Narrative:

We were close to pushback time with a full airplane. Just prior to pulling the jetway, the gate agent arrived to pull 2 passengers off of the flight for weight reasons. The agent closed the door. We started engines and pwred back from the gate, then taxied to the active runway. We had not received weight data via ACARS as we approached the hold short, so we asked ground if we could pull into the runup pad to await numbers. We did not receive our weight data promptly so we contacted load control over the radio. They were unsure what the holdup was so we contacted dispatch. Dispatch informed us that they were waiting for the final numbers from the weight and balance department. We continued to wait, and when the delay started to become excessive we again contacted dispatch for an update. By this time we were below takeoff gross weight, but dispatch informed us that we had taxied out of the gate above gross taxi weight. We were told to return to the gate for appropriate action. Leaving the gate without weight data is an approved procedure and is the norm at our carrier, as it is at most airlines. But in those few instances when it comes right down to the wire, the aircraft should be held at the gate until the weight data is completed. The pressure to get an on-time departure may occasionally preclude dispatch or load control from delaying a flight in these close cases. The difference between at gross taxi weight and over gross is only one pound. Since the exact weight numbers for any particular ship is kept in a computer by load control, or weight and balance, the cockpit crew will never know exactly how much they weigh prior to receiving weight data from the company. I think the proper corrective action would be for dispatch to hold the flight if there is any doubt, and accept the delay in the interest of safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ACFT WAS TAXIED WHEN EXCEEDING THE GROSS APPROVED TAXI WT LIMITATION.

Narrative: WE WERE CLOSE TO PUSHBACK TIME WITH A FULL AIRPLANE. JUST PRIOR TO PULLING THE JETWAY, THE GATE AGENT ARRIVED TO PULL 2 PAXS OFF OF THE FLT FOR WT REASONS. THE AGENT CLOSED THE DOOR. WE STARTED ENGS AND PWRED BACK FROM THE GATE, THEN TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE RWY. WE HAD NOT RECEIVED WT DATA VIA ACARS AS WE APCHED THE HOLD SHORT, SO WE ASKED GND IF WE COULD PULL INTO THE RUNUP PAD TO AWAIT NUMBERS. WE DID NOT RECEIVE OUR WT DATA PROMPTLY SO WE CONTACTED LOAD CTL OVER THE RADIO. THEY WERE UNSURE WHAT THE HOLDUP WAS SO WE CONTACTED DISPATCH. DISPATCH INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE FINAL NUMBERS FROM THE WT AND BAL DEPT. WE CONTINUED TO WAIT, AND WHEN THE DELAY STARTED TO BECOME EXCESSIVE WE AGAIN CONTACTED DISPATCH FOR AN UPDATE. BY THIS TIME WE WERE BELOW TKOF GROSS WT, BUT DISPATCH INFORMED US THAT WE HAD TAXIED OUT OF THE GATE ABOVE GROSS TAXI WT. WE WERE TOLD TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION. LEAVING THE GATE WITHOUT WT DATA IS AN APPROVED PROC AND IS THE NORM AT OUR CARRIER, AS IT IS AT MOST AIRLINES. BUT IN THOSE FEW INSTANCES WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE, THE ACFT SHOULD BE HELD AT THE GATE UNTIL THE WT DATA IS COMPLETED. THE PRESSURE TO GET AN ON-TIME DEP MAY OCCASIONALLY PRECLUDE DISPATCH OR LOAD CTL FROM DELAYING A FLT IN THESE CLOSE CASES. THE DIFFERENCE BTWN AT GROSS TAXI WT AND OVER GROSS IS ONLY ONE POUND. SINCE THE EXACT WT NUMBERS FOR ANY PARTICULAR SHIP IS KEPT IN A COMPUTER BY LOAD CTL, OR WT AND BAL, THE COCKPIT CREW WILL NEVER KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY WEIGH PRIOR TO RECEIVING WT DATA FROM THE COMPANY. I THINK THE PROPER CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE FOR DISPATCH TO HOLD THE FLT IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT, AND ACCEPT THE DELAY IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.

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.