Narrative:

Release weight was 127000 pounds and actual received from operations was 126800 pounds. The original release weight was 126500 pounds. We received an amendment for takeoff weight of 127000 pounds. Upon arriving in ZZZ2 rampers noticed some ballast sand bags that they were not expecting. This information was relayed to ZZZ1 operations and they were unaware of it. The ZZZ2 station weighed the bags and they totaled 978 pounds. This information was then relayed to ZZZ1 operations; upon which they recalculated out takeoff weight to be 127700 pounds. Our landing weight was 120900 pounds. Originally; we reported our landing fuel according to what was in the FMS to be 10000 pounds; but upon looking at the gauges discovered it was 9900 pounds. ZZZ1 operations reports that the aircraft had been turned off a maintenance ferry and the ballast bags were there for the purpose. The ramper reported seeing them but not relaying the information to operations. The rampers need to accurately report all ballast; bags; cargo; etc; loaded on each aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 747083: I was asked to relay the fob upon block in again. I responded with 9900 pounds. Dispatch and maintenance control calculated that our actual landing weight was 120900 pounds (below maximum landing weight) and they released us for departure. An accurate count of what is loaded on our aircraft is needed. I suggest that all combi and freighter aircraft are assigned a load master that flies with that plane and takes the responsibility of weight/balance away from the rampers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PILOT REPORTS FERRY FLT BALLAST NOT INCLUDED IN ZFW BECAUSE ACR OPS DID NOT KNOW THE WT WAS ON THE ACFT FROM THE INBOUND FLT.

Narrative: RELEASE WT WAS 127000 LBS AND ACTUAL RECEIVED FROM OPS WAS 126800 LBS. THE ORIGINAL RELEASE WT WAS 126500 LBS. WE RECEIVED AN AMENDMENT FOR TKOF WT OF 127000 LBS. UPON ARRIVING IN ZZZ2 RAMPERS NOTICED SOME BALLAST SAND BAGS THAT THEY WERE NOT EXPECTING. THIS INFO WAS RELAYED TO ZZZ1 OPS AND THEY WERE UNAWARE OF IT. THE ZZZ2 STATION WEIGHED THE BAGS AND THEY TOTALED 978 LBS. THIS INFO WAS THEN RELAYED TO ZZZ1 OPS; UPON WHICH THEY RECALCULATED OUT TKOF WT TO BE 127700 LBS. OUR LNDG WT WAS 120900 LBS. ORIGINALLY; WE RPTED OUR LNDG FUEL ACCORDING TO WHAT WAS IN THE FMS TO BE 10000 LBS; BUT UPON LOOKING AT THE GAUGES DISCOVERED IT WAS 9900 LBS. ZZZ1 OPS RPTS THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN TURNED OFF A MAINT FERRY AND THE BALLAST BAGS WERE THERE FOR THE PURPOSE. THE RAMPER RPTED SEEING THEM BUT NOT RELAYING THE INFO TO OPS. THE RAMPERS NEED TO ACCURATELY RPT ALL BALLAST; BAGS; CARGO; ETC; LOADED ON EACH ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 747083: I WAS ASKED TO RELAY THE FOB UPON BLOCK IN AGAIN. I RESPONDED WITH 9900 LBS. DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL CALCULATED THAT OUR ACTUAL LNDG WT WAS 120900 LBS (BELOW MAX LNDG WT) AND THEY RELEASED US FOR DEP. AN ACCURATE COUNT OF WHAT IS LOADED ON OUR ACFT IS NEEDED. I SUGGEST THAT ALL COMBI AND FREIGHTER ACFT ARE ASSIGNED A LOAD MASTER THAT FLIES WITH THAT PLANE AND TAKES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WT/BAL AWAY FROM THE RAMPERS.

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.