B737 crew receives revises weight and balance numbers while airborne.

Attributes
ACN	709584
Time
Date	200609
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	709584
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Departed ewr on schedule at XA15Z. Airport was congested and we were initially about #30 for departure with extensive taxi instructions and radio traffic. Our ACARS number did not come as we entered the queue for departure. Trying to contact our dispatch via ACARS went unanswered. Eventually initiated contact via ewr operations (contractor); cell phone; but communications very poor and we had to request exit from the queue to await numbers. This took about 50 mins. Eventually we received the numbers and were overweight for our release and had to get an amended dispatch release as well. After takeoff we received an ACARS with amended takeoff numbers. This was a communications mess. The company should have a backup communication plan to accomplish data and transmission tasks to flts departing outlying stations that have contract operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW RECEIVES REVISES WT AND BAL NUMBERS WHILE AIRBORNE.

Narrative: DEPARTED EWR ON SCHEDULE AT XA15Z. ARPT WAS CONGESTED AND WE WERE INITIALLY ABOUT #30 FOR DEP WITH EXTENSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND RADIO TFC. OUR ACARS NUMBER DID NOT COME AS WE ENTERED THE QUEUE FOR DEP. TRYING TO CONTACT OUR DISPATCH VIA ACARS WENT UNANSWERED. EVENTUALLY INITIATED CONTACT VIA EWR OPS (CONTRACTOR); CELL PHONE; BUT COMS VERY POOR AND WE HAD TO REQUEST EXIT FROM THE QUEUE TO AWAIT NUMBERS. THIS TOOK ABOUT 50 MINS. EVENTUALLY WE RECEIVED THE NUMBERS AND WERE OVERWT FOR OUR RELEASE AND HAD TO GET AN AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE AS WELL. AFTER TKOF WE RECEIVED AN ACARS WITH AMENDED TKOF NUMBERS. THIS WAS A COMS MESS. THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE A BACKUP COM PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH DATA AND XMISSION TASKS TO FLTS DEPARTING OUTLYING STATIONS THAT HAVE CONTRACT OPS.

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.