Narrative:

Flight arrives at XA07, and is received by station supervisor. He advises that turnaround will probably take 1 hour, also that we would carry 2 jump seat riders -- both airline employees. One authority/authorized already approved, and the second one forthcoming. Due to lack or availability of qualified personnel, the flight crew has to handle the preparation of the return trip's paperwork (weight and balance, fueling, flight plan, etc). Late jump seat authority/authorized finally arrives and flight engineer puts it in trip envelope. First officer handling the weight and balance had delayed adding the second rider's figures until receiving word of ok and jump seat authority/authorized by the station manager. Captain included name of second rider on flight plan and signed weight and balance form, a copy was given to ground personnel. Flight departed for miami, fl, and after an uneventful trip, it arrived there at XE07. During parking checks, the local FSDO FAA team showed up to perform a ramp check, and at the conclusion of same, found the following discrepancies: 1) the delayed jump seat authority/authorized for the second rider was issued using the other merging airline's form. 2) jump seater's designation did not conform to current requirements under part 121.547, AC, admission to flight deck. 3) second jump seat rider's weight (210 pounds) and trim adjustment (0.08) figures were not added on the proper form. Corrective action: crew was advised by flight operations management to expect a 1 week suspension from all duties pending investigation. Probable causes: time constraints, lack of enough ground support personnel, faulty sequencing or clerical processing of required forms. Preventing recurrence: 1) revise time limit for accepting last min requests or changes (example 'no jump seat requests allowed less than 2 hours prior to departure'). 2) designate 2 qualified individuals to handle loading, unloading, and other required paperwork. 3) standardize all required forms as soon as possible. 4) emphasize better communications and positive use of CRM principles. Human performance considerations: assuming ground support personnel's competency. Relaxed delegation of duties. Failure to recognize last min changes due to other concerns or distrs. Factors affecting human performance: performance of crew was probably affected by fatigue due to lack of proper rest (sleep). Excessive amount of duties imposed within the established time limits. Supplemental information from acn 432990: we do not have on board of the aircraft a company jump seat authority/authorized for one of the jump seaters. As a correction: remove from the company's manuals the requirements for jump seat authority/authorized and leave this matter to the captain's discretion, as defined in far 121.547, allowing flight crew members to reduce the number of documents and paperwork required for a safe flight. Supplemental information from acn 432993: type of aircraft DC8-63.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC8-63 FREIGHTER FLC DEPARTS WITH THE WRONG JUMP SEAT AUTH FORM AND AN INCORRECT WT AND BAL CALCULATION. FATIGUE AND LACK OF A QUALIFIED GND CREW WERE FACTORS.

Narrative: FLT ARRIVES AT XA07, AND IS RECEIVED BY STATION SUPVR. HE ADVISES THAT TURNAROUND WILL PROBABLY TAKE 1 HR, ALSO THAT WE WOULD CARRY 2 JUMP SEAT RIDERS -- BOTH AIRLINE EMPLOYEES. ONE AUTH ALREADY APPROVED, AND THE SECOND ONE FORTHCOMING. DUE TO LACK OR AVAILABILITY OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL, THE FLC HAS TO HANDLE THE PREPARATION OF THE RETURN TRIP'S PAPERWORK (WT AND BAL, FUELING, FLT PLAN, ETC). LATE JUMP SEAT AUTH FINALLY ARRIVES AND FE PUTS IT IN TRIP ENVELOPE. FO HANDLING THE WT AND BAL HAD DELAYED ADDING THE SECOND RIDER'S FIGURES UNTIL RECEIVING WORD OF OK AND JUMP SEAT AUTH BY THE STATION MGR. CAPT INCLUDED NAME OF SECOND RIDER ON FLT PLAN AND SIGNED WT AND BAL FORM, A COPY WAS GIVEN TO GND PERSONNEL. FLT DEPARTED FOR MIAMI, FL, AND AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TRIP, IT ARRIVED THERE AT XE07. DURING PARKING CHKS, THE LCL FSDO FAA TEAM SHOWED UP TO PERFORM A RAMP CHK, AND AT THE CONCLUSION OF SAME, FOUND THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCIES: 1) THE DELAYED JUMP SEAT AUTH FOR THE SECOND RIDER WAS ISSUED USING THE OTHER MERGING AIRLINE'S FORM. 2) JUMP SEATER'S DESIGNATION DID NOT CONFORM TO CURRENT REQUIREMENTS UNDER PART 121.547, AC, ADMISSION TO FLT DECK. 3) SECOND JUMP SEAT RIDER'S WT (210 LBS) AND TRIM ADJUSTMENT (0.08) FIGURES WERE NOT ADDED ON THE PROPER FORM. CORRECTIVE ACTION: CREW WAS ADVISED BY FLT OPS MGMNT TO EXPECT A 1 WK SUSPENSION FROM ALL DUTIES PENDING INVESTIGATION. PROBABLE CAUSES: TIME CONSTRAINTS, LACK OF ENOUGH GND SUPPORT PERSONNEL, FAULTY SEQUENCING OR CLERICAL PROCESSING OF REQUIRED FORMS. PREVENTING RECURRENCE: 1) REVISE TIME LIMIT FOR ACCEPTING LAST MIN REQUESTS OR CHANGES (EXAMPLE 'NO JUMP SEAT REQUESTS ALLOWED LESS THAN 2 HRS PRIOR TO DEP'). 2) DESIGNATE 2 QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO HANDLE LOADING, UNLOADING, AND OTHER REQUIRED PAPERWORK. 3) STANDARDIZE ALL REQUIRED FORMS ASAP. 4) EMPHASIZE BETTER COMS AND POSITIVE USE OF CRM PRINCIPLES. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: ASSUMING GND SUPPORT PERSONNEL'S COMPETENCY. RELAXED DELEGATION OF DUTIES. FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE LAST MIN CHANGES DUE TO OTHER CONCERNS OR DISTRS. FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE OF CREW WAS PROBABLY AFFECTED BY FATIGUE DUE TO LACK OF PROPER REST (SLEEP). EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DUTIES IMPOSED WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED TIME LIMITS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 432990: WE DO NOT HAVE ON BOARD OF THE ACFT A COMPANY JUMP SEAT AUTH FOR ONE OF THE JUMP SEATERS. AS A CORRECTION: REMOVE FROM THE COMPANY'S MANUALS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR JUMP SEAT AUTH AND LEAVE THIS MATTER TO THE CAPT'S DISCRETION, AS DEFINED IN FAR 121.547, ALLOWING FLC MEMBERS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS AND PAPERWORK REQUIRED FOR A SAFE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 432993: TYPE OF ACFT DC8-63.

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.