Narrative:

Released brakes at XA04L. Normal engine start. Taxied towards runway 15; pulled into 'a' pad off taxiway a just short of approach end runway 15; awaiting final weights. Sent miscellaneous load planning with count; got message 'awaiting final close-out from customer service. Please stand by;' followed by; 'trying to call bur operations for final. All I get is recording; can you get them on radio?' called operations on radio for 15 mins; no answer. Asked tower for customer service phone number. Called via cell phone; no answer. Finally; tower gave us 2 YYY phone numbers. Called first one; no answer. Called second one and eventually got a hold of YYY customer service representative; who put me in touch with our customer service representative who went to load final close-out into computer. Got 'final weights' for takeoff at XA32L; 28 mins after brake release. Finally able to talk to operations on the radio; and they said the weights had been final for 20 mins. The load planning process is truly dysfunctional. If operations or customer service doesn't close out the final baggage or passenger count; then load planning is worthless at resolving the issue; because they can't get a hold of anyone. They only have a list of operations other airlines' phone numbers. They should have operations; the front counter; all of the gates; the break room; and all the other airlines' phone numbers at that airport. This has happened to me in dsm; grr; gso; and now bur to name a few. Either pay someone in these out stations to continuously man the radio; or buy the station a cell phone that pilots; dispatchers; load planning; or any others with an operational need; can get a hold of then without resorting to heroic measures. Get connected with cell phones; pda's; etc. Load planning is like the old 'soviet' economy. It just doesn't work without a way to communicate and get hold of all the stations; including the little ones. The safety report team has received numerous load planning reports from me; and I'm sure from others; yet the load planning system still does not work correctly. I do not believe my reports to the team have had the appropriate effects; and will not file additional reports until I see that company is addressing the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B737 EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH DELAYS ENCOUNTERED IN OBTAINING LOAD CLOSEOUT; AND WITH HIS COMPANY'S LOAD PLANNING SYSTEM; CITING INTER-COMPANY COM PROBS AS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO THE PROBS. RPTR ALSO EXPRESSES DISSATISFACTION THAT NUMEROUS RPTS THAT HE HAS MADE TO THE COMPANY SAFETY SYSTEM HAVE NOT RESULTED IN LOAD PLANNING SYSTEM CORRECTIONS OR IMPROVEMENTS.

Narrative: RELEASED BRAKES AT XA04L. NORMAL ENG START. TAXIED TOWARDS RWY 15; PULLED INTO 'A' PAD OFF TXWY A JUST SHORT OF APCH END RWY 15; AWAITING FINAL WTS. SENT MISC LOAD PLANNING WITH COUNT; GOT MESSAGE 'AWAITING FINAL CLOSE-OUT FROM CUSTOMER SVC. PLEASE STAND BY;' FOLLOWED BY; 'TRYING TO CALL BUR OPS FOR FINAL. ALL I GET IS RECORDING; CAN YOU GET THEM ON RADIO?' CALLED OPS ON RADIO FOR 15 MINS; NO ANSWER. ASKED TWR FOR CUSTOMER SVC PHONE NUMBER. CALLED VIA CELL PHONE; NO ANSWER. FINALLY; TWR GAVE US 2 YYY PHONE NUMBERS. CALLED FIRST ONE; NO ANSWER. CALLED SECOND ONE AND EVENTUALLY GOT A HOLD OF YYY CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE; WHO PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH OUR CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE WHO WENT TO LOAD FINAL CLOSE-OUT INTO COMPUTER. GOT 'FINAL WTS' FOR TKOF AT XA32L; 28 MINS AFTER BRAKE RELEASE. FINALLY ABLE TO TALK TO OPS ON THE RADIO; AND THEY SAID THE WTS HAD BEEN FINAL FOR 20 MINS. THE LOAD PLANNING PROCESS IS TRULY DYSFUNCTIONAL. IF OPS OR CUSTOMER SVC DOESN'T CLOSE OUT THE FINAL BAGGAGE OR PAX COUNT; THEN LOAD PLANNING IS WORTHLESS AT RESOLVING THE ISSUE; BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET A HOLD OF ANYONE. THEY ONLY HAVE A LIST OF OPS OTHER AIRLINES' PHONE NUMBERS. THEY SHOULD HAVE OPS; THE FRONT COUNTER; ALL OF THE GATES; THE BREAK ROOM; AND ALL THE OTHER AIRLINES' PHONE NUMBERS AT THAT ARPT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN DSM; GRR; GSO; AND NOW BUR TO NAME A FEW. EITHER PAY SOMEONE IN THESE OUT STATIONS TO CONTINUOUSLY MAN THE RADIO; OR BUY THE STATION A CELL PHONE THAT PLTS; DISPATCHERS; LOAD PLANNING; OR ANY OTHERS WITH AN OPERATIONAL NEED; CAN GET A HOLD OF THEN WITHOUT RESORTING TO HEROIC MEASURES. GET CONNECTED WITH CELL PHONES; PDA'S; ETC. LOAD PLANNING IS LIKE THE OLD 'SOVIET' ECONOMY. IT JUST DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT A WAY TO COMMUNICATE AND GET HOLD OF ALL THE STATIONS; INCLUDING THE LITTLE ONES. THE SAFETY RPT TEAM HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS LOAD PLANNING RPTS FROM ME; AND I'M SURE FROM OTHERS; YET THE LOAD PLANNING SYSTEM STILL DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. I DO NOT BELIEVE MY RPTS TO THE TEAM HAVE HAD THE APPROPRIATE EFFECTS; AND WILL NOT FILE ADDITIONAL RPTS UNTIL I SEE THAT COMPANY IS ADDRESSING THE PROB.

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.