<< >> NASA ASRS Report 378390, August 1997

First officer of an atx light transport, turboprop twin, discovered that his hand-held calculator made unwarranted errors resulting in errors on several past flts on which he had calculated the aircraft weight and balance.

Attributes
ACN	378390
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	378390
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I discovered that my calculator that I do weight and balance with was malfunctioning. By that I mean when I would hit a key another number would register on the display, which would then be entered in the calculation. I think that some of my weight and balance calculation could then be off, by undetermined amounts. I should have taken better care to see that the number entered was what I put in. I discovered this problem while doing my check book at home. Corrective actions: get new calculator and take more time when doing weight and balance. From now on take better care of calculator and check numbers that are on display. Slow down and think.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN ATX LTT, TURBOPROP TWIN, DISCOVERED THAT HIS HAND-HELD CALCULATOR MADE UNWARRANTED ERRORS RESULTING IN ERRORS ON SEVERAL PAST FLTS ON WHICH HE HAD CALCULATED THE ACFT WT AND BAL.

Narrative: I DISCOVERED THAT MY CALCULATOR THAT I DO WT AND BAL WITH WAS MALFUNCTIONING. BY THAT I MEAN WHEN I WOULD HIT A KEY ANOTHER NUMBER WOULD REGISTER ON THE DISPLAY, WHICH WOULD THEN BE ENTERED IN THE CALCULATION. I THINK THAT SOME OF MY WT AND BAL CALCULATION COULD THEN BE OFF, BY UNDETERMINED AMOUNTS. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN BETTER CARE TO SEE THAT THE NUMBER ENTERED WAS WHAT I PUT IN. I DISCOVERED THIS PROB WHILE DOING MY CHK BOOK AT HOME. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: GET NEW CALCULATOR AND TAKE MORE TIME WHEN DOING WT AND BAL. FROM NOW ON TAKE BETTER CARE OF CALCULATOR AND CHK NUMBERS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY. SLOW DOWN AND THINK.

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.