Narrative:

133 bags; 136 passenger. Paper weight of aircraft at 8000 ft; 142500 pounds. Alpha speed indication of 251 KTS equals 150000 pounds -- a 7000 pound difference. Landing calculation of 126400 pounds on paper. Real time alpha speed showed 132000 pounds at clean min/man. Alpha floor showed a weight of 131000 pounds with a reference of 132 KTS for 40 degrees flaps versus 125000 pound landing paper weight. 6000 pounds! Average overage; that's the weight of an automobile! Looked at another way it's 44 pounds per person. On a later flight; 61 bags; 95 passenger. Same plane we had all day. This leg we had speeds that were right on the money. Averages do work; some of the time. This should preclude the wry; 'there must have been something wrong with the angle of attack system' that I got from one pilot when recounting my story. Crew chiefs must have some kind of incentive to load the compartments as accurately as possible. Heavy weight bags on 1 flight must maintain that status through to destination. New averages must be calculated on random flts to validate the spirit of safe weight and balance practices. Sky caps and agents at the front counters must have incentive to charge for heavy bags; give them a buck a bag for every one they tag over 50 pounds. Re-code the bags' tags to allow the weight of the bag to read via the bar code. That way a bag of any weight maintains its designation. International bags must keep their status on domestic legs. The idea that a 'load audit' will correct these problems only counts bags; it doesn't weigh them; or the passenger and their carry-on's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW USES ANGLE OF ATTACK CALCULATIONS TO DETERMINE ACFT IS OVERWT DURING FLT. ANGLE OF ATTACK INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS OVERWT BY AN AVERAGE OF 6000 LBS.

Narrative: 133 BAGS; 136 PAX. PAPER WT OF ACFT AT 8000 FT; 142500 LBS. ALPHA SPD INDICATION OF 251 KTS EQUALS 150000 LBS -- A 7000 LB DIFFERENCE. LNDG CALCULATION OF 126400 LBS ON PAPER. REAL TIME ALPHA SPD SHOWED 132000 LBS AT CLEAN MIN/MAN. ALPHA FLOOR SHOWED A WT OF 131000 LBS WITH A REF OF 132 KTS FOR 40 DEGS FLAPS VERSUS 125000 LB LNDG PAPER WT. 6000 LBS! AVERAGE OVERAGE; THAT'S THE WT OF AN AUTOMOBILE! LOOKED AT ANOTHER WAY IT'S 44 LBS PER PERSON. ON A LATER FLT; 61 BAGS; 95 PAX. SAME PLANE WE HAD ALL DAY. THIS LEG WE HAD SPDS THAT WERE RIGHT ON THE MONEY. AVERAGES DO WORK; SOME OF THE TIME. THIS SHOULD PRECLUDE THE WRY; 'THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ANGLE OF ATTACK SYS' THAT I GOT FROM ONE PLT WHEN RECOUNTING MY STORY. CREW CHIEFS MUST HAVE SOME KIND OF INCENTIVE TO LOAD THE COMPARTMENTS AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE. HVY WT BAGS ON 1 FLT MUST MAINTAIN THAT STATUS THROUGH TO DEST. NEW AVERAGES MUST BE CALCULATED ON RANDOM FLTS TO VALIDATE THE SPIRIT OF SAFE WT AND BAL PRACTICES. SKY CAPS AND AGENTS AT THE FRONT COUNTERS MUST HAVE INCENTIVE TO CHARGE FOR HVY BAGS; GIVE THEM A BUCK A BAG FOR EVERY ONE THEY TAG OVER 50 LBS. RE-CODE THE BAGS' TAGS TO ALLOW THE WT OF THE BAG TO READ VIA THE BAR CODE. THAT WAY A BAG OF ANY WT MAINTAINS ITS DESIGNATION. INTL BAGS MUST KEEP THEIR STATUS ON DOMESTIC LEGS. THE IDEA THAT A 'LOAD AUDIT' WILL CORRECT THESE PROBS ONLY COUNTS BAGS; IT DOESN'T WEIGH THEM; OR THE PAX AND THEIR CARRY-ON'S.

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.