Narrative:

After fueling and passenger loading I discovered we would be over 7000 pounds above maximum takeoff weight for wind and temperature considerations. As PNF it was my duty to do the takeoff and performance calculations. I immediately notified the captain of the overloading condition. Our flight dispatch had failed to recognize the warm temperature and wind conditions and released our flight at a weight above maximum takeoff weight for the current conditions. The captain acknowledged our weight condition after he also reviewed the takeoff data/performance chart. He elected to depart the gate on time and said we would wait for less tailwind or cooler temperatures before commencing takeoff. We asked the tower numerous times during taxi out and while holding short of the departure runway what the current wind/temperature conditions were. Because of terrain and runway slope, we needed to takeoff to the south. However, winds were prevailing constantly out of the north. Consequently, dictating a takeoff with a tailwind! At one point winds were reported to be 340 degree at gusting 17 KTS. A rain shower passed by while we were holding short of runway at a higher idle power setting to burn off weight. With different temperature and wind conditions used in calculations I advised the captain at least 4 times we would still be above maximum takeoff weight. After the rain shower had passed and sitting approximately 45 mins at high idle power and tower advised us the temperature was not 6 degree cooler. This put us right at maximum takeoff weight with a 0 wind component. At one point we told the tower we needed a 0 wind component to legally takeoff. While noticing a limp windsock the captain told the tower we were ready for takeoff, however, the tower advised wind of 330 at 6 KTS giving us a 5 KT tailwind component! We had approximately a 1000 pound weight penalty per 1 KT tailwind component putting us still almost 5000 pounds over weight. We proceeded to safely takeoff. The captain knew we were over weight but I felt put company and passenger connection reasons above safety. As first officer I politely said several times we would still be over weight unless a 0 wind condition occurred. The flight engineer never expressed his concern or feelings for our weight conditions. I wished he would have backed me up more. It was also the last leg of a 3 day trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF WHEN ACFT GROSS WT ABOVE RWY WT LIMITATION.

Narrative: AFTER FUELING AND PAX LOADING I DISCOVERED WE WOULD BE OVER 7000 POUNDS ABOVE MAX TKOF WT FOR WIND AND TEMP CONSIDERATIONS. AS PNF IT WAS MY DUTY TO DO THE TKOF AND PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE CAPT OF THE OVERLOADING CONDITION. OUR FLT DISPATCH HAD FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE WARM TEMP AND WIND CONDITIONS AND RELEASED OUR FLT AT A WT ABOVE MAX TKOF WT FOR THE CURRENT CONDITIONS. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED OUR WT CONDITION AFTER HE ALSO REVIEWED THE TKOF DATA/PERFORMANCE CHART. HE ELECTED TO DEPART THE GATE ON TIME AND SAID WE WOULD WAIT FOR LESS TAILWIND OR COOLER TEMPS BEFORE COMMENCING TKOF. WE ASKED THE TWR NUMEROUS TIMES DURING TAXI OUT AND WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF THE DEP RWY WHAT THE CURRENT WIND/TEMP CONDITIONS WERE. BECAUSE OF TERRAIN AND RWY SLOPE, WE NEEDED TO TKOF TO THE S. HOWEVER, WINDS WERE PREVAILING CONSTANTLY OUT OF THE N. CONSEQUENTLY, DICTATING A TKOF WITH A TAILWIND! AT ONE POINT WINDS WERE RPTED TO BE 340 DEG AT GUSTING 17 KTS. A RAIN SHOWER PASSED BY WHILE WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY AT A HIGHER IDLE PWR SETTING TO BURN OFF WT. WITH DIFFERENT TEMP AND WIND CONDITIONS USED IN CALCULATIONS I ADVISED THE CAPT AT LEAST 4 TIMES WE WOULD STILL BE ABOVE MAX TKOF WT. AFTER THE RAIN SHOWER HAD PASSED AND SITTING APPROX 45 MINS AT HIGH IDLE PWR AND TWR ADVISED US THE TEMP WAS NOT 6 DEG COOLER. THIS PUT US RIGHT AT MAX TKOF WT WITH A 0 WIND COMPONENT. AT ONE POINT WE TOLD THE TWR WE NEEDED A 0 WIND COMPONENT TO LEGALLY TKOF. WHILE NOTICING A LIMP WINDSOCK THE CAPT TOLD THE TWR WE WERE READY FOR TKOF, HOWEVER, THE TWR ADVISED WIND OF 330 AT 6 KTS GIVING US A 5 KT TAILWIND COMPONENT! WE HAD APPROX A 1000 POUND WT PENALTY PER 1 KT TAILWIND COMPONENT PUTTING US STILL ALMOST 5000 POUNDS OVER WT. WE PROCEEDED TO SAFELY TKOF. THE CAPT KNEW WE WERE OVER WT BUT I FELT PUT COMPANY AND PAX CONNECTION REASONS ABOVE SAFETY. AS FO I POLITELY SAID SEVERAL TIMES WE WOULD STILL BE OVER WT UNLESS A 0 WIND CONDITION OCCURRED. THE FE NEVER EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN OR FEELINGS FOR OUR WT CONDITIONS. I WISHED HE WOULD HAVE BACKED ME UP MORE. IT WAS ALSO THE LAST LEG OF A 3 DAY TRIP.

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.