Narrative:

I was captain. I went down to operations and received my paperwork. I noticed that the actual landing gross weight at destination was going to be close to maximum; scheduled to be 146.7 versus a maximum landing weight of 147.3. At no time during the loading process was the request given by the gate agents to get a half weight count. It was only after the aircraft cabin door was closed and after we received the manifest that my first officer and I noticed that the weights were predicated on 12 half weights (children). I asked my flight attendants to get a half weight count. They replied that we had only 4 half weights on board. We then called operations to inform them of this. They sent us new paperwork (#2) which showed a zero fuel weight less than what was on the first one. I told ground control that we needed to pull over and park the aircraft off of the main taxiway in order to resolve this problem. After securing the aircraft on a remote taxiway; I called operations and wanted to know just what was going on. She then explained that the half weights were 10 asian women who were being counted as half weights. I questioned her on this and she said that asian women were allowed to be counted as half weights as they are so small framed. I thought this unusual and questioned her on this. She assured me that this was the accepted practice. At this point; I asked the flight attendants to give me a count of the asian women on board; and they said there were only 2. They said there were a few indian women; but that was it. Operations then verbally gave us a new zero fuel weight of 139256 pounds and she informed us that we were now approximately 150 pounds over maximum takeoff weight. She asked if I wanted to come back to the gate to offload some bags and I said 'no.' I made this decision based on the fact that we had been sitting on the taxiway for an additional 10 mins getting this issue rectified. In my opinion; we had burned that 150 pounds of fuel just sitting there. Also; the aircraft was landing limited; and I knew; if necessary; we could burn off the extra weight in flight; in order to land under maximum landing weight. On the takeoff roll I noticed that I needed to back trim the aircraft a little just to assist me in rotating. I am concerned as this is the second week in a row that I have flown out of this station and had to pull over on a remote taxiway to solve a weight and balance issue. I cannot remember the specifics of the previous instance; but it was due to us being close to maximum takeoff weight and only after leaving the gate did operations inform us that there was a possibility that some bags were put on our flight which was intended for a different flight. I am concerned that they may be cutting corners in making decisions concerning maximum weight takeoffs. Is it possible that they are trying to make sure all bags and passenger are on board at the expense of running a safe operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT UNCOVERS ATTEMPTS BY LOAD PLANNERS TO FALSIFY WT DATA BY USING CHILD WTS FOR AN ARBITRARY NUMBER OF PAX; A NUMBER WHICH WAS 3-6 TIMES THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN ON BOARD.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT. I WENT DOWN TO OPS AND RECEIVED MY PAPERWORK. I NOTICED THAT THE ACTUAL LNDG GROSS WT AT DEST WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE TO MAX; SCHEDULED TO BE 146.7 VERSUS A MAX LNDG WT OF 147.3. AT NO TIME DURING THE LOADING PROCESS WAS THE REQUEST GIVEN BY THE GATE AGENTS TO GET A HALF WT COUNT. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE ACFT CABIN DOOR WAS CLOSED AND AFTER WE RECEIVED THE MANIFEST THAT MY FO AND I NOTICED THAT THE WTS WERE PREDICATED ON 12 HALF WTS (CHILDREN). I ASKED MY FLT ATTENDANTS TO GET A HALF WT COUNT. THEY REPLIED THAT WE HAD ONLY 4 HALF WTS ON BOARD. WE THEN CALLED OPS TO INFORM THEM OF THIS. THEY SENT US NEW PAPERWORK (#2) WHICH SHOWED A ZERO FUEL WT LESS THAN WHAT WAS ON THE FIRST ONE. I TOLD GND CTL THAT WE NEEDED TO PULL OVER AND PARK THE ACFT OFF OF THE MAIN TXWY IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THIS PROB. AFTER SECURING THE ACFT ON A REMOTE TXWY; I CALLED OPS AND WANTED TO KNOW JUST WHAT WAS GOING ON. SHE THEN EXPLAINED THAT THE HALF WTS WERE 10 ASIAN WOMEN WHO WERE BEING COUNTED AS HALF WTS. I QUESTIONED HER ON THIS AND SHE SAID THAT ASIAN WOMEN WERE ALLOWED TO BE COUNTED AS HALF WTS AS THEY ARE SO SMALL FRAMED. I THOUGHT THIS UNUSUAL AND QUESTIONED HER ON THIS. SHE ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS THE ACCEPTED PRACTICE. AT THIS POINT; I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO GIVE ME A COUNT OF THE ASIAN WOMEN ON BOARD; AND THEY SAID THERE WERE ONLY 2. THEY SAID THERE WERE A FEW INDIAN WOMEN; BUT THAT WAS IT. OPS THEN VERBALLY GAVE US A NEW ZERO FUEL WT OF 139256 LBS AND SHE INFORMED US THAT WE WERE NOW APPROX 150 LBS OVER MAX TKOF WT. SHE ASKED IF I WANTED TO COME BACK TO THE GATE TO OFFLOAD SOME BAGS AND I SAID 'NO.' I MADE THIS DECISION BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE TXWY FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10 MINS GETTING THIS ISSUE RECTIFIED. IN MY OPINION; WE HAD BURNED THAT 150 LBS OF FUEL JUST SITTING THERE. ALSO; THE ACFT WAS LNDG LIMITED; AND I KNEW; IF NECESSARY; WE COULD BURN OFF THE EXTRA WT IN FLT; IN ORDER TO LAND UNDER MAX LNDG WT. ON THE TKOF ROLL I NOTICED THAT I NEEDED TO BACK TRIM THE ACFT A LITTLE JUST TO ASSIST ME IN ROTATING. I AM CONCERNED AS THIS IS THE SECOND WK IN A ROW THAT I HAVE FLOWN OUT OF THIS STATION AND HAD TO PULL OVER ON A REMOTE TXWY TO SOLVE A WT AND BAL ISSUE. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS OF THE PREVIOUS INSTANCE; BUT IT WAS DUE TO US BEING CLOSE TO MAX TKOF WT AND ONLY AFTER LEAVING THE GATE DID OPS INFORM US THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT SOME BAGS WERE PUT ON OUR FLT WHICH WAS INTENDED FOR A DIFFERENT FLT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY MAY BE CUTTING CORNERS IN MAKING DECISIONS CONCERNING MAX WT TKOFS. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE ALL BAGS AND PAX ARE ON BOARD AT THE EXPENSE OF RUNNING A SAFE OP.

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.