Narrative:

This incident involves an overweight takeoff from dfw airport on dec/xa/97 in an SF340B aircraft. Our structural takeoff limit is 29000 pounds. As it turned out, we took off at 29603 pounds. I, acting as first officer, was unaware of this at the time. Holding short of runway 17R for takeoff, tower informed us that our dispatcher was trying to reach us. The captain switched to dispatch and I remained on tower frequency to advise them, and to take instructions. (I did not monitor the captain's conversation on dispatch.) tower instructed us to cross runway 17R, make a u-turn and hold short runway 17R facing west. While holding short and facing west, I continued to monitor tower only. (I will mention here that the takeoff weight provided to me by the captain was 28800 pounds -- below our structural limit and below our runway and climb limit that evening.) the captain said to me on intercom that we were a few hundred pounds overweight. I asked if we needed to taxi back or could we park somewhere to burn it off. He replied it would take too long to burn off. At this point, he went off frequency again to speak to dispatch or the load room. I assumed they were manipulating our fuel load to meet release fuel. This was my thought after he came back up on the intercom and said our weight was ok and we could go. En route we received an ACARS saying we had taken off 600 pounds overweight. In retrospect, I see that I should have monitored the captain's conversation with the dispatcher and I should have questioned the captain more thoroughly and made myself more a part of the decision making loop.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR SF34 FLC DEPARTED AT A GROSS WT APPROX 600 LBS OVER THEIR STRUCTURAL WT LIMIT. THIS WAS DONE EVEN THOUGH THE CAPT SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME DISCUSSING THE SIT WITH A DISPATCHER BEFORE TKOF. THE FO RPTR WAS NOT A PARTY TO THESE DISCUSSIONS.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT INVOLVES AN OVERWT TKOF FROM DFW ARPT ON DEC/XA/97 IN AN SF340B ACFT. OUR STRUCTURAL TKOF LIMIT IS 29000 LBS. AS IT TURNED OUT, WE TOOK OFF AT 29603 LBS. I, ACTING AS FO, WAS UNAWARE OF THIS AT THE TIME. HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 17R FOR TKOF, TWR INFORMED US THAT OUR DISPATCHER WAS TRYING TO REACH US. THE CAPT SWITCHED TO DISPATCH AND I REMAINED ON TWR FREQ TO ADVISE THEM, AND TO TAKE INSTRUCTIONS. (I DID NOT MONITOR THE CAPT'S CONVERSATION ON DISPATCH.) TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CROSS RWY 17R, MAKE A U-TURN AND HOLD SHORT RWY 17R FACING W. WHILE HOLDING SHORT AND FACING W, I CONTINUED TO MONITOR TWR ONLY. (I WILL MENTION HERE THAT THE TKOF WT PROVIDED TO ME BY THE CAPT WAS 28800 LBS -- BELOW OUR STRUCTURAL LIMIT AND BELOW OUR RWY AND CLB LIMIT THAT EVENING.) THE CAPT SAID TO ME ON INTERCOM THAT WE WERE A FEW HUNDRED LBS OVERWT. I ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO TAXI BACK OR COULD WE PARK SOMEWHERE TO BURN IT OFF. HE REPLIED IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO BURN OFF. AT THIS POINT, HE WENT OFF FREQ AGAIN TO SPEAK TO DISPATCH OR THE LOAD ROOM. I ASSUMED THEY WERE MANIPULATING OUR FUEL LOAD TO MEET RELEASE FUEL. THIS WAS MY THOUGHT AFTER HE CAME BACK UP ON THE INTERCOM AND SAID OUR WT WAS OK AND WE COULD GO. ENRTE WE RECEIVED AN ACARS SAYING WE HAD TAKEN OFF 600 LBS OVERWT. IN RETROSPECT, I SEE THAT I SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE CAPT'S CONVERSATION WITH THE DISPATCHER AND I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CAPT MORE THOROUGHLY AND MADE MYSELF MORE A PART OF THE DECISION MAKING LOOP.

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.