Narrative:

This problem is just one more example of our chronic weight and balance 'challenge.' during this shift; I was doing a routine 'plot check' for time and found a flight that was missing its out time; despite the fact that it was clearly depicted aloft on my aircraft situation display. When I called the station; they tried to tell me the reason they hadn't put in any times was because the flight hadn't pushed back yet. It couldn't; they asserted; because it hadn't received its final weight and balance figures. When I assured them that the airplane was not only out; but off; and en route I could hear the sounds of a lot of scrambling and shouting in the background. I did have a quick conference with one of our load planners; and we were able to verify that the correct numbers had been transmitted via radio; but somehow in this process the ramp and gate personnel had been bypassed. During this same shift; another load planner informed me that her flight was nose-heavy and that she was working on new numbers -- we managed to keep that plane on the ground until the numbers were corrected and verified. Also during this shift; an aircrew was advised to do their weight and balance themselves; manually -- apparently there was an electrical or computer network problem with transmitting numbers back and forth between the system operations control and the computer at the gate -- and the crew claimed they had no form on board. We faxed them a form and they claimed it was the 'old' outdated form. Finally; we got them the 'current' form although I was later told our code share partner's forms are completely interchangeable with our own -- and that the crew could have gotten them from the gate agent if they had only asked. In yet another case on this shift; the computer assigned B+ model structural limits to an 'a' model aircraft. I believe we're seeing more weight and balance issues with our turboprops not because we're committing more violations -- or we're having more close calls; I believe we're simply becoming more aware; more proactive; and responding more quickly and more effectively because we have systematized this process and made it more collaborative. It has more checks and balances built into it. It's just that sometimes; even with those; a flight will slip through the cracks; even as the cracks get smaller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER RPTS THAT ALTHOUGH THEIR LOAD PLANNING SYSTEM IS IMPROVING; ERRORS STILL OCCUR.

Narrative: THIS PROB IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF OUR CHRONIC WT AND BALANCE 'CHALLENGE.' DURING THIS SHIFT; I WAS DOING A ROUTINE 'PLOT CHK' FOR TIME AND FOUND A FLT THAT WAS MISSING ITS OUT TIME; DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT WAS CLEARLY DEPICTED ALOFT ON MY ACFT SIT DISPLAY. WHEN I CALLED THE STATION; THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THE REASON THEY HADN'T PUT IN ANY TIMES WAS BECAUSE THE FLT HADN'T PUSHED BACK YET. IT COULDN'T; THEY ASSERTED; BECAUSE IT HADN'T RECEIVED ITS FINAL WT AND BALANCE FIGURES. WHEN I ASSURED THEM THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT ONLY OUT; BUT OFF; AND ENRTE I COULD HEAR THE SOUNDS OF A LOT OF SCRAMBLING AND SHOUTING IN THE BACKGROUND. I DID HAVE A QUICK CONFERENCE WITH ONE OF OUR LOAD PLANNERS; AND WE WERE ABLE TO VERIFY THAT THE CORRECT NUMBERS HAD BEEN TRANSMITTED VIA RADIO; BUT SOMEHOW IN THIS PROCESS THE RAMP AND GATE PERSONNEL HAD BEEN BYPASSED. DURING THIS SAME SHIFT; ANOTHER LOAD PLANNER INFORMED ME THAT HER FLT WAS NOSE-HEAVY AND THAT SHE WAS WORKING ON NEW NUMBERS -- WE MANAGED TO KEEP THAT PLANE ON THE GND UNTIL THE NUMBERS WERE CORRECTED AND VERIFIED. ALSO DURING THIS SHIFT; AN AIRCREW WAS ADVISED TO DO THEIR WT AND BALANCE THEMSELVES; MANUALLY -- APPARENTLY THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER NETWORK PROB WITH TRANSMITTING NUMBERS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE SYS OPS CTL AND THE COMPUTER AT THE GATE -- AND THE CREW CLAIMED THEY HAD NO FORM ON BOARD. WE FAXED THEM A FORM AND THEY CLAIMED IT WAS THE 'OLD' OUTDATED FORM. FINALLY; WE GOT THEM THE 'CURRENT' FORM ALTHOUGH I WAS LATER TOLD OUR CODE SHARE PARTNER'S FORMS ARE COMPLETELY INTERCHANGEABLE WITH OUR OWN -- AND THAT THE CREW COULD HAVE GOTTEN THEM FROM THE GATE AGENT IF THEY HAD ONLY ASKED. IN YET ANOTHER CASE ON THIS SHIFT; THE COMPUTER ASSIGNED B+ MODEL STRUCTURAL LIMITS TO AN 'A' MODEL ACFT. I BELIEVE WE'RE SEEING MORE WT AND BAL ISSUES WITH OUR TURBOPROPS NOT BECAUSE WE'RE COMMITTING MORE VIOLATIONS -- OR WE'RE HAVING MORE CLOSE CALLS; I BELIEVE WE'RE SIMPLY BECOMING MORE AWARE; MORE PROACTIVE; AND RESPONDING MORE QUICKLY AND MORE EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE WE HAVE SYSTEMATIZED THIS PROCESS AND MADE IT MORE COLLABORATIVE. IT HAS MORE CHECKS AND BALANCES BUILT INTO IT. IT'S JUST THAT SOMETIMES; EVEN WITH THOSE; A FLT WILL SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS; EVEN AS THE CRACKS GET SMALLER.

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.