Narrative:

While in cruise over lake michigan we received a call from our dispatcher advising us that the passenger count and weight data given us at jfk was incorrect. The passenger count was 7 additional to what was given us. That, added to the 400 pound discrepancy in cargo found when an audit was conducted at den, increased our actual takeoff gross weight by 2000 pounds! Although the gate agent in jfk twice told us that the passenger count was correct, there was still a 7 passenger error. Due to heavy travel (many families) it is hard to get an accurate count because under 2 yrs old (lap children) are put in empty seats and the number of lap children and passenger becomes confused. Added to this is the public pressure, put on the airline and xferred to the agents, by government statistics on 'on time' performance. Runway 22R at jfk is long and was dry at the time of takeoff and the aircraft was 4300 pounds below maximum takeoff weight, so there was no problem on takeoff. But, had the conditions been worse, this 2000 pound error would have been a real problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LGT IS INFORMED INFLT THAT THE PAX COUNT WAS WRONG AND A 400 LB CARGO DISCREPANCY WAS FOUND. THIS RESULTED IN A 2000 LB ERROR FOR TKOF.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE OVER LAKE MICHIGAN WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR DISPATCHER ADVISING US THAT THE PAX COUNT AND WT DATA GIVEN US AT JFK WAS INCORRECT. THE PAX COUNT WAS 7 ADDITIONAL TO WHAT WAS GIVEN US. THAT, ADDED TO THE 400 LB DISCREPANCY IN CARGO FOUND WHEN AN AUDIT WAS CONDUCTED AT DEN, INCREASED OUR ACTUAL TKOF GROSS WT BY 2000 LBS! ALTHOUGH THE GATE AGENT IN JFK TWICE TOLD US THAT THE PAX COUNT WAS CORRECT, THERE WAS STILL A 7 PAX ERROR. DUE TO HVY TRAVEL (MANY FAMILIES) IT IS HARD TO GET AN ACCURATE COUNT BECAUSE UNDER 2 YRS OLD (LAP CHILDREN) ARE PUT IN EMPTY SEATS AND THE NUMBER OF LAP CHILDREN AND PAX BECOMES CONFUSED. ADDED TO THIS IS THE PUBLIC PRESSURE, PUT ON THE AIRLINE AND XFERRED TO THE AGENTS, BY GOV STATISTICS ON 'ON TIME' PERFORMANCE. RWY 22R AT JFK IS LONG AND WAS DRY AT THE TIME OF TKOF AND THE ACFT WAS 4300 LBS BELOW MAX TKOF WT, SO THERE WAS NO PROB ON TKOF. BUT, HAD THE CONDITIONS BEEN WORSE, THIS 2000 LB ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL PROB.

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.