Narrative:

Flight ewr to dtw was planned at 145000 pounds gross takeoff with 38900 pounds of fuel, and a zero fuel weight of 106700 pounds at the last min our ZFW was increased to 117300 pounds due to additional passenger from delayed and canceled flts. To accommodate the additional weight and still maintain landing weight requirements, planning lowered our fuel load to 24600 pounds. These changes were unknown to myself or my copilot when we started our taxi. Our scheduled xaool departure from ewr was delayed by 1 1/2 hours due to aircraft late arrival and maintenance. The maintenance required a change to our release due to 2 boxed items and dispatch was notified. Before departing the gate, our fuel slip was checked with fuel on board and flight plan. All was correct and we had 38900 pounds on board. Our load advice was received via ACARS and a quick check showed our takeoff gross weight of 141.9 to be less than our close out maximum gross landing of 150.5. The load advice did indicate released #01 amend #01 and my flight plan showed no amendments. However we had added 2 MEL items to our release and signed off verbally. This I assumed was the amendment. Takeoff roll was normal up to rotation at 143 KTS. The nose seemed heavy and I thought the center of gravity was wrong or we were heavier than planned. I allowed the airspeed to increase another 10 KTS, continued the rotation and flew the departure at target plus 20 KTS. No problems were encountered with the flight other than delaying landing until we were down to maximum gross landing weight. Our obvious mistake, as the flight crew was not to notice that the fuel on the load advice was a lot less then our actual fuel. Since we received the load advice after we left the gate, my copilot loaded the gross weight into the fuel predep page. Had we received it before gate departure he would have loaded the 2 ZFW into the initial page and our FMGC would have computed the correct weight. Flight management guidance computer would have computed the correct weight. A rechk of our numbers showed that we were 14000 pounds heavier than we thought. At 156000 pounds, we were still 4000 pounds less than the flaps 1 degree, runway 22R limit of 160000 pounds. The difference was our rotate speed as it should have been 148 KTS, not 143 KTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TOOK OFF WITH THE WRONG FUEL LOAD ONBOARD.

Narrative: FLT EWR TO DTW WAS PLANNED AT 145000 LBS GROSS TKOF WITH 38900 LBS OF FUEL, AND A ZERO FUEL WT OF 106700 LBS AT THE LAST MIN OUR ZFW WAS INCREASED TO 117300 LBS DUE TO ADDITIONAL PAX FROM DELAYED AND CANCELED FLTS. TO ACCOMMODATE THE ADDITIONAL WT AND STILL MAINTAIN LNDG WT REQUIREMENTS, PLANNING LOWERED OUR FUEL LOAD TO 24600 LBS. THESE CHANGES WERE UNKNOWN TO MYSELF OR MY COPLT WHEN WE STARTED OUR TAXI. OUR SCHEDULED XAOOL DEP FROM EWR WAS DELAYED BY 1 1/2 HRS DUE TO ACFT LATE ARR AND MAINT. THE MAINT REQUIRED A CHANGE TO OUR RELEASE DUE TO 2 BOXED ITEMS AND DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED. BEFORE DEPARTING THE GATE, OUR FUEL SLIP WAS CHKED WITH FUEL ON BOARD AND FLT PLAN. ALL WAS CORRECT AND WE HAD 38900 LBS ON BOARD. OUR LOAD ADVICE WAS RECEIVED VIA ACARS AND A QUICK CHK SHOWED OUR TKOF GROSS WT OF 141.9 TO BE LESS THAN OUR CLOSE OUT MAX GROSS LNDG OF 150.5. THE LOAD ADVICE DID INDICATE RELEASED #01 AMEND #01 AND MY FLT PLAN SHOWED NO AMENDMENTS. HOWEVER WE HAD ADDED 2 MEL ITEMS TO OUR RELEASE AND SIGNED OFF VERBALLY. THIS I ASSUMED WAS THE AMENDMENT. TKOF ROLL WAS NORMAL UP TO ROTATION AT 143 KTS. THE NOSE SEEMED HVY AND I THOUGHT THE CTR OF GRAVITY WAS WRONG OR WE WERE HEAVIER THAN PLANNED. I ALLOWED THE AIRSPD TO INCREASE ANOTHER 10 KTS, CONTINUED THE ROTATION AND FLEW THE DEP AT TARGET PLUS 20 KTS. NO PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED WITH THE FLT OTHER THAN DELAYING LNDG UNTIL WE WERE DOWN TO MAX GROSS LNDG WT. OUR OBVIOUS MISTAKE, AS THE FLC WAS NOT TO NOTICE THAT THE FUEL ON THE LOAD ADVICE WAS A LOT LESS THEN OUR ACTUAL FUEL. SINCE WE RECEIVED THE LOAD ADVICE AFTER WE LEFT THE GATE, MY COPLT LOADED THE GROSS WT INTO THE FUEL PREDEP PAGE. HAD WE RECEIVED IT BEFORE GATE DEP HE WOULD HAVE LOADED THE 2 ZFW INTO THE INITIAL PAGE AND OUR FMGC WOULD HAVE COMPUTED THE CORRECT WT. FLT MGMNT GUIDANCE COMPUTER WOULD HAVE COMPUTED THE CORRECT WT. A RECHK OF OUR NUMBERS SHOWED THAT WE WERE 14000 LBS HEAVIER THAN WE THOUGHT. AT 156000 LBS, WE WERE STILL 4000 LBS LESS THAN THE FLAPS 1 DEG, RWY 22R LIMIT OF 160000 LBS. THE DIFFERENCE WAS OUR ROTATE SPD AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 148 KTS, NOT 143 KTS.

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.