Narrative:

San: weight and balance form given to crew along with a statement from the agent who said 'you need to add 2 passenger to the count.' I asked if we were going to get a new printed form; she said 'no. The weights are correct; it's just the passenger count that is wrong.' I asked again to make sure; and she repeated the above. When making the off report back to san the agent said 'I need to give you revised weight and balance numbers.' I informed the agent that that information was needed on the ground prior to takeoff. Sna: same situation; except 1 extra passenger. The captain asked if the numbers were correct and was told that they were. During departure off report the station relayed the new count. In both cases we were under 154.5 but if we were at maximum gross weight we could have departed over maximum weight. The san incident was right at departure time and sna was past departure time. In both cases the agent did not want to delay the flight while waiting for a new weight and balance form to be printed. Agents need to understand the importance of this information and that 'on time' does not come before safety and regulations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 DEPARTED WITHOUT ACCURATE WT AND BAL INFO BECAUSE GND PERSONNEL WERE CONCERNED ABOUT ON-TIME DEP.

Narrative: SAN: WT AND BAL FORM GIVEN TO CREW ALONG WITH A STATEMENT FROM THE AGENT WHO SAID 'YOU NEED TO ADD 2 PAX TO THE COUNT.' I ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO GET A NEW PRINTED FORM; SHE SAID 'NO. THE WTS ARE CORRECT; IT'S JUST THE PAX COUNT THAT IS WRONG.' I ASKED AGAIN TO MAKE SURE; AND SHE REPEATED THE ABOVE. WHEN MAKING THE OFF RPT BACK TO SAN THE AGENT SAID 'I NEED TO GIVE YOU REVISED WT AND BAL NUMBERS.' I INFORMED THE AGENT THAT THAT INFO WAS NEEDED ON THE GND PRIOR TO TKOF. SNA: SAME SITUATION; EXCEPT 1 EXTRA PAX. THE CAPT ASKED IF THE NUMBERS WERE CORRECT AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE. DURING DEP OFF RPT THE STATION RELAYED THE NEW COUNT. IN BOTH CASES WE WERE UNDER 154.5 BUT IF WE WERE AT MAX GROSS WT WE COULD HAVE DEPARTED OVER MAX WT. THE SAN INCIDENT WAS RIGHT AT DEP TIME AND SNA WAS PAST DEP TIME. IN BOTH CASES THE AGENT DID NOT WANT TO DELAY THE FLT WHILE WAITING FOR A NEW WT AND BAL FORM TO BE PRINTED. AGENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS INFO AND THAT 'ON TIME' DOES NOT COME BEFORE SAFETY AND REGS.

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.