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A320 flight crew departs diversion station without receiving final weights from load planners. Later called to task for doing so.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 662092 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200506 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : abq.airport |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 662092 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 185 |
| ASRS Report | 662093 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : 4 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
This report is in response to flight operations duty manager call that we departed abq without final weights. After diverting into abq for fuel; we sent an ACARS report saying 'send weights' on ACARS. We received a message back saying something like 'we don't do your weights.' both the first officer and I got the impression that load planning was saying we were on our own. We sent another ACARS message saying 'can you send center of gravity?' we received a message that gave us a center of gravity setting that was near 28%; as best as I can recall. So we had a zero fuel weight from the flight plan that was accurate because nothing had changed on the plane; same plane; cargo; passenger. Everything remained the same but fuel. We entered the center of gravity given; zero fuel weight and ACARS performance and departed with no incident. After takeoff; we received (to our surprise) final weight manifest over the ACARS. Summation: the initial ACARS message from load planning led us to believe that they were not going to be able to give us final weights. We did obtain an accurate center of gravity setting which sets the trim on the A320 and had an accurate zero fuel weight; passenger count; and performance prior to takeoff.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLT CREW DEPARTS DIVERSION STATION WITHOUT RECEIVING FINAL WTS FROM LOAD PLANNERS. LATER CALLED TO TASK FOR DOING SO.
Narrative: THIS RPT IS IN RESPONSE TO FLT OPS DUTY MGR CALL THAT WE DEPARTED ABQ WITHOUT FINAL WTS. AFTER DIVERTING INTO ABQ FOR FUEL; WE SENT AN ACARS RPT SAYING 'SEND WTS' ON ACARS. WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE BACK SAYING SOMETHING LIKE 'WE DON'T DO YOUR WTS.' BOTH THE FO AND I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT LOAD PLANNING WAS SAYING WE WERE ON OUR OWN. WE SENT ANOTHER ACARS MESSAGE SAYING 'CAN YOU SEND CTR OF GRAVITY?' WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT GAVE US A CTR OF GRAVITY SETTING THAT WAS NEAR 28%; AS BEST AS I CAN RECALL. SO WE HAD A ZERO FUEL WT FROM THE FLT PLAN THAT WAS ACCURATE BECAUSE NOTHING HAD CHANGED ON THE PLANE; SAME PLANE; CARGO; PAX. EVERYTHING REMAINED THE SAME BUT FUEL. WE ENTERED THE CTR OF GRAVITY GIVEN; ZERO FUEL WT AND ACARS PERFORMANCE AND DEPARTED WITH NO INCIDENT. AFTER TKOF; WE RECEIVED (TO OUR SURPRISE) FINAL WT MANIFEST OVER THE ACARS. SUMMATION: THE INITIAL ACARS MESSAGE FROM LOAD PLANNING LED US TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US FINAL WTS. WE DID OBTAIN AN ACCURATE CTR OF GRAVITY SETTING WHICH SETS THE TRIM ON THE A320 AND HAD AN ACCURATE ZERO FUEL WT; PAX COUNT; AND PERFORMANCE PRIOR TO TKOF.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.