Narrative:

We showed at the airport at atw for our flight to mke. While waiting in the room; the station agents let us know what we were going to have as far as people and bags. With this aircraft; it is very hard to get all 32 people and decent amount of bags. They told us 31 people with 25(?) bags. We asked if there were any heavy checked bags. They replied no. We could then figure we could take 5 planeside bags and still be good for zero fuel weight. We received the aircraft from the previous crew. The aircraft was found airworthy and we initiated boarding. As the baggage door was closed; the bag slip was handed to me. The bag count was correct; however; there were heavy bags that made our original plan invalid. It was right at departure time; and I told the first officer to tell the ramp agent to make our plane side bags zero so we could depart. We did not move the planeside bags; however; into the cabin. We ended being 80 pounds over zero fuel weight. We departed and the flight was routine. Supplemental information from acn 696581: instead of moving 3 bags into the cabin where they would have gone from 20 pounds each to 0 pounds each because when they are in the cabin they are included into the passenger weights; we decided to keep them in the cargo compartment and change the load slip to show that they were in the cabin. This exceeded our maximum zero fuel weight by 60 pounds. We did not exceed any takeoff or landing limitation. We realized this was a mistake on our part. The company has been notified and we are dealing with them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF D328 (JET) ALTER WT MANIFEST DOCUMENTS TO SHOW BAGS IN CARGO PIT AS LOADED IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: WE SHOWED AT THE ARPT AT ATW FOR OUR FLT TO MKE. WHILE WAITING IN THE ROOM; THE STATION AGENTS LET US KNOW WHAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE AS FAR AS PEOPLE AND BAGS. WITH THIS ACFT; IT IS VERY HARD TO GET ALL 32 PEOPLE AND DECENT AMOUNT OF BAGS. THEY TOLD US 31 PEOPLE WITH 25(?) BAGS. WE ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY HVY CHKED BAGS. THEY REPLIED NO. WE COULD THEN FIGURE WE COULD TAKE 5 PLANESIDE BAGS AND STILL BE GOOD FOR ZERO FUEL WT. WE RECEIVED THE ACFT FROM THE PREVIOUS CREW. THE ACFT WAS FOUND AIRWORTHY AND WE INITIATED BOARDING. AS THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS CLOSED; THE BAG SLIP WAS HANDED TO ME. THE BAG COUNT WAS CORRECT; HOWEVER; THERE WERE HVY BAGS THAT MADE OUR ORIGINAL PLAN INVALID. IT WAS RIGHT AT DEP TIME; AND I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THE RAMP AGENT TO MAKE OUR PLANE SIDE BAGS ZERO SO WE COULD DEPART. WE DID NOT MOVE THE PLANESIDE BAGS; HOWEVER; INTO THE CABIN. WE ENDED BEING 80 LBS OVER ZERO FUEL WT. WE DEPARTED AND THE FLT WAS ROUTINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 696581: INSTEAD OF MOVING 3 BAGS INTO THE CABIN WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE GONE FROM 20 LBS EACH TO 0 LBS EACH BECAUSE WHEN THEY ARE IN THE CABIN THEY ARE INCLUDED INTO THE PAX WTS; WE DECIDED TO KEEP THEM IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AND CHANGE THE LOAD SLIP TO SHOW THAT THEY WERE IN THE CABIN. THIS EXCEEDED OUR MAX ZERO FUEL WT BY 60 LBS. WE DID NOT EXCEED ANY TKOF OR LNDG LIMITATION. WE REALIZED THIS WAS A MISTAKE ON OUR PART. THE COMPANY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND WE ARE DEALING WITH THEM.

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.