Narrative:

I was on duty as the captain of a full flight. We had received the aircraft in ZZZ1 late; and had arrived in ZZZ 13 mins late. We did not push from the ZZZ gate for another 68 mins. About 20-25 mins after our scheduled push time; I was told by a customer service representative that we did not have enough 'half-weights' and that we would have to remove the acm. I was concerned with the accuracy of the weight and balance information and I asked why we were suddenly too heavy. I was told by a different customer service representative that an unexpected number of bags had been loaded; and that we needed 11 half-weights to make it work -- we currently only had 8. I was informed by the flight attendants that they had counted 11; and I asked a customer service representative to review the flight attendant's observation (which they can do if they observe a discrepancy -- I am not sure if they were originally asked to do a count or not but they had a number) by going through the cabin with them and verifying each half-weight. A min later; the customer service representative said that they agreed with 10; but not 11. I believed that they simply had a weight estimation issue; and I asked my flight attendants if they were confident that they were indeed all half-weights. They answered in the affirmative. I told the customer service representatives that I had no intention of overriding their judgement; and that I would pull the jumpseater in a heartbeat if that is what they wanted; but that I was confident of my seasoned crew and their count. Load planning was advised; and said that it was my call. I again told the customer service representatives that I was not telling them how to do their job; and that I would defer to them; but I had every confidence in my crew. They agreed with the count of half-weights and we departed. I was called by the chief pilot's office and asked to explain why the entire delay had been put on the crew. I explained what had transpired. In explaining the event; I indicated that after the flight it was possibly indicated to me by the crew that the flight attendants may have (I am still not sure) included a petite elderly woman in their count of half-weights. The chief pilot's office made the comment that a half-weight could only be between 2-12 yrs. This comment later got me looking in my manuals; because the weight and balance program has evolved so many times that I ws very concerned that I was mistaken about who could be a half-weight (children; a little old lady; etc). I have and still do think of the term half-weight as applying to a person who is half the standard weight; regardless of age. I asked several flight attendants informally; and they unanimously believed this; too. Unfortunately; the exact definition of half-weight has been lost to us in the evolution of our weight and balance program; and is apparently being equivocated with the term 'child savings weight;' a term which is only defined in our fom inductively. It may be said that these removals were due to the shift in responsibility for determining the count -- however; it we as capts are to be confident in the legitimacy of a weight and balance report; we should have accurate; unambiguous definitions of what constitutes what; without having to infer; or worse; guess. Exact definitions of what a half-weight is; what a zero-weight is; and what can be included under the child savings line of the weight and balance printout. Flight attendants; if they are to be asked to assist with this count; must be aware of these definitions; also.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPT CITES CONCERNS ABOUT THE IDENT AND DEFINITION OF 'HALF WEIGHT' PAX.

Narrative: I WAS ON DUTY AS THE CAPT OF A FULL FLT. WE HAD RECEIVED THE ACFT IN ZZZ1 LATE; AND HAD ARRIVED IN ZZZ 13 MINS LATE. WE DID NOT PUSH FROM THE ZZZ GATE FOR ANOTHER 68 MINS. ABOUT 20-25 MINS AFTER OUR SCHEDULED PUSH TIME; I WAS TOLD BY A CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH 'HALF-WEIGHTS' AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE THE ACM. I WAS CONCERNED WITH THE ACCURACY OF THE WT AND BAL INFO AND I ASKED WHY WE WERE SUDDENLY TOO HVY. I WAS TOLD BY A DIFFERENT CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE THAT AN UNEXPECTED NUMBER OF BAGS HAD BEEN LOADED; AND THAT WE NEEDED 11 HALF-WEIGHTS TO MAKE IT WORK -- WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAD 8. I WAS INFORMED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THEY HAD COUNTED 11; AND I ASKED A CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE TO REVIEW THE FLT ATTENDANT'S OBSERVATION (WHICH THEY CAN DO IF THEY OBSERVE A DISCREPANCY -- I AM NOT SURE IF THEY WERE ORIGINALLY ASKED TO DO A COUNT OR NOT BUT THEY HAD A NUMBER) BY GOING THROUGH THE CABIN WITH THEM AND VERIFYING EACH HALF-WEIGHT. A MIN LATER; THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THEY AGREED WITH 10; BUT NOT 11. I BELIEVED THAT THEY SIMPLY HAD A WT ESTIMATION ISSUE; AND I ASKED MY FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY WERE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WERE INDEED ALL HALF-WEIGHTS. THEY ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I TOLD THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVES THAT I HAD NO INTENTION OF OVERRIDING THEIR JUDGEMENT; AND THAT I WOULD PULL THE JUMPSEATER IN A HEARTBEAT IF THAT IS WHAT THEY WANTED; BUT THAT I WAS CONFIDENT OF MY SEASONED CREW AND THEIR COUNT. LOAD PLANNING WAS ADVISED; AND SAID THAT IT WAS MY CALL. I AGAIN TOLD THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVES THAT I WAS NOT TELLING THEM HOW TO DO THEIR JOB; AND THAT I WOULD DEFER TO THEM; BUT I HAD EVERY CONFIDENCE IN MY CREW. THEY AGREED WITH THE COUNT OF HALF-WEIGHTS AND WE DEPARTED. I WAS CALLED BY THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE AND ASKED TO EXPLAIN WHY THE ENTIRE DELAY HAD BEEN PUT ON THE CREW. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. IN EXPLAINING THE EVENT; I INDICATED THAT AFTER THE FLT IT WAS POSSIBLY INDICATED TO ME BY THE CREW THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS MAY HAVE (I AM STILL NOT SURE) INCLUDED A PETITE ELDERLY WOMAN IN THEIR COUNT OF HALF-WEIGHTS. THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE MADE THE COMMENT THAT A HALF-WEIGHT COULD ONLY BE BTWN 2-12 YRS. THIS COMMENT LATER GOT ME LOOKING IN MY MANUALS; BECAUSE THE WT AND BAL PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED SO MANY TIMES THAT I WS VERY CONCERNED THAT I WAS MISTAKEN ABOUT WHO COULD BE A HALF-WEIGHT (CHILDREN; A LITTLE OLD LADY; ETC). I HAVE AND STILL DO THINK OF THE TERM HALF-WEIGHT AS APPLYING TO A PERSON WHO IS HALF THE STANDARD WT; REGARDLESS OF AGE. I ASKED SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMALLY; AND THEY UNANIMOUSLY BELIEVED THIS; TOO. UNFORTUNATELY; THE EXACT DEFINITION OF HALF-WEIGHT HAS BEEN LOST TO US IN THE EVOLUTION OF OUR WT AND BAL PROGRAM; AND IS APPARENTLY BEING EQUIVOCATED WITH THE TERM 'CHILD SAVINGS WT;' A TERM WHICH IS ONLY DEFINED IN OUR FOM INDUCTIVELY. IT MAY BE SAID THAT THESE REMOVALS WERE DUE TO THE SHIFT IN RESPONSIBILITY FOR DETERMINING THE COUNT -- HOWEVER; IT WE AS CAPTS ARE TO BE CONFIDENT IN THE LEGITIMACY OF A WT AND BAL RPT; WE SHOULD HAVE ACCURATE; UNAMBIGUOUS DEFINITIONS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES WHAT; WITHOUT HAVING TO INFER; OR WORSE; GUESS. EXACT DEFINITIONS OF WHAT A HALF-WEIGHT IS; WHAT A ZERO-WEIGHT IS; AND WHAT CAN BE INCLUDED UNDER THE CHILD SAVINGS LINE OF THE WT AND BAL PRINTOUT. FLT ATTENDANTS; IF THEY ARE TO BE ASKED TO ASSIST WITH THIS COUNT; MUST BE AWARE OF THESE DEFINITIONS; ALSO.

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.