Narrative:

As departure time neared, I asked first officer to 'do' the weight and balance form while I closed the cargo door. After the supervisor had left with the station's copy, I closed the forward door, sat down, and reviewed the weight and balance form. As per the fom, I verified that the aircraft center of gravity (expressed as a percent of mac) was within the published limits. It was. The flight then progressed normally to dtw. Upon shutdown in dtw, the station supervisor came on board to advise there was a problem with the weight and balance. I called lan who advised that an empty container was on board in position 11 (with a tare weight of 671 pounds) but was not included on the weight and balance report. Lan faxed a corrected copy to me in dtw. I reviewed it and determined that after adjusting the numbers to actual conditions, the center of gravity was still within limits and the elevator trim position (for takeoff) was not changed. I signed the corrected copy and faxed it back to lan. When I asked how a report could be generated with a container serial number but without the accompanying weight, supervisor said he understood that it was not supposed to. He indicated that he would call the appropriate people in sdf to find out. I recommend the computer software be modified so that a weight and balance report cannot be generated with a container weight field blank. This report is being forwarded in accordance with the FAA's internal audit process for review by company personnel. A copy is also furnished to the ipa FAA liaison committee, the ipa safety committee, and a copy to NASA via an ASRS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT ACR FREIGHT ACFT WAS OPERATED WHEN THE WT AND BAL DID NOT INCLUDE ALL CARGO WT.

Narrative: AS DEP TIME NEARED, I ASKED FO TO 'DO' THE WT AND BAL FORM WHILE I CLOSED THE CARGO DOOR. AFTER THE SUPVR HAD LEFT WITH THE STATION'S COPY, I CLOSED THE FORWARD DOOR, SAT DOWN, AND REVIEWED THE WT AND BAL FORM. AS PER THE FOM, I VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT CTR OF GRAVITY (EXPRESSED AS A PERCENT OF MAC) WAS WITHIN THE PUBLISHED LIMITS. IT WAS. THE FLT THEN PROGRESSED NORMALLY TO DTW. UPON SHUTDOWN IN DTW, THE STATION SUPVR CAME ON BOARD TO ADVISE THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE WT AND BAL. I CALLED LAN WHO ADVISED THAT AN EMPTY CONTAINER WAS ON BOARD IN POS 11 (WITH A TARE WT OF 671 LBS) BUT WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE WT AND BAL RPT. LAN FAXED A CORRECTED COPY TO ME IN DTW. I REVIEWED IT AND DETERMINED THAT AFTER ADJUSTING THE NUMBERS TO ACTUAL CONDITIONS, THE CTR OF GRAVITY WAS STILL WITHIN LIMITS AND THE ELEVATOR TRIM POS (FOR TKOF) WAS NOT CHANGED. I SIGNED THE CORRECTED COPY AND FAXED IT BACK TO LAN. WHEN I ASKED HOW A RPT COULD BE GENERATED WITH A CONTAINER SERIAL NUMBER BUT WITHOUT THE ACCOMPANYING WT, SUPVR SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO. HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD CALL THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE IN SDF TO FIND OUT. I RECOMMEND THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE BE MODIFIED SO THAT A WT AND BAL RPT CANNOT BE GENERATED WITH A CONTAINER WT FIELD BLANK. THIS RPT IS BEING FORWARDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FAA'S INTERNAL AUDIT PROCESS FOR REVIEW BY COMPANY PERSONNEL. A COPY IS ALSO FURNISHED TO THE IPA FAA LIAISON COMMITTEE, THE IPA SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND A COPY TO NASA VIA AN ASRS.

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.