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Flight crew of a B757 noticed a 'heavy nose' upon becoming airborne after takeoff. Subsequently learned that load control had not considered the blocking of the last 8 rows of seats.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 345800 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199608 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sea |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 153 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 345800 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Aircraft was a B757 scheduled passenger flight. Aircraft was dispatched with rows 33-41 (last 8 rows) blocked off due to an odor. Part of carpet by these rows had already been removed. Aircraft was full except for blocked seats. On taxi out before load data received on ACARS, I asked operations if load control (at different city) was aware of no passenger in rear of aircraft. I was told they were, as the blocked seats were on our release. Load data came with a 187000 pounds gross weight (138 passenger), 25.7 percent mac center of gravity, and 3.6 stabilizer trim. On takeoff, captain (PF) noticed the nose was heavy. After airborne, queried dispatch to make sure load control was aware of blocked seats. After a little while, dispatch sent message that load control was not aware of the blocked seats and new load data was coming. When new data came, actual center of gravity was 17.1 percent mac and trim was 5.2. Dispatch stated it was partly his fault for not including blocked seats in remarks on release. Operations at departure station thought load control knew since the MEL on the release showed seats were unusable. I should have asked operations to call load control to make sure that the load data was correct, instead of taking operations' word that load should have known. Obviously, everyone involved assumed that load control had correct aircraft (passenger) confign.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B757 NOTICED A 'HVY NOSE' UPON BECOMING AIRBORNE AFTER TKOF. SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT LOAD CTL HAD NOT CONSIDERED THE BLOCKING OF THE LAST 8 ROWS OF SEATS.
Narrative: ACFT WAS A B757 SCHEDULED PAX FLT. ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH ROWS 33-41 (LAST 8 ROWS) BLOCKED OFF DUE TO AN ODOR. PART OF CARPET BY THESE ROWS HAD ALREADY BEEN REMOVED. ACFT WAS FULL EXCEPT FOR BLOCKED SEATS. ON TAXI OUT BEFORE LOAD DATA RECEIVED ON ACARS, I ASKED OPS IF LOAD CTL (AT DIFFERENT CITY) WAS AWARE OF NO PAX IN REAR OF ACFT. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE, AS THE BLOCKED SEATS WERE ON OUR RELEASE. LOAD DATA CAME WITH A 187000 LBS GROSS WT (138 PAX), 25.7 PERCENT MAC CTR OF GRAVITY, AND 3.6 STABILIZER TRIM. ON TKOF, CAPT (PF) NOTICED THE NOSE WAS HVY. AFTER AIRBORNE, QUERIED DISPATCH TO MAKE SURE LOAD CTL WAS AWARE OF BLOCKED SEATS. AFTER A LITTLE WHILE, DISPATCH SENT MESSAGE THAT LOAD CTL WAS NOT AWARE OF THE BLOCKED SEATS AND NEW LOAD DATA WAS COMING. WHEN NEW DATA CAME, ACTUAL CTR OF GRAVITY WAS 17.1 PERCENT MAC AND TRIM WAS 5.2. DISPATCH STATED IT WAS PARTLY HIS FAULT FOR NOT INCLUDING BLOCKED SEATS IN REMARKS ON RELEASE. OPS AT DEP STATION THOUGHT LOAD CTL KNEW SINCE THE MEL ON THE RELEASE SHOWED SEATS WERE UNUSABLE. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED OPS TO CALL LOAD CTL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LOAD DATA WAS CORRECT, INSTEAD OF TAKING OPS' WORD THAT LOAD SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. OBVIOUSLY, EVERYONE INVOLVED ASSUMED THAT LOAD CTL HAD CORRECT ACFT (PAX) CONFIGN.
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.