B737-700 flight crew is unaware of 2100 pound load discrepancy until notified after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	628783
Time
Date	200408
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 10550
ASRS Report	628783
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 98 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 98
ASRS Report	628787
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Notified en route of 2100 pound discrepancy in weight of aircraft. Cargo loaded just prior to push and load sheet was not changed, nor were we aware of additional cargo (weight). Takeoff was accomplished using weight that was 2000 pounds less than actual weight. Aircraft was 2000 pounds over ATOG, although ATOG was landing limited. If not landing limited, then ATOG would have been much higher. Dispatch notified us about 1 hour en route, after being notified by operations. Child weights (6 children) were used to comply with ATOG for original load sheet. There were 19 children onboard, which weights were used to change the zero fuel weight and allow the aircraft to arrive in stl at a weight of 127.9 (below maximum landing weight of 128.0). We had no idea that cargo was loaded to aircraft, nor did we know about the additional weight. Besides causing us to be over ATOG, this could have created an extreme condition had the ATOG been takeoff limited rather than landing. Ramp personnel and supervisors, including operations, need to review procedures and loading policies.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW IS UNAWARE OF 2100 LB LOAD DISCREPANCY UNTIL NOTIFIED AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: NOTIFIED ENRTE OF 2100 LB DISCREPANCY IN WT OF ACFT. CARGO LOADED JUST PRIOR TO PUSH AND LOAD SHEET WAS NOT CHANGED, NOR WERE WE AWARE OF ADDITIONAL CARGO (WT). TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED USING WT THAT WAS 2000 LBS LESS THAN ACTUAL WT. ACFT WAS 2000 LBS OVER ATOG, ALTHOUGH ATOG WAS LNDG LIMITED. IF NOT LNDG LIMITED, THEN ATOG WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH HIGHER. DISPATCH NOTIFIED US ABOUT 1 HR ENRTE, AFTER BEING NOTIFIED BY OPS. CHILD WTS (6 CHILDREN) WERE USED TO COMPLY WITH ATOG FOR ORIGINAL LOAD SHEET. THERE WERE 19 CHILDREN ONBOARD, WHICH WTS WERE USED TO CHANGE THE ZERO FUEL WT AND ALLOW THE ACFT TO ARRIVE IN STL AT A WT OF 127.9 (BELOW MAX LNDG WT OF 128.0). WE HAD NO IDEA THAT CARGO WAS LOADED TO ACFT, NOR DID WE KNOW ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL WT. BESIDES CAUSING US TO BE OVER ATOG, THIS COULD HAVE CREATED AN EXTREME CONDITION HAD THE ATOG BEEN TKOF LIMITED RATHER THAN LNDG. RAMP PERSONNEL AND SUPVRS, INCLUDING OPS, NEED TO REVIEW PROCS AND LOADING POLICIES.

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.