Narrative:

During preflight preparations the captain advised me that the flight had an alternate due to WX and required extra fuel. We had a full load of 19 passenger and 20 checked bags. I knew we would have to leave some bags behind and were leaving late due to ramp congestion. During aircraft boarding and loading I was helping a mother and infant board. I noticed that the captain was communication with the ramp agent up in the cockpit about how many bags we would have to leave behind. After I helped the passenger get seated I walk to the rear of the aircraft to close the cargo door. I noticed that there were 2 checked bags on the floor outside of the aircraft with 18 checked bags in the forward cargo compartment. I did my final checks in back with the passenger and then closed the cabin door. During our climb after takeoff the captain called dispatch to advise them the number of bags left at ZZZ and the times; since the captain was unable to reach operations. The captain looked at me and said I felt really bad about leaving all of those bags. I said there were 2 bags left behind. He asked if I was sure and said there should have only been 1 bag and 4 gate checked bags on the plane. I said there were a lot more bags than that. We figured that we had 18 checked bags plus the 4 gate checked bags. The captain told me we were approximately 500 pounds above maximum ramp as well as maximum takeoff weight. He called dispatch to advise them that were was a miscom and there could be a lot less bags at ZZZ. We continued to destination without further incident. The captain verified the landing weight and landing speeds and also verified that no other limitations were exceeded. The captain and I discussed that better CRM could have avoided this. Our priority was to get the flight out on time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 1900D FLT CREW OPERATED ABOVE MTGW.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT PREPARATIONS THE CAPT ADVISED ME THAT THE FLT HAD AN ALTERNATE DUE TO WX AND REQUIRED EXTRA FUEL. WE HAD A FULL LOAD OF 19 PAX AND 20 CHECKED BAGS. I KNEW WE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE SOME BAGS BEHIND AND WERE LEAVING LATE DUE TO RAMP CONGESTION. DURING ACFT BOARDING AND LOADING I WAS HELPING A MOTHER AND INFANT BOARD. I NOTICED THAT THE CAPT WAS COM WITH THE RAMP AGENT UP IN THE COCKPIT ABOUT HOW MANY BAGS WE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE BEHIND. AFTER I HELPED THE PAX GET SEATED I WALK TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT TO CLOSE THE CARGO DOOR. I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE 2 CHKED BAGS ON THE FLOOR OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT WITH 18 CHKED BAGS IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT. I DID MY FINAL CHKS IN BACK WITH THE PAX AND THEN CLOSED THE CABIN DOOR. DURING OUR CLB AFTER TAKEOFF THE CAPT CALLED DISPATCH TO ADVISE THEM THE NUMBER OF BAGS LEFT AT ZZZ AND THE TIMES; SINCE THE CAPT WAS UNABLE TO REACH OPS. THE CAPT LOOKED AT ME AND SAID I FELT REALLY BAD ABOUT LEAVING ALL OF THOSE BAGS. I SAID THERE WERE 2 BAGS LEFT BEHIND. HE ASKED IF I WAS SURE AND SAID THERE SHOULD HAVE ONLY BEEN 1 BAG AND 4 GATE CHKED BAGS ON THE PLANE. I SAID THERE WERE A LOT MORE BAGS THAN THAT. WE FIGURED THAT WE HAD 18 CHKED BAGS PLUS THE 4 GATE CHKED BAGS. THE CAPT TOLD ME WE WERE APPROX 500 LBS ABOVE MAX RAMP AS WELL AS MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT. HE CALLED DISPATCH TO ADVISE THEM THAT WERE WAS A MISCOM AND THERE COULD BE A LOT LESS BAGS AT ZZZ. WE CONTINUED TO DEST WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CAPT VERIFIED THE LNDG WT AND LNDG SPEEDS AND ALSO VERIFIED THAT NO OTHER LIMITATIONS WERE EXCEEDED. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THAT BETTER CRM COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS. OUR PRIORITY WAS TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME.

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.