Narrative:

Had a flight scheduled ict-stl with an AB59 departure. Approximately 10- 15 mins before departure, we were notified by the agent that dispatch needed us to stop at mci to drop off one of our cabin attendants for a flight waiting to depart mci and 1 cabin attendant short. A new release followed showing 2000 pounds less fuel but we blocked out on schedule with original fuel release on board. I felt sure that a commuting cabin attendant would show up by the time we arrived and we would not have to land. The original fuel release was good for a re-file en route with dispatch changing mci to stl as destination. When in radio range of mci I learned that no cabin attendant had shown up, the plane was loaded and ready to go except 1 cabin attendant short. At this time we calculated that we would be approximately 1400 pounds overweight for landing. With that plane loaded with passenger and knowing that a smooth landing would not jeopardize safety, I decided to land the aircraft overweight (only 1400 pounds) and get the required overweight landing inspection from maintenance. It didn't seem necessary to waste the fuel, I would save about 30 mins in getting that flight on its way, and I would get off sooner to stl with my 50+ passenger having a chance to make their connections as well as be close to making our scheduled AE00 departure from stl-mke. I notified mci maintenance to have their people standing by for the inspection and a quick turn. I made the required log entry for an overweight landing and required inspection was accomplished and signed off before our departure for stl. That night, contemplating my actions of the day, the agonizing began. Had I used poor judgement and been overconfident in my ability to land smoothly? Had I allowed my desire to provide our passenger the best service possible make me use a short-cut, misuse pilot's use of emergency authority/authorized? Was 1400 pounds really a safety issue? Was my situation a justifiable condition to land overweight? Was I pressured to do what I did? Was I rushed into this action? I've concluded that regulations are foremost an effort to promote safety and that I pushed the limit by 1400 pounds. No operational time schedule or effort to provide passenger convenience is really, really a justification to not comply with a regulation in its entirely. No organization, no department, no person was responsible for my actions except me. Concerning corrective recommendations to prevent recurrence of a similar situation is difficult because my company does an excellent job in stressing, teaching, and reviewing/reminding pilots to be aggressively safety minded. I address this report to myself and ponder the phrase 'familiarity breeds contempt.'

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ERROR ADMITTED IN MAKING AN OVERWT LNDG IN AN ACR MLG DURING A NON ROUTINE PLANNED STOP AT MCI FROM ICT TO STL.

Narrative: HAD A FLT SCHEDULED ICT-STL WITH AN AB59 DEP. APPROX 10- 15 MINS BEFORE DEP, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE AGENT THAT DISPATCH NEEDED US TO STOP AT MCI TO DROP OFF ONE OF OUR CABIN ATTENDANTS FOR A FLT WAITING TO DEPART MCI AND 1 CABIN ATTENDANT SHORT. A NEW RELEASE FOLLOWED SHOWING 2000 LBS LESS FUEL BUT WE BLOCKED OUT ON SCHEDULE WITH ORIGINAL FUEL RELEASE ON BOARD. I FELT SURE THAT A COMMUTING CABIN ATTENDANT WOULD SHOW UP BY THE TIME WE ARRIVED AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO LAND. THE ORIGINAL FUEL RELEASE WAS GOOD FOR A RE-FILE ENRTE WITH DISPATCH CHANGING MCI TO STL AS DEST. WHEN IN RADIO RANGE OF MCI I LEARNED THAT NO CABIN ATTENDANT HAD SHOWN UP, THE PLANE WAS LOADED AND READY TO GO EXCEPT 1 CABIN ATTENDANT SHORT. AT THIS TIME WE CALCULATED THAT WE WOULD BE APPROX 1400 LBS OVERWT FOR LNDG. WITH THAT PLANE LOADED WITH PAX AND KNOWING THAT A SMOOTH LNDG WOULD NOT JEOPARDIZE SAFETY, I DECIDED TO LAND THE ACFT OVERWT (ONLY 1400 LBS) AND GET THE REQUIRED OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION FROM MAINT. IT DIDN'T SEEM NECESSARY TO WASTE THE FUEL, I WOULD SAVE ABOUT 30 MINS IN GETTING THAT FLT ON ITS WAY, AND I WOULD GET OFF SOONER TO STL WITH MY 50+ PAX HAVING A CHANCE TO MAKE THEIR CONNECTIONS AS WELL AS BE CLOSE TO MAKING OUR SCHEDULED AE00 DEP FROM STL-MKE. I NOTIFIED MCI MAINT TO HAVE THEIR PEOPLE STANDING BY FOR THE INSPECTION AND A QUICK TURN. I MADE THE REQUIRED LOG ENTRY FOR AN OVERWT LNDG AND REQUIRED INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND SIGNED OFF BEFORE OUR DEP FOR STL. THAT NIGHT, CONTEMPLATING MY ACTIONS OF THE DAY, THE AGONIZING BEGAN. HAD I USED POOR JUDGEMENT AND BEEN OVERCONFIDENT IN MY ABILITY TO LAND SMOOTHLY? HAD I ALLOWED MY DESIRE TO PROVIDE OUR PAX THE BEST SVC POSSIBLE MAKE ME USE A SHORT-CUT, MISUSE PLT'S USE OF EMER AUTH? WAS 1400 LBS REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE? WAS MY SIT A JUSTIFIABLE CONDITION TO LAND OVERWT? WAS I PRESSURED TO DO WHAT I DID? WAS I RUSHED INTO THIS ACTION? I'VE CONCLUDED THAT REGS ARE FOREMOST AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE SAFETY AND THAT I PUSHED THE LIMIT BY 1400 LBS. NO OPERATIONAL TIME SCHEDULE OR EFFORT TO PROVIDE PAX CONVENIENCE IS REALLY, REALLY A JUSTIFICATION TO NOT COMPLY WITH A REG IN ITS ENTIRELY. NO ORGANIZATION, NO DEPT, NO PERSON WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS EXCEPT ME. CONCERNING CORRECTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF A SIMILAR SIT IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE MY COMPANY DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IN STRESSING, TEACHING, AND REVIEWING/REMINDING PLTS TO BE AGGRESSIVELY SAFETY MINDED. I ADDRESS THIS RPT TO MYSELF AND PONDER THE PHRASE 'FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT.'

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.