Narrative:

Dispatch called me to check the numbers for a flight carrying 4 passenger from cincinnati to chattanooga. Giving what were purported to be exact weights of passenger, flight was found to be feasible with ample weight margin for fuel. Passenger called back requiring copilot, this pushed weight right up to gross. Arrived at luk. Checking fuel gauges decided to add nominal amount of fuel, one gauge was tagged over so added equal amounts to both sides. Center of gravity had been calculated prior to flight using weights supplied by dispatch. Passenger arrived and were loaded aboard. Taxied ut, did run ups, everything checked out. Temperature outside was warm so anticipated slightly longer ground run and decided to add 5 KTS to rotate speed. Started takeoff run. Acceleration seemed sluggish but not alarming, engines looked fine. Ground run took slightly longer than anticipated but runway was more than adequate. Started rotation, aircraft came off ground and much to my surprise settled back onto the runway. A climb was anticipated so mental warning flags started going off. Chose an immediate abort as there was adequate runway for a stop. As back pressure was released aircraft rose in ground effect. Aircraft bounced twice, a quick burst of power to even at the hop, and then I settled aircraft back on the ground and stopped it with adequate runway to spare. Thought at first engines weren't producing enough thrust. Tower called to ask what happened. Told them I thought I had an engine problem so aborted. No further questions from them. Taxied back scratching my head -- extra drag? Checked possible sources. No indication. Passenger slightly shaken. Looked at copilot and it dawned on me 'too heavy', whispered it to him, then announced to passenger that I would need their exact weights. Sure enough the weight of the passenger combined was considerably more than reported. Took off all unnecessary supplies and defueled aircraft. Brought weight back to within limits. Recalculated center of gravity and rearranged passenger for best possible confign. In retrospect, the aircraft probably would have flown, but I'm a modest pilot, and stand behind the decision to abort. Obviously I stand with egg on my face for not following up closer on those weights and in the future will do so. No matter what dispatch comes up with, ultimately the blame rests with me. The passenger luckily were involved in some form of engineering and after explaining what we were doing, thanked me for stopping. But even so, I know that I adversely affected my company's reputation and that will be difficult to deal with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ABORTED TKOF. ACFT APPARENTLY OVER ALLOWABLE TKOF GROSS WEIGHT.

Narrative: DISPATCH CALLED ME TO CHECK THE NUMBERS FOR A FLT CARRYING 4 PAX FROM CINCINNATI TO CHATTANOOGA. GIVING WHAT WERE PURPORTED TO BE EXACT WEIGHTS OF PAX, FLT WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE WITH AMPLE WEIGHT MARGIN FOR FUEL. PAX CALLED BACK REQUIRING COPLT, THIS PUSHED WEIGHT RIGHT UP TO GROSS. ARRIVED AT LUK. CHECKING FUEL GAUGES DECIDED TO ADD NOMINAL AMOUNT OF FUEL, ONE GAUGE WAS TAGGED OVER SO ADDED EQUAL AMOUNTS TO BOTH SIDES. CENTER OF GRAVITY HAD BEEN CALCULATED PRIOR TO FLT USING WEIGHTS SUPPLIED BY DISPATCH. PAX ARRIVED AND WERE LOADED ABOARD. TAXIED UT, DID RUN UPS, EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT. TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS WARM SO ANTICIPATED SLIGHTLY LONGER GND RUN AND DECIDED TO ADD 5 KTS TO ROTATE SPEED. STARTED TKOF RUN. ACCELERATION SEEMED SLUGGISH BUT NOT ALARMING, ENGINES LOOKED FINE. GND RUN TOOK SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED BUT RWY WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE. STARTED ROTATION, ACFT CAME OFF GND AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE SETTLED BACK ONTO THE RWY. A CLIMB WAS ANTICIPATED SO MENTAL WARNING FLAGS STARTED GOING OFF. CHOSE AN IMMEDIATE ABORT AS THERE WAS ADEQUATE RWY FOR A STOP. AS BACK PRESSURE WAS RELEASED ACFT ROSE IN GND EFFECT. ACFT BOUNCED TWICE, A QUICK BURST OF POWER TO EVEN AT THE HOP, AND THEN I SETTLED ACFT BACK ON THE GND AND STOPPED IT WITH ADEQUATE RWY TO SPARE. THOUGHT AT FIRST ENGINES WEREN'T PRODUCING ENOUGH THRUST. TWR CALLED TO ASK WHAT HAPPENED. TOLD THEM I THOUGHT I HAD AN ENGINE PROBLEM SO ABORTED. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THEM. TAXIED BACK SCRATCHING MY HEAD -- EXTRA DRAG? CHECKED POSSIBLE SOURCES. NO INDICATION. PAX SLIGHTLY SHAKEN. LOOKED AT COPLT AND IT DAWNED ON ME 'TOO HEAVY', WHISPERED IT TO HIM, THEN ANNOUNCED TO PAX THAT I WOULD NEED THEIR EXACT WEIGHTS. SURE ENOUGH THE WEIGHT OF THE PAX COMBINED WAS CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN REPORTED. TOOK OFF ALL UNNECESSARY SUPPLIES AND DEFUELED ACFT. BROUGHT WEIGHT BACK TO WITHIN LIMITS. RECALCULATED CENTER OF GRAVITY AND REARRANGED PAX FOR BEST POSSIBLE CONFIGN. IN RETROSPECT, THE ACFT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FLOWN, BUT I'M A MODEST PLT, AND STAND BEHIND THE DECISION TO ABORT. OBVIOUSLY I STAND WITH EGG ON MY FACE FOR NOT FOLLOWING UP CLOSER ON THOSE WEIGHTS AND IN THE FUTURE WILL DO SO. NO MATTER WHAT DISPATCH COMES UP WITH, ULTIMATELY THE BLAME RESTS WITH ME. THE PAX LUCKILY WERE INVOLVED IN SOME FORM OF ENGINEERING AND AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT WE WERE DOING, THANKED ME FOR STOPPING. BUT EVEN SO, I KNOW THAT I ADVERSELY AFFECTED MY COMPANY'S REPUTATION AND THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.