Narrative:

Discrepancy with weight and balance information received from station operations and load planning led to taking off with aircraft center of gravity out of balance. On taxi out; ZZZ operations stated that final weights were en route to the ACARS printer. Then operations informed us that load planning had an issue with the location of a pallet on the aircraft. Operations then told us that their calculations were correct and legal; but was trying to resolve the issue with load planning. Load planning sent us a message to ACARS saying that a return to the gate was necessary to move a pallet to correct the center of gravity problem. We return to gate area and were waiting for a gate assignment. At this point station operations indicated to us that the center of gravity issue is resolved and the flight is legal and ok for takeoff as is and that no pallet movement is required. We received final weights and updated release from dispatch with the new clear fuel; then we received ACARS message from load planning that cargo must be moved. Due to conflicting information; we requested phone patch to dispatch via station operations acting as relay. After confirming multiple times with station operations; they told us that dispatch and load planning stated we were cleared to go as is. 4 mins after takeoff; ACARS message from dispatch indicates the miscom between station operations; load planning; dispatch. After several more communications with dispatch; the final resolution was to move 6 passenger to aft cabin for center of gravity considerations. The flight continued normally to ZZZ to uneventful landing. Supplemental information from acn 678768: I then conferenced load planning; operations; and myself together and came to the conclusion that the pallet was not removed and aircraft was out of center of gravity limits being nose heavy. I then immediately sent message to flight X that the pallets were not removed and they needed to come back to the gate. A few mins later; I received a call from flight XXX stating that they were airborne and that they obtained their final weights over ACARS and ZZZ1 operations said they were good to go. I told them someone would call them once I found out what had happened and what we may be able to do. Actually the pallet was not removed and they were nose heavy. The crew said their takeoff was normal and at altitude was normal. I told the crew load planning was able to make them legal but they would have to move all passenger from first class and business back aft of row 30. I told the crew to give me a couple of mins to confirm with weight and balance controller that is what we wants to do or come back to ZZZ1 and that I would send the message via ACARS. They re-ran the numbers and we had 6 passenger that could be moved aft of row 25 and we would be legal within center of gravity limits. I advise the crew via ACARS to have the 6 passenger; 1 in first and 5 in business class with their names and seat locations to move aft of row 25. Within a few mins; the crew sent message via ACARS to me that the passenger were moved. Flight continued to ZZZ2 without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 TOOK OFF OUT OF BAL LIMITS WHEN A CARGO PALLET WAS NOT REMOVED. PAX REPOSITIONED INFLT BRINGING ACFT WITHIN BAL LIMITS.

Narrative: DISCREPANCY WITH WT AND BAL INFO RECEIVED FROM STATION OPS AND LOAD PLANNING LED TO TAKING OFF WITH ACFT CTR OF GRAVITY OUT OF BAL. ON TAXI OUT; ZZZ OPS STATED THAT FINAL WTS WERE ENRTE TO THE ACARS PRINTER. THEN OPS INFORMED US THAT LOAD PLANNING HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE LOCATION OF A PALLET ON THE ACFT. OPS THEN TOLD US THAT THEIR CALCULATIONS WERE CORRECT AND LEGAL; BUT WAS TRYING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITH LOAD PLANNING. LOAD PLANNING SENT US A MESSAGE TO ACARS SAYING THAT A RETURN TO THE GATE WAS NECESSARY TO MOVE A PALLET TO CORRECT THE CTR OF GRAVITY PROB. WE RETURN TO GATE AREA AND WERE WAITING FOR A GATE ASSIGNMENT. AT THIS POINT STATION OPS INDICATED TO US THAT THE CTR OF GRAVITY ISSUE IS RESOLVED AND THE FLT IS LEGAL AND OK FOR TKOF AS IS AND THAT NO PALLET MOVEMENT IS REQUIRED. WE RECEIVED FINAL WTS AND UPDATED RELEASE FROM DISPATCH WITH THE NEW CLEAR FUEL; THEN WE RECEIVED ACARS MESSAGE FROM LOAD PLANNING THAT CARGO MUST BE MOVED. DUE TO CONFLICTING INFO; WE REQUESTED PHONE PATCH TO DISPATCH VIA STATION OPS ACTING AS RELAY. AFTER CONFIRMING MULTIPLE TIMES WITH STATION OPS; THEY TOLD US THAT DISPATCH AND LOAD PLANNING STATED WE WERE CLRED TO GO AS IS. 4 MINS AFTER TKOF; ACARS MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH INDICATES THE MISCOM BTWN STATION OPS; LOAD PLANNING; DISPATCH. AFTER SEVERAL MORE COMS WITH DISPATCH; THE FINAL RESOLUTION WAS TO MOVE 6 PAX TO AFT CABIN FOR CTR OF GRAVITY CONSIDERATIONS. THE FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY TO ZZZ TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 678768: I THEN CONFERENCED LOAD PLANNING; OPS; AND MYSELF TOGETHER AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE PALLET WAS NOT REMOVED AND ACFT WAS OUT OF CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS BEING NOSE HVY. I THEN IMMEDIATELY SENT MESSAGE TO FLT X THAT THE PALLETS WERE NOT REMOVED AND THEY NEEDED TO COME BACK TO THE GATE. A FEW MINS LATER; I RECEIVED A CALL FROM FLT XXX STATING THAT THEY WERE AIRBORNE AND THAT THEY OBTAINED THEIR FINAL WTS OVER ACARS AND ZZZ1 OPS SAID THEY WERE GOOD TO GO. I TOLD THEM SOMEONE WOULD CALL THEM ONCE I FOUND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WHAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO. ACTUALLY THE PALLET WAS NOT REMOVED AND THEY WERE NOSE HVY. THE CREW SAID THEIR TKOF WAS NORMAL AND AT ALT WAS NORMAL. I TOLD THE CREW LOAD PLANNING WAS ABLE TO MAKE THEM LEGAL BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO MOVE ALL PAX FROM FIRST CLASS AND BUSINESS BACK AFT OF ROW 30. I TOLD THE CREW TO GIVE ME A COUPLE OF MINS TO CONFIRM WITH WT AND BAL CTLR THAT IS WHAT WE WANTS TO DO OR COME BACK TO ZZZ1 AND THAT I WOULD SEND THE MESSAGE VIA ACARS. THEY RE-RAN THE NUMBERS AND WE HAD 6 PAX THAT COULD BE MOVED AFT OF ROW 25 AND WE WOULD BE LEGAL WITHIN CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS. I ADVISE THE CREW VIA ACARS TO HAVE THE 6 PAX; 1 IN FIRST AND 5 IN BUSINESS CLASS WITH THEIR NAMES AND SEAT LOCATIONS TO MOVE AFT OF ROW 25. WITHIN A FEW MINS; THE CREW SENT MESSAGE VIA ACARS TO ME THAT THE PAX WERE MOVED. FLT CONTINUED TO ZZZ2 WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.