Narrative:

At pushback, I noticed that the takeoff weight appeared to be very light for a B737-700. I checked the weight of the passenger on the back of the load manifest sheet and it was good, and I checked the math between the zero fuel weight and the TOGW and that was good. I failed to add up the passenger, bags, and empty weight to double check the zero fuel weight value. The first officer entered the numbers into the opc and the FMC. On takeoff, the aircraft felt heavy at the computed speeds, so I rotated and allowed the aircraft to fly off at the speed it needed. This appeared to be about 10 KTS faster than computed. Above 10000 ft, the first officer double checked the load manifest and found that there was a 10000 pound error on the zero fuel weight. I entered the correct zero fuel weight into the FMC. The first officer radioed back to mci to check their paperwork. The coordinator stated that the operations agent had already found and corrected her mistake. The first officer asked why we were not informed and the agent stated that 'it's sometimes difficult to contact aircraft on the ground, so they didn't try.' both of us were monitoring operations frequency on the taxi out and would have heard a message from operations. We entered the correct information into the opc and found that the power setting was still correct and the runway was more than sufficient, but the vr speed should have been 7 KTS faster. Operations needs to be briefed on how important it is to correct a 10000 pound error and that they can contact a flight through the tower if necessary.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW FOUND THE STATION LOAD PLANER MADE A MISTAKE IN THE ZERO FUEL WT OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS 10000 LBS HEAVIER THAN SHOWN. THEY MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE CREW WITH THE ERROR.

Narrative: AT PUSHBACK, I NOTICED THAT THE TKOF WT APPEARED TO BE VERY LIGHT FOR A B737-700. I CHKED THE WT OF THE PAX ON THE BACK OF THE LOAD MANIFEST SHEET AND IT WAS GOOD, AND I CHKED THE MATH BTWN THE ZERO FUEL WT AND THE TOGW AND THAT WAS GOOD. I FAILED TO ADD UP THE PAX, BAGS, AND EMPTY WT TO DOUBLE CHK THE ZERO FUEL WT VALUE. THE FO ENTERED THE NUMBERS INTO THE OPC AND THE FMC. ON TKOF, THE ACFT FELT HVY AT THE COMPUTED SPDS, SO I ROTATED AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO FLY OFF AT THE SPD IT NEEDED. THIS APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 10 KTS FASTER THAN COMPUTED. ABOVE 10000 FT, THE FO DOUBLE CHKED THE LOAD MANIFEST AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A 10000 LB ERROR ON THE ZERO FUEL WT. I ENTERED THE CORRECT ZERO FUEL WT INTO THE FMC. THE FO RADIOED BACK TO MCI TO CHK THEIR PAPERWORK. THE COORDINATOR STATED THAT THE OPS AGENT HAD ALREADY FOUND AND CORRECTED HER MISTAKE. THE FO ASKED WHY WE WERE NOT INFORMED AND THE AGENT STATED THAT 'IT'S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO CONTACT ACFT ON THE GND, SO THEY DIDN'T TRY.' BOTH OF US WERE MONITORING OPS FREQ ON THE TAXI OUT AND WOULD HAVE HEARD A MESSAGE FROM OPS. WE ENTERED THE CORRECT INFO INTO THE OPC AND FOUND THAT THE PWR SETTING WAS STILL CORRECT AND THE RWY WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT, BUT THE VR SPD SHOULD HAVE BEEN 7 KTS FASTER. OPS NEEDS TO BE BRIEFED ON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO CORRECT A 10000 LB ERROR AND THAT THEY CAN CONTACT A FLT THROUGH THE TWR IF NECESSARY.

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.