Narrative:

Due to gate gents over counting the amount of baggage, the agents state the crew of flight took aircraft off at a weight which exceeded gross takeoff weight. As the ramp agent was physically impaired and the count I made allowed the flight to proceed with all the passengers and baggage. I believe that due to a personality conflict, the gate agent wanted to prevent a nonrevenue passenger from boarding aircraft therefore altered the load manifest to show that due to the amount of baggage the nonrevenue passenger could not be accommodated. While the flight crew was doing the weight and balance data, I noticed the baggage count was incorrect and brought it to the captain's attention. The correction was made. All passengers and baggage was then able to be taken, within prescribed aircraft limitations. It was after that takeoff the crew of flight realized that the agents were going to make an issue of this incident. There had been a personality conflict between the agents and this nonrevenue passenger for some time and it was quite apparent. It is the crews contention that this aircraft was never overweight and the flight proceeded to new york's jfk airport west/O further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter was asked to help load bags account ramp agent was hurt. Counted 13 bags versus the manifest count of 20. Ths allowed the boarding of the deadheading passenger agent. Incident was reported to the passenger service supervisor and he has visited the facility and hopefully the situation is under control. No written report was required of the flight crew and the aircraft was operated legally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MANIFEST SHOWED 20 BAGS VERSUS ACTUAL LOADED 13. FLT CREW CORRECTED.

Narrative: DUE TO GATE GENTS OVER COUNTING THE AMOUNT OF BAGGAGE, THE AGENTS STATE THE CREW OF FLT TOOK ACFT OFF AT A WEIGHT WHICH EXCEEDED GROSS TKOF WEIGHT. AS THE RAMP AGENT WAS PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED AND THE COUNT I MADE ALLOWED THE FLT TO PROCEED WITH ALL THE PAXS AND BAGGAGE. I BELIEVE THAT DUE TO A PERSONALITY CONFLICT, THE GATE AGENT WANTED TO PREVENT A NONREVENUE PAX FROM BOARDING ACFT THEREFORE ALTERED THE LOAD MANIFEST TO SHOW THAT DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF BAGGAGE THE NONREVENUE PAX COULD NOT BE ACCOMMODATED. WHILE THE FLT CREW WAS DOING THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE DATA, I NOTICED THE BAGGAGE COUNT WAS INCORRECT AND BROUGHT IT TO THE CAPT'S ATTN. THE CORRECTION WAS MADE. ALL PAXS AND BAGGAGE WAS THEN ABLE TO BE TAKEN, WITHIN PRESCRIBED ACFT LIMITATIONS. IT WAS AFTER THAT TKOF THE CREW OF FLT REALIZED THAT THE AGENTS WERE GOING TO MAKE AN ISSUE OF THIS INCIDENT. THERE HAD BEEN A PERSONALITY CONFLICT BTWN THE AGENTS AND THIS NONREVENUE PAX FOR SOME TIME AND IT WAS QUITE APPARENT. IT IS THE CREWS CONTENTION THAT THIS ACFT WAS NEVER OVERWEIGHT AND THE FLT PROCEEDED TO NEW YORK'S JFK ARPT W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR WAS ASKED TO HELP LOAD BAGS ACCOUNT RAMP AGENT WAS HURT. COUNTED 13 BAGS VERSUS THE MANIFEST COUNT OF 20. THS ALLOWED THE BOARDING OF THE DEADHEADING PAX AGENT. INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO THE PAX SVC SUPVR AND HE HAS VISITED THE FAC AND HOPEFULLY THE SITUATION IS UNDER CTL. NO WRITTEN RPT WAS REQUIRED OF THE FLT CREW AND THE ACFT WAS OPERATED LEGALLY.

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