Flight crew of an air carrier heavy transport exceeded the takeoff runway limit and maximum landing weight due to the aircraft load manifest showed pounds instead of kilos during preflight at a foreign airport.

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Attributes
ACN	347307
Time
Date	199608
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : scl
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Super DC-8 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	347307
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft has a 39000 pound load, according to santiago, chile, load agents repeated questioning that it was pounds, not kilos. Agents asserted that, yes it was definitely pounds. At cruise fuel score was way off and it was evident. We needed a fuel stop to continue to mia. Stopped in lima, peru, where it was verified that the load was kilos!! (2.21 pounds) that meant that we took off over runway limit and landed way above structural landing weight. The chilean auths are considering attempted manslaughter charges against the 3 load agents in santiago. The DC8-73 series will well handle a 43000 pound mistake on takeoff and climb, but in cruise it was evident we had some kind of problem, be it drag, center of gravity, or weight. We added speed to approach/landing bugs but the equation at that time had too many variables to really know what was wrong. Company has installed various procedures to ensure this will not happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR HVT EXCEEDED THE TKOF RWY LIMIT AND MAX LNDG WT DUE TO THE ACFT LOAD MANIFEST SHOWED LBS INSTEAD OF KILOS DURING PREFLT AT A FOREIGN ARPT.

Narrative: ACFT HAS A 39000 LB LOAD, ACCORDING TO SANTIAGO, CHILE, LOAD AGENTS REPEATED QUESTIONING THAT IT WAS LBS, NOT KILOS. AGENTS ASSERTED THAT, YES IT WAS DEFINITELY LBS. AT CRUISE FUEL SCORE WAS WAY OFF AND IT WAS EVIDENT. WE NEEDED A FUEL STOP TO CONTINUE TO MIA. STOPPED IN LIMA, PERU, WHERE IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THE LOAD WAS KILOS!! (2.21 LBS) THAT MEANT THAT WE TOOK OFF OVER RWY LIMIT AND LANDED WAY ABOVE STRUCTURAL LNDG WT. THE CHILEAN AUTHS ARE CONSIDERING ATTEMPTED MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES AGAINST THE 3 LOAD AGENTS IN SANTIAGO. THE DC8-73 SERIES WILL WELL HANDLE A 43000 LB MISTAKE ON TKOF AND CLB, BUT IN CRUISE IT WAS EVIDENT WE HAD SOME KIND OF PROB, BE IT DRAG, CTR OF GRAVITY, OR WT. WE ADDED SPD TO APCH/LNDG BUGS BUT THE EQUATION AT THAT TIME HAD TOO MANY VARIABLES TO REALLY KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. COMPANY HAS INSTALLED VARIOUS PROCS TO ENSURE THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.