REVIEWED IT AND THEN PASSED ME (THE FO) THE ZERO FUEL WT AND PASSED THE WT AND BAL PAPERWORK TO THE CAPT FOR REVIEW AND SIGNATURE. FROM THE TKOF GROSS WT ON THE WT AND BAL, THE FE GENERATED A TKOF DATA CARD FOR THE CAPT AND I. NONE OF US CAUGHT THE ERROR. WE TOOK OFF AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DID THINK THAT THE TKOF GROSS WT ON THE DATA CARD LOOKED LOW, SO I XCHKED THE TOGW AGAINST THE ZFW AND IT DID 'SEEM' REASONABLE AGAINST OUR NORMAL FUEL LOAD (WE HAD 8000 LBS EXTRA FUEL THAT DAY FOR WX). BOTTOM LINE, WE THE FLC EXPECTED TO SEE 10000 LBS AND MISSED THE MISSING '0' IN '1000.' THE NUMBERS LOOKED 'NORMAL' FOR MOST DAYS THAT WE HAVE FLOWN THIS FLT FROM MEM AND THE GND CREW WAS RUSHING US TO GET OUT ON TIME AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF THEIR BEING VERY LATE TO BLOCK US OUT. FEELING RUSHED AND SEEING THE 'EXPECTED' NUMBERS (TOGW) INSTEAD OF VERIFYING AGAINST THE ACTUAL, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT. IN THE END, THE WT ERROR TRANSLATED INTO ONLY A 3 KT DIFFERENCE IN VR SPD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 538608: I DID CHK THE NUMBERS, HOWEVER MY EYES SAW WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE. A STRONG STORM WAS APCHING THE FIELD FROM THE W AND OUR FLT WAS GOING E. I PUT PRESSURE ON MYSELF TO HURRY AND RUN THE NUMBERS TO BEAT THE WX. INACCURATE WT AND BAL WAS DISCOVERED BY ME UPON CLOSEOUT OF OUR FLT WITH THE COMPANY.

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.