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B757-200 passenger count from operations included 27 children; and takeoff weights were adjusted accordingly. When actual child count was taken; only 12 were aboard.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 773013 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200802 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sllp.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 773013 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
The closeout for this flight indicated an unusually high child count. Our flight attendants counted 3 infants. When operations was asked about this; a supervisor stated there were truly 27 children; not just infants. After takeoff another count was taken. Without determining actual ages; our total was 12 youth/children. This difference under-reports our weight by more than 1300 pounds. In retrospect; it would have been prudent to return to the gate to verify the accuracy of our closeout; even though it would have delayed us more. When taking off from a critical airport at maximum gross weight; a discrepancy like this adversely affects safety of flight. Manipulating numbers to achieve the right weight on paper is unacceptable. Accuracy and trust are essential to maintaining our safety and dependability.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B757-200 PAX COUNT FROM OPERATIONS INCLUDED 27 CHILDREN; AND TKOF WTS WERE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY. WHEN ACTUAL CHILD COUNT WAS TAKEN; ONLY 12 WERE ABOARD.
Narrative: THE CLOSEOUT FOR THIS FLT INDICATED AN UNUSUALLY HIGH CHILD COUNT. OUR FLT ATTENDANTS COUNTED 3 INFANTS. WHEN OPS WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS; A SUPVR STATED THERE WERE TRULY 27 CHILDREN; NOT JUST INFANTS. AFTER TKOF ANOTHER COUNT WAS TAKEN. WITHOUT DETERMINING ACTUAL AGES; OUR TOTAL WAS 12 YOUTH/CHILDREN. THIS DIFFERENCE UNDER-RPTS OUR WT BY MORE THAN 1300 LBS. IN RETROSPECT; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT TO RETURN TO THE GATE TO VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF OUR CLOSEOUT; EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD HAVE DELAYED US MORE. WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A CRITICAL ARPT AT MAX GROSS WT; A DISCREPANCY LIKE THIS ADVERSELY AFFECTS SAFETY OF FLT. MANIPULATING NUMBERS TO ACHIEVE THE RIGHT WT ON PAPER IS UNACCEPTABLE. ACCURACY AND TRUST ARE ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAINING OUR SAFETY AND DEPENDABILITY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.