Narrative:

During the last day of departure of a 5 day flight sequence, ramp personnel provided the crew with weight and balance paperwork that showed a discrepancy of 14000 pounds of fuel. The computer-generated form showed 26000 pounds, when we actually had 40000 pounds. We (the flight crew) didn't catch the error until after pushback, when we had to hastily complete a manual weight and balance form to determine our legality for takeoff. We were legal, so we made a normal trip from ind to bos, they notified ind ramp of the error. I think there were several contributing factors to this: the normal departure fuel with relatively good WX is approximately 26-28000 pounds. Our crew flew that particular trip (bos-ind-bos) all week, and that friday night/sat morning was the only time there was any significant WX all week. By having dtw as an alternate for bos, the fuel was bumped up an abnormal amount, so both the crew and the ramp personnel were used to a fuel load similar to the one on the errant weight and balance. Operating 'back side of the clock' all week and having 'get homeitis' on the last day of a week long pairing probably resulted in both ground personnel and crew not reviewing the weight and balance thoroughly and properly. Also, the incidence of error from the ramp personnel is very small. Some corrective actions might include more thorough and repetitive training in reviewing the paperwork, as well as training in preventing fatigue during 'back side of the clock' operation, although I think the latter is done pretty well -- partly as a result of the NASA sleep study done. Lastly, I think personal vigilance and discipline is just as important in this case. Supplemental information from acn 209804. Often the paperwork goes past between the flight engineer and captain without the chance for the first officer to review and doublechk. Remedy -- make sure all flight members have a chance to review paperwork.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CARGO LGT LEAVES GATE WITH WRONG NUMBERS FOR FUEL LOAD. FLC RECALCULATES WT AND BAL PRIOR TO TKOF WHILE THEY'RE TAXIING.

Narrative: DURING THE LAST DAY OF DEP OF A 5 DAY FLT SEQUENCE, RAMP PERSONNEL PROVIDED THE CREW WITH WT AND BAL PAPERWORK THAT SHOWED A DISCREPANCY OF 14000 POUNDS OF FUEL. THE COMPUTER-GENERATED FORM SHOWED 26000 POUNDS, WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAD 40000 POUNDS. WE (THE FLC) DIDN'T CATCH THE ERROR UNTIL AFTER PUSHBACK, WHEN WE HAD TO HASTILY COMPLETE A MANUAL WT AND BAL FORM TO DETERMINE OUR LEGALITY FOR TKOF. WE WERE LEGAL, SO WE MADE A NORMAL TRIP FROM IND TO BOS, THEY NOTIFIED IND RAMP OF THE ERROR. I THINK THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS: THE NORMAL DEP FUEL WITH RELATIVELY GOOD WX IS APPROX 26-28000 POUNDS. OUR CREW FLEW THAT PARTICULAR TRIP (BOS-IND-BOS) ALL WK, AND THAT FRIDAY NIGHT/SAT MORNING WAS THE ONLY TIME THERE WAS ANY SIGNIFICANT WX ALL WK. BY HAVING DTW AS AN ALTERNATE FOR BOS, THE FUEL WAS BUMPED UP AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT, SO BOTH THE CREW AND THE RAMP PERSONNEL WERE USED TO A FUEL LOAD SIMILAR TO THE ONE ON THE ERRANT WT AND BAL. OPERATING 'BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK' ALL WK AND HAVING 'GET HOMEITIS' ON THE LAST DAY OF A WK LONG PAIRING PROBABLY RESULTED IN BOTH GND PERSONNEL AND CREW NOT REVIEWING THE WT AND BAL THOROUGHLY AND PROPERLY. ALSO, THE INCIDENCE OF ERROR FROM THE RAMP PERSONNEL IS VERY SMALL. SOME CORRECTIVE ACTIONS MIGHT INCLUDE MORE THOROUGH AND REPETITIVE TRAINING IN REVIEWING THE PAPERWORK, AS WELL AS TRAINING IN PREVENTING FATIGUE DURING 'BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK' OP, ALTHOUGH I THINK THE LATTER IS DONE PRETTY WELL -- PARTLY AS A RESULT OF THE NASA SLEEP STUDY DONE. LASTLY, I THINK PERSONAL VIGILANCE AND DISCIPLINE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT IN THIS CASE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 209804. OFTEN THE PAPERWORK GOES PAST BTWN THE FE AND CAPT WITHOUT THE CHANCE FOR THE FO TO REVIEW AND DOUBLECHK. REMEDY -- MAKE SURE ALL FLT MEMBERS HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW PAPERWORK.

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.