<< >> NASA ASRS Report 385765, November 1997

An air carrier MD80 flight crew reports that they did not receive a reliable passenger count before takeoff. An in-flight count showed that they were approximately 30 passenger or 6000 pounds heavier than their planned gross weight.

Attributes
ACN	385765
Time
Date	199711
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	385765
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Passenger count originally given as 69 on our closeout. Revised to 78 on runway for takeoff. Got a message en route to make a head count. Head count reported 109 on board. If they knew that there was a problem, we should have been informed before departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC RPTS THAT THEY DID NOT RECEIVE A RELIABLE PAX COUNT BEFORE TKOF. AN INFLT COUNT SHOWED THAT THEY WERE APPROX 30 PAX OR 6000 LBS HEAVIER THAN THEIR PLANNED GROSS WT.

Narrative: PAX COUNT ORIGINALLY GIVEN AS 69 ON OUR CLOSEOUT. REVISED TO 78 ON RWY FOR TKOF. GOT A MESSAGE ENRTE TO MAKE A HEAD COUNT. HEAD COUNT RPTED 109 ON BOARD. IF THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A PROB, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED BEFORE DEP.

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.