Narrative:

As we were taxiing out to runway in ZZZ; from the gate; we received our load information through ACARS. It is procedure that when the load information is received; that the first officer sets the speeds for the takeoff using the speed cards. The captain was taxiing at this time and I let him know that I was 'heads down' and I started to figure out what our takeoff weight would be based on the zero fuel weight we received through the load information. I did this so I could set our v-spds needed for the takeoff. It was nighttime and the last flight of the day and was only my fourth leg out of IOE. I put the zero fuel weight into the performance initialization page to compute our takeoff weight. When this is done; the takeoff weight is displayed right below the zero fuel weight. When I went to read our takeoff weight; I mistakenly read the zero fuel weight instead of the takeoff weight and I started setting up our v-spds. During this time; the captain and I realized that we were soon going to be cleared for takeoff; so we were trying to get the airplane set up for departure. As I was setting up the v-spds; I noticed that they were lower than normal; and I said out loud 'can that be right?' I doublechked the weights and amazingly enough; I misread the weight a second time; mistakenly verifying the incorrect v-spds. We proceeded with operations as normal. I read the v-spds out loud as per the before takeoff checklist and procedures continued as normal. The captain was PF and I was PNF. We took off and ran the takeoff profile. We retracted the flaps from 20 degrees to 8 degrees and noticed that the airplane was acting sluggish. The captain decided to wait to call for the flaps to come up until we gained a little more speed. He then called for 'flaps up; climb thrust.' we queried why the airplane did that; but I remember 'doublechking' the takeoff weight and v-spds (which I incorrectly verified) so I ruled out that the v-spds were incorrect. As we started our descent; I started to set up our landing speeds and v-spds based on our landing weight. This time I didn't read our gross weight incorrectly; and I noticed our landing weight was higher than the takeoff weight that I recorded. It was then that the captain and I realized that we took off with lower v-spds than normal; because I misread our takeoff weight. The only effect that these slower speeds had on the flight was the sluggishness when we started to retract the flaps. This event occurred because of a few reasons. I am fresh off of IOE and I should have noticed that the takeoff weight that I read and the associated v-spds were incorrect. I believe that my lack of experience caused me to misread the takeoff weight. It was also a late flight at night and the third leg of the day. I misread our takeoff weight not once; but twice. I believe fatigue played a role in that. The captain and I also mistakenly felt that we needed to rush our procedures to make sure we were ready for ATC when they wanted to clear us for takeoff. This is obviously wrong and we do not need to rush things.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FO NEW TO THE CRJ900 MISREAD THE ACFT'S WEIGHT AND SET V SPDS BASED ON ZFW MAKING TKOF SPDS VERY LOW.

Narrative: AS WE WERE TAXIING OUT TO RWY IN ZZZ; FROM THE GATE; WE RECEIVED OUR LOAD INFO THROUGH ACARS. IT IS PROC THAT WHEN THE LOAD INFO IS RECEIVED; THAT THE FO SETS THE SPDS FOR THE TKOF USING THE SPD CARDS. THE CAPT WAS TAXIING AT THIS TIME AND I LET HIM KNOW THAT I WAS 'HEADS DOWN' AND I STARTED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR TKOF WT WOULD BE BASED ON THE ZERO FUEL WT WE RECEIVED THROUGH THE LOAD INFO. I DID THIS SO I COULD SET OUR V-SPDS NEEDED FOR THE TKOF. IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND THE LAST FLT OF THE DAY AND WAS ONLY MY FOURTH LEG OUT OF IOE. I PUT THE ZERO FUEL WT INTO THE PERFORMANCE INITIALIZATION PAGE TO COMPUTE OUR TKOF WT. WHEN THIS IS DONE; THE TKOF WT IS DISPLAYED RIGHT BELOW THE ZERO FUEL WT. WHEN I WENT TO READ OUR TKOF WT; I MISTAKENLY READ THE ZERO FUEL WT INSTEAD OF THE TKOF WT AND I STARTED SETTING UP OUR V-SPDS. DURING THIS TIME; THE CAPT AND I REALIZED THAT WE WERE SOON GOING TO BE CLRED FOR TKOF; SO WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE AIRPLANE SET UP FOR DEP. AS I WAS SETTING UP THE V-SPDS; I NOTICED THAT THEY WERE LOWER THAN NORMAL; AND I SAID OUT LOUD 'CAN THAT BE RIGHT?' I DOUBLECHKED THE WTS AND AMAZINGLY ENOUGH; I MISREAD THE WT A SECOND TIME; MISTAKENLY VERIFYING THE INCORRECT V-SPDS. WE PROCEEDED WITH OPS AS NORMAL. I READ THE V-SPDS OUT LOUD AS PER THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND PROCS CONTINUED AS NORMAL. THE CAPT WAS PF AND I WAS PNF. WE TOOK OFF AND RAN THE TKOF PROFILE. WE RETRACTED THE FLAPS FROM 20 DEGS TO 8 DEGS AND NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ACTING SLUGGISH. THE CAPT DECIDED TO WAIT TO CALL FOR THE FLAPS TO COME UP UNTIL WE GAINED A LITTLE MORE SPD. HE THEN CALLED FOR 'FLAPS UP; CLB THRUST.' WE QUERIED WHY THE AIRPLANE DID THAT; BUT I REMEMBER 'DOUBLECHKING' THE TKOF WT AND V-SPDS (WHICH I INCORRECTLY VERIFIED) SO I RULED OUT THAT THE V-SPDS WERE INCORRECT. AS WE STARTED OUR DSCNT; I STARTED TO SET UP OUR LNDG SPDS AND V-SPDS BASED ON OUR LNDG WT. THIS TIME I DIDN'T READ OUR GROSS WT INCORRECTLY; AND I NOTICED OUR LNDG WT WAS HIGHER THAN THE TKOF WT THAT I RECORDED. IT WAS THEN THAT THE CAPT AND I REALIZED THAT WE TOOK OFF WITH LOWER V-SPDS THAN NORMAL; BECAUSE I MISREAD OUR TKOF WT. THE ONLY EFFECT THAT THESE SLOWER SPDS HAD ON THE FLT WAS THE SLUGGISHNESS WHEN WE STARTED TO RETRACT THE FLAPS. THIS EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A FEW REASONS. I AM FRESH OFF OF IOE AND I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TKOF WT THAT I READ AND THE ASSOCIATED V-SPDS WERE INCORRECT. I BELIEVE THAT MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE CAUSED ME TO MISREAD THE TKOF WT. IT WAS ALSO A LATE FLT AT NIGHT AND THE THIRD LEG OF THE DAY. I MISREAD OUR TKOF WT NOT ONCE; BUT TWICE. I BELIEVE FATIGUE PLAYED A ROLE IN THAT. THE CAPT AND I ALSO MISTAKENLY FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO RUSH OUR PROCS TO MAKE SURE WE WERE READY FOR ATC WHEN THEY WANTED TO CLR US FOR TKOF. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY WRONG AND WE DO NOT NEED TO RUSH THINGS.

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.