Narrative:

After having an aircraft swap due to mechanical issues we were running about 2 hours behind schedule. During final cockpit prep and just prior to pushback from the gate we received the weight and balance from a ramp agent. Upon review of the form we realized that our ground crew had omitted the forward cargo compartment bag count and weight. I left the cockpit and proceeded down stairs to the ramp where I spoke to 2 ramp agents. I asked them twice if we had any bag in the forward cargo compartment and both times they answered no. They corrected the form to show 0 bags forward and 38 bags in the aft cargo. With the form properly completed we accomplished our preflight; taxied to the runway and executed an uneventful takeoff and climb. Later; while at cruise altitude; we received an ACARS message from dispatch advising us that operations had contacted them to alert that the bag count on our form was incorrect and that in reality we had 32 bags in the forward compartment which weighed 990 pounds. With that information at hand we completed a manual weight and balance form and verified that; even with the weight difference; we were within the required ZFW; takeoff weight as well as landing weight limits. The flight progressed normally and our landing was uneventful. Once at the gate I called the departure airport operations and was told that the forward bin was thought to be empty and that the bags were mistakenly left in the aircraft from the previous flight. The company needs to emphasize to ground crew the importance of attention to detail even when pressured by time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 crew was notified in flight about a weight and balance error after 960 LBS of luggage from a previous flight was mistakenly left in the aft compartment.

Narrative: After having an aircraft swap due to mechanical issues we were running about 2 hours behind schedule. During final cockpit prep and just prior to pushback from the gate we received the weight and balance from a ramp agent. Upon review of the form we realized that our ground crew had omitted the forward cargo compartment bag count and weight. I left the cockpit and proceeded down stairs to the ramp where I spoke to 2 ramp agents. I asked them twice if we had ANY bag in the forward cargo compartment and both times they answered NO. They corrected the form to show 0 bags forward and 38 bags in the aft cargo. With the form properly completed we accomplished our preflight; taxied to the runway and executed an uneventful takeoff and climb. Later; while at cruise altitude; we received an ACARS message from Dispatch advising us that Operations had contacted them to alert that the bag count on our form was incorrect and that in reality we had 32 bags in the forward compartment which weighed 990 LBS. With that information at hand we completed a manual weight and balance form and verified that; even with the weight difference; we were within the required ZFW; takeoff weight as well as landing weight limits. The flight progressed normally and our landing was uneventful. Once at the gate I called the departure airport Operations and was told that the forward bin was thought to be empty and that the bags were mistakenly left in the aircraft from the previous flight. The company needs to emphasize to ground crew the importance of attention to detail even when pressured by time.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.