Narrative:

We picked up the aircraft that had come from ZZZ as a continuation of a convoluted (read stupid) schedule. I heard the voice on the station radio from load and recognized it as a new person. This was the first red flag. I could tell from the tone of his voice that he has no idea what he is doing. I was hoping that there was someone else in there training (him). I later found out from the station manager this was a bad assumption on my part. There was some confusion because our ETOPS packet was given to the inbound crew and they never passed it on to us. We requested from dispatch; and received; the complete ETOPS package which was faxed to us. We asked the assistant station manager to get it and we discovered the manifest; pre-clearance; and WX did not come up. We loaded the FMC and pushed back on time. During takeoff I had to use additional back trim during rotation to assist in getting the aircraft into the air. During climb we noticed the aircraft was slightly sluggish. We thought it was because of the high temperature and humidity. Red flag #2. The next day the PNF was discussing our flight with one of the flight attendants that his brother could have come with us since the flight was not full. The flight attendant replied that we only had 4-6 empty seats on the flight; which would have given us a souls on board count of 124 including us. Yikes! When we got back to koa; I spoke with the station manager about his error. We figured that the load guy did not include the through passenger from ZZZ. We had no way of confirming the actual count. But; the flight attendants confirmed that we only had 4-6 empty seats in the aircraft and there were several babies which were not included in the passenger count. The station manager mentioned because of the amount of training ongoing with the agents no one was able to supervise this individual at the job; and he thought he could handle it alone. Good for him and bad for us. I mentioned to the station manager that I do not believe that this new person realizes how critical the position is. It is not just doing paperwork; it's doing it right because you can kill someone. 1 accident and it is all over for us. The station manager mentioned he would have someone supervise him from now on; until they feel confident he can do it. I often wonder if we should go back to getting a count from the flight attendants; to confirm the passenger on board. The agent had an opportunity to correct his count when we give the departure report back and did not do so. I suspect he just took down the numbers job done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 PLT BELIEVES COMPANY LOAD PLANNER IN-TRAINING PROVIDED ERRONEOUS TKOF DATA.

Narrative: WE PICKED UP THE ACFT THAT HAD COME FROM ZZZ AS A CONTINUATION OF A CONVOLUTED (READ STUPID) SCHEDULE. I HEARD THE VOICE ON THE STATION RADIO FROM LOAD AND RECOGNIZED IT AS A NEW PERSON. THIS WAS THE FIRST RED FLAG. I COULD TELL FROM THE TONE OF HIS VOICE THAT HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE IS DOING. I WAS HOPING THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE ELSE IN THERE TRAINING (HIM). I LATER FOUND OUT FROM THE STATION MGR THIS WAS A BAD ASSUMPTION ON MY PART. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION BECAUSE OUR ETOPS PACKET WAS GIVEN TO THE INBOUND CREW AND THEY NEVER PASSED IT ON TO US. WE REQUESTED FROM DISPATCH; AND RECEIVED; THE COMPLETE ETOPS PACKAGE WHICH WAS FAXED TO US. WE ASKED THE ASSISTANT STATION MGR TO GET IT AND WE DISCOVERED THE MANIFEST; PRE-CLRNC; AND WX DID NOT COME UP. WE LOADED THE FMC AND PUSHED BACK ON TIME. DURING TKOF I HAD TO USE ADDITIONAL BACK TRIM DURING ROTATION TO ASSIST IN GETTING THE ACFT INTO THE AIR. DURING CLB WE NOTICED THE ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY SLUGGISH. WE THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH TEMP AND HUMIDITY. RED FLAG #2. THE NEXT DAY THE PNF WAS DISCUSSING OUR FLT WITH ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT HIS BROTHER COULD HAVE COME WITH US SINCE THE FLT WAS NOT FULL. THE FLT ATTENDANT REPLIED THAT WE ONLY HAD 4-6 EMPTY SEATS ON THE FLT; WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN US A SOULS ON BOARD COUNT OF 124 INCLUDING US. YIKES! WHEN WE GOT BACK TO KOA; I SPOKE WITH THE STATION MGR ABOUT HIS ERROR. WE FIGURED THAT THE LOAD GUY DID NOT INCLUDE THE THROUGH PAX FROM ZZZ. WE HAD NO WAY OF CONFIRMING THE ACTUAL COUNT. BUT; THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED THAT WE ONLY HAD 4-6 EMPTY SEATS IN THE ACFT AND THERE WERE SEVERAL BABIES WHICH WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PAX COUNT. THE STATION MGR MENTIONED BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING ONGOING WITH THE AGENTS NO ONE WAS ABLE TO SUPERVISE THIS INDIVIDUAL AT THE JOB; AND HE THOUGHT HE COULD HANDLE IT ALONE. GOOD FOR HIM AND BAD FOR US. I MENTIONED TO THE STATION MGR THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS NEW PERSON REALIZES HOW CRITICAL THE POS IS. IT IS NOT JUST DOING PAPERWORK; IT'S DOING IT RIGHT BECAUSE YOU CAN KILL SOMEONE. 1 ACCIDENT AND IT IS ALL OVER FOR US. THE STATION MGR MENTIONED HE WOULD HAVE SOMEONE SUPERVISE HIM FROM NOW ON; UNTIL THEY FEEL CONFIDENT HE CAN DO IT. I OFTEN WONDER IF WE SHOULD GO BACK TO GETTING A COUNT FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS; TO CONFIRM THE PAX ON BOARD. THE AGENT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT HIS COUNT WHEN WE GIVE THE DEP RPT BACK AND DID NOT DO SO. I SUSPECT HE JUST TOOK DOWN THE NUMBERS JOB DONE.

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.