Narrative:

Our trip schedule had shown 7 passenger on the list and the aircraft was configured to hold 7 passenger. This citation 2 has a seat in the lavatory, however, I discovered at around XA00 that the lavatory seat did not have a belt. The problem was that when our passenger got on the airplane at XQ00 they had an extra person that they did not mention to me or the first officer. We board our passenger in a hangar and then we get pulled out to start. Before they got on, they had a meeting in the office and then came out to the aircraft. Usually the captain gets in first to start the checklist while the first officer boards and briefs the passenger. However, the first officer said he did not notice the 8TH passenger as they boarded. The 8TH passenger sat in the lavatory and must have been leaning back on the sideway facing seat because when the first officer briefed the passenger he did not notice someone sitting in the lavatory. This may be due to the airplane being inside and without the lights on (as is common during the day) the lavatory is very dark. During the briefing, the seatbelts were clearly mentioned and the first officer asked if anyone had any questions. The extra passenger did not mention anything. After the brief, the first officer took his seat and we proceeded with the flight. Upon reaching our destination, the first officer exited first to deplane the passenger. As I turned around to exit, I noticed someone coming out of the lavatory. At the time, I didn't think much about it because it is common to have the lavatory seat occupied on other citation 2's equipped with a seatbelt. However, (I have gone out to check the ice in the cooler) as I discovered at XA00 our current C550 did not have the seatbelt -- only a cargo belt on the aft wall. This is when I called our dispatcher to inform them that there were 8 passenger and I would not be able to make the return flight to our base with all of the passenger. Dispatch sent out an additional aircraft to carry the passenger home. No one was injured and nothing else was said of the situation except a discussion with our chief pilot. I don't know if the passenger tried to do this on purpose, but they are regular passenger. Dispatch did tell me that the lead passenger had inquired about having 8 people but was told the aircraft would only hold 7. The passenger informed us that they were running late. I will be conducting a head count and name check for every flight. I will have the cabin lights on high during boarding, and for the brief.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX COUNT NOT MADE ON A CE550 RESULTING IN AN OVERAGE BY 1 WITH NO SEATBELT WHEN SEATED IN THE LAVATORY FOR DEP FROM MDT, PA.

Narrative: OUR TRIP SCHEDULE HAD SHOWN 7 PAX ON THE LIST AND THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED TO HOLD 7 PAX. THIS CITATION 2 HAS A SEAT IN THE LAVATORY, HOWEVER, I DISCOVERED AT AROUND XA00 THAT THE LAVATORY SEAT DID NOT HAVE A BELT. THE PROB WAS THAT WHEN OUR PAX GOT ON THE AIRPLANE AT XQ00 THEY HAD AN EXTRA PERSON THAT THEY DID NOT MENTION TO ME OR THE FO. WE BOARD OUR PAX IN A HANGAR AND THEN WE GET PULLED OUT TO START. BEFORE THEY GOT ON, THEY HAD A MEETING IN THE OFFICE AND THEN CAME OUT TO THE ACFT. USUALLY THE CAPT GETS IN FIRST TO START THE CHKLIST WHILE THE FO BOARDS AND BRIEFS THE PAX. HOWEVER, THE FO SAID HE DID NOT NOTICE THE 8TH PAX AS THEY BOARDED. THE 8TH PAX SAT IN THE LAVATORY AND MUST HAVE BEEN LEANING BACK ON THE SIDEWAY FACING SEAT BECAUSE WHEN THE FO BRIEFED THE PAX HE DID NOT NOTICE SOMEONE SITTING IN THE LAVATORY. THIS MAY BE DUE TO THE AIRPLANE BEING INSIDE AND WITHOUT THE LIGHTS ON (AS IS COMMON DURING THE DAY) THE LAVATORY IS VERY DARK. DURING THE BRIEFING, THE SEATBELTS WERE CLRLY MENTIONED AND THE FO ASKED IF ANYONE HAD ANY QUESTIONS. THE EXTRA PAX DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING. AFTER THE BRIEF, THE FO TOOK HIS SEAT AND WE PROCEEDED WITH THE FLT. UPON REACHING OUR DEST, THE FO EXITED FIRST TO DEPLANE THE PAX. AS I TURNED AROUND TO EXIT, I NOTICED SOMEONE COMING OUT OF THE LAVATORY. AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT IS COMMON TO HAVE THE LAVATORY SEAT OCCUPIED ON OTHER CITATION 2'S EQUIPPED WITH A SEATBELT. HOWEVER, (I HAVE GONE OUT TO CHK THE ICE IN THE COOLER) AS I DISCOVERED AT XA00 OUR CURRENT C550 DID NOT HAVE THE SEATBELT -- ONLY A CARGO BELT ON THE AFT WALL. THIS IS WHEN I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER TO INFORM THEM THAT THERE WERE 8 PAX AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RETURN FLT TO OUR BASE WITH ALL OF THE PAX. DISPATCH SENT OUT AN ADDITIONAL ACFT TO CARRY THE PAX HOME. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID OF THE SIT EXCEPT A DISCUSSION WITH OUR CHIEF PLT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PAX TRIED TO DO THIS ON PURPOSE, BUT THEY ARE REGULAR PAX. DISPATCH DID TELL ME THAT THE LEAD PAX HAD INQUIRED ABOUT HAVING 8 PEOPLE BUT WAS TOLD THE ACFT WOULD ONLY HOLD 7. THE PAX INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE RUNNING LATE. I WILL BE CONDUCTING A HEAD COUNT AND NAME CHK FOR EVERY FLT. I WILL HAVE THE CABIN LIGHTS ON HIGH DURING BOARDING, AND FOR THE BRIEF.

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.