Pilot of B407 takes off from oil rig over maximum gross weight.

Attributes
ACN	591937
Time
Date	200308
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Bell Helicopter Textron Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	591937
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was flying a crew change for a drilling rig in the gulf of mexico. The mission was to talk 5 personnel out and bring 5 in. After landing on the rig, rig personnel came up and assisted deplane passenger, then they hot refueled the aircraft. During the refuel, the rig clerk brought up the manifest for the inbound flight, showing 5 inbounds. After the refuel, the rig personnel escorted the inbounds to aircraft. I did not count the inbounds as they came onto the heliport. The rig personnel loaded the passenger, secured the doors and passed in front and gave me a 'thumbs up.' before takeoff, I did not physically turn around and get a head count in the passenger area. After takeoff, and turning on course, I turned my head far enough to realize all the seats were full. There should have been 1 empty seat. After determining who the extra passenger was, it was computed that I was 100 pounds over gross. I was over confident in the rig's ability to manage their crew change and did not pay attention to the loading. I did not doublechk the rear before takeoff. Next time, shut down and supervise the loading instead of doing a 'hot' load, especially single pilot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF B407 TAKES OFF FROM OIL RIG OVER MAX GROSS WT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A CREW CHANGE FOR A DRILLING RIG IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE MISSION WAS TO TALK 5 PERSONNEL OUT AND BRING 5 IN. AFTER LNDG ON THE RIG, RIG PERSONNEL CAME UP AND ASSISTED DEPLANE PAX, THEN THEY HOT REFUELED THE ACFT. DURING THE REFUEL, THE RIG CLERK BROUGHT UP THE MANIFEST FOR THE INBOUND FLT, SHOWING 5 INBOUNDS. AFTER THE REFUEL, THE RIG PERSONNEL ESCORTED THE INBOUNDS TO ACFT. I DID NOT COUNT THE INBOUNDS AS THEY CAME ONTO THE HELIPORT. THE RIG PERSONNEL LOADED THE PAX, SECURED THE DOORS AND PASSED IN FRONT AND GAVE ME A 'THUMBS UP.' BEFORE TKOF, I DID NOT PHYSICALLY TURN AROUND AND GET A HEAD COUNT IN THE PAX AREA. AFTER TKOF, AND TURNING ON COURSE, I TURNED MY HEAD FAR ENOUGH TO REALIZE ALL THE SEATS WERE FULL. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 1 EMPTY SEAT. AFTER DETERMINING WHO THE EXTRA PAX WAS, IT WAS COMPUTED THAT I WAS 100 LBS OVER GROSS. I WAS OVER CONFIDENT IN THE RIG'S ABILITY TO MANAGE THEIR CREW CHANGE AND DID NOT PAY ATTN TO THE LOADING. I DID NOT DOUBLECHK THE REAR BEFORE TKOF. NEXT TIME, SHUT DOWN AND SUPERVISE THE LOADING INSTEAD OF DOING A 'HOT' LOAD, ESPECIALLY SINGLE PLT.

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.