Narrative:

The flight departed marsh harbour (myam) empty to andros town (myan) to pick up 8 passenger. Upon arrival in myan, the PIC contacted company by telephone to inquire as to the whereabouts of passenger. This telephone conversation revealed that passenger were expecting to meet the flts in fresh creek (myaf), not myan. The crew promptly departed for the 10 min flight to myaf with the intention of boarding quickly and departing myaf before sunset. In an effort to comply with FARS regarding operations from unlit runways, the crew and passenger worked quickly in myaf to board and load baggage on the aircraft as quickly as possible to ensure that the flight would be airborne before sunset. In his haste to quickly prepare a weight and balance form, the PIC inadvertently omitted 1 passenger from the total count. Thus, although the completed weight and balance form indicated that the aircraft was approximately 100 pounds below maximum allowable takeoff weight and was just forward of the aft center of gravity limit, the aircraft was actually slightly heavier than the maximum allowable takeoff gross weight and slightly aft of the center of gravity limit. As a result, at the normal climb speed of 130 KIAS, the rate of climb was approximately 300 FPM less than normal. Upon reflection, the PIC idents the following chain of events: incorrect information provided by reservations to the flight crew resulting in, landing at incorrect airport, time pressure to reposition aircraft to correct airport, rushing to depart before sunset, irate passenger due to the resulting delayed departure, haste preparation of weight and balance form while simultaneously monitoring the loading passenger and baggage onto the aircraft. Corrective actions taken by flight crew: noting that the engines were developing power normally, the PIC recognized that the reduced climb performance was probably a result of improper aircraft loading and adjusted the climb airspeed to ensure an increased margin of safety, while maintaining a positive rate of climb. PIC instructed SID to reassess the passenger weights and loading of the aircraft to confirm that the reduced climb performance was due only to aircraft loading rather than any other irregularity that could affect performance. Suggestions for prevention of recurrence: resist the tendency to rush.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C402 FLT CREW GET RUSHED RESULTING IN A WT AND BAL ERROR THAT LED TO THE FLT CREW TKOF OVERWT.

Narrative: THE FLT DEPARTED MARSH HARBOUR (MYAM) EMPTY TO ANDROS TOWN (MYAN) TO PICK UP 8 PAX. UPON ARR IN MYAN, THE PIC CONTACTED COMPANY BY TELEPHONE TO INQUIRE AS TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF PAX. THIS TELEPHONE CONVERSATION REVEALED THAT PAX WERE EXPECTING TO MEET THE FLTS IN FRESH CREEK (MYAF), NOT MYAN. THE CREW PROMPTLY DEPARTED FOR THE 10 MIN FLT TO MYAF WITH THE INTENTION OF BOARDING QUICKLY AND DEPARTING MYAF BEFORE SUNSET. IN AN EFFORT TO COMPLY WITH FARS REGARDING OPS FROM UNLIT RWYS, THE CREW AND PAX WORKED QUICKLY IN MYAF TO BOARD AND LOAD BAGGAGE ON THE ACFT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE FLT WOULD BE AIRBORNE BEFORE SUNSET. IN HIS HASTE TO QUICKLY PREPARE A WT AND BAL FORM, THE PIC INADVERTENTLY OMITTED 1 PAX FROM THE TOTAL COUNT. THUS, ALTHOUGH THE COMPLETED WT AND BAL FORM INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS APPROX 100 LBS BELOW MAX ALLOWABLE TKOF WT AND WAS JUST FORWARD OF THE AFT CTR OF GRAVITY LIMIT, THE ACFT WAS ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY HEAVIER THAN THE MAX ALLOWABLE TKOF GROSS WT AND SLIGHTLY AFT OF THE CTR OF GRAVITY LIMIT. AS A RESULT, AT THE NORMAL CLB SPD OF 130 KIAS, THE RATE OF CLB WAS APPROX 300 FPM LESS THAN NORMAL. UPON REFLECTION, THE PIC IDENTS THE FOLLOWING CHAIN OF EVENTS: INCORRECT INFO PROVIDED BY RESERVATIONS TO THE FLT CREW RESULTING IN, LNDG AT INCORRECT ARPT, TIME PRESSURE TO REPOSITION ACFT TO CORRECT ARPT, RUSHING TO DEPART BEFORE SUNSET, IRATE PAX DUE TO THE RESULTING DELAYED DEP, HASTE PREPARATION OF WT AND BAL FORM WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MONITORING THE LOADING PAX AND BAGGAGE ONTO THE ACFT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN BY FLT CREW: NOTING THAT THE ENGS WERE DEVELOPING PWR NORMALLY, THE PIC RECOGNIZED THAT THE REDUCED CLB PERFORMANCE WAS PROBABLY A RESULT OF IMPROPER ACFT LOADING AND ADJUSTED THE CLB AIRSPD TO ENSURE AN INCREASED MARGIN OF SAFETY, WHILE MAINTAINING A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB. PIC INSTRUCTED SID TO REASSESS THE PAX WTS AND LOADING OF THE ACFT TO CONFIRM THAT THE REDUCED CLB PERFORMANCE WAS DUE ONLY TO ACFT LOADING RATHER THAN ANY OTHER IRREGULARITY THAT COULD AFFECT PERFORMANCE. SUGGESTIONS FOR PREVENTION OF RECURRENCE: RESIST THE TENDENCY TO RUSH.

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.