Narrative:

We were planned to be near maximum takeoff weight as per pink bulletin, our departure was held at the gate until we had load close-out. There was some confusion over our actual weight for taxi and takeoff. It seemed that the computer would not accept the calculations from the baggage handlers. Our close-out was received with ZFW 239375 pounds fob 109400 pounds and takeoff weight 348775 pounds. Our fuel at the gate before departure was 110000 pounds. Due to the WX, the change of runways at ord and our long taxi time, our takeoff fob was 108000 pounds and takeoff weight was 347300 pounds. Approximately 20 mins after takeoff we received an ACARS message from company flight dispatch that we were 1151 pounds over maximum takeoff weight and we needed an overweight inspection at arn. We requested our corrected ZFW and it was 242951 pounds and with our takeoff fob of 108000 pounds our actual takeoff weight was 350951 pounds, just under our maximum takeoff weight of 351000 pounds. We were informed that we had exceeded our maximum taxi weight by 1273 pounds. Dispatch requested our passenger count and number of children onboard, which we counted as 163 and 12 children. After arrival in arn, our load was weighted and it was determined that we were only 400 pounds overweight. We in the cockpit have no way of checking our weight except by the numbers given to us by load control and as this incident shows that even if the computer will not accept the numbers to calculate our actual load, the safeguards can be overridden to give the crews the continuation of previous of 25 overweight aircraft the numbers required for takeoff even if the numbers are erroneous. I know that our system of calculating takeoff weights of the aircraft is not exact. We crews would like to think that the system would err on the lighter side of maximum takeoff weight. Supplemental information from acn 305828: the ground crew in arn offloaded the cargo and baggage to weigh them to see if we were actually overweight on takeoff or taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B-767 FLC EXCEEDED MAX TAXI AND TKOF LIMITATIONS BY 400 LBS. CONFUSION AT LOAD CLOSE-OUT RESULTED IN ERRONEOUS CALCULATIONS.

Narrative: WE WERE PLANNED TO BE NEAR MAX TKOF WT AS PER PINK BULLETIN, OUR DEP WAS HELD AT THE GATE UNTIL WE HAD LOAD CLOSE-OUT. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION OVER OUR ACTUAL WT FOR TAXI AND TKOF. IT SEEMED THAT THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE CALCULATIONS FROM THE BAGGAGE HANDLERS. OUR CLOSE-OUT WAS RECEIVED WITH ZFW 239375 LBS FOB 109400 LBS AND TKOF WT 348775 LBS. OUR FUEL AT THE GATE BEFORE DEP WAS 110000 LBS. DUE TO THE WX, THE CHANGE OF RWYS AT ORD AND OUR LONG TAXI TIME, OUR TKOF FOB WAS 108000 LBS AND TKOF WT WAS 347300 LBS. APPROX 20 MINS AFTER TKOF WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM COMPANY FLT DISPATCH THAT WE WERE 1151 LBS OVER MAX TKOF WT AND WE NEEDED AN OVERWT INSPECTION AT ARN. WE REQUESTED OUR CORRECTED ZFW AND IT WAS 242951 LBS AND WITH OUR TKOF FOB OF 108000 LBS OUR ACTUAL TKOF WT WAS 350951 LBS, JUST UNDER OUR MAX TKOF WT OF 351000 LBS. WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE HAD EXCEEDED OUR MAX TAXI WT BY 1273 LBS. DISPATCH REQUESTED OUR PAX COUNT AND NUMBER OF CHILDREN ONBOARD, WHICH WE COUNTED AS 163 AND 12 CHILDREN. AFTER ARR IN ARN, OUR LOAD WAS WEIGHTED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE WERE ONLY 400 LBS OVERWT. WE IN THE COCKPIT HAVE NO WAY OF CHKING OUR WT EXCEPT BY THE NUMBERS GIVEN TO US BY LOAD CTL AND AS THIS INCIDENT SHOWS THAT EVEN IF THE COMPUTER WILL NOT ACCEPT THE NUMBERS TO CALCULATE OUR ACTUAL LOAD, THE SAFEGUARDS CAN BE OVERRIDDEN TO GIVE THE CREWS THE CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS OF 25 OVERWT ACFT THE NUMBERS REQUIRED FOR TKOF EVEN IF THE NUMBERS ARE ERRONEOUS. I KNOW THAT OUR SYS OF CALCULATING TKOF WTS OF THE ACFT IS NOT EXACT. WE CREWS WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THE SYS WOULD ERR ON THE LIGHTER SIDE OF MAX TKOF WT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305828: THE GND CREW IN ARN OFFLOADED THE CARGO AND BAGGAGE TO WEIGH THEM TO SEE IF WE WERE ACTUALLY OVERWT ON TKOF OR TAXI.

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.