B727 crew departed with incorrect weight and balance paperwork.

Attributes
ACN	448048
Time
Date	199909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	448048
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

The person preparing our weight and balance paperwork mistakenly thought the aircraft had an inoperative fuel pump rather than an inoperative fuel gauge. This caused the paperwork to reflect a requirement for 12900 pounds of unusable MEL fuel. This mistaken requirement took the MEL fuel from our available fuel on board, showing that we barely had enough for the required en route fuel. This same mistake also showed our zero fuel weight to be 12900 pounds heavier than it actually was (we assumed this increase to be due to additional freight). The aircraft had been fueled with the correct amount of fuel required for the flight, so we elected to continue to our destination and notified our dispatch of the error on arrival. This oversight on my part was due to an effort to get the flight out on time. The incorrect paperwork should have been discovered well before departing, but pressure to keep things moving put us in a 'go' mode to move the boxes. Discussion among the crew brought to light the failure of using normal routine and consistent habit patterns that would have prevented us leaving with an inaccurate weight and balance sheet.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW DEPARTED WITH INCORRECT WT AND BAL PAPERWORK.

Narrative: THE PERSON PREPARING OUR WT AND BAL PAPERWORK MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THE ACFT HAD AN INOP FUEL PUMP RATHER THAN AN INOP FUEL GAUGE. THIS CAUSED THE PAPERWORK TO REFLECT A REQUIREMENT FOR 12900 LBS OF UNUSABLE MEL FUEL. THIS MISTAKEN REQUIREMENT TOOK THE MEL FUEL FROM OUR AVAILABLE FUEL ON BOARD, SHOWING THAT WE BARELY HAD ENOUGH FOR THE REQUIRED ENRTE FUEL. THIS SAME MISTAKE ALSO SHOWED OUR ZERO FUEL WT TO BE 12900 LBS HEAVIER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS (WE ASSUMED THIS INCREASE TO BE DUE TO ADDITIONAL FREIGHT). THE ACFT HAD BEEN FUELED WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL REQUIRED FOR THE FLT, SO WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO OUR DEST AND NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCH OF THE ERROR ON ARR. THIS OVERSIGHT ON MY PART WAS DUE TO AN EFFORT TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME. THE INCORRECT PAPERWORK SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED WELL BEFORE DEPARTING, BUT PRESSURE TO KEEP THINGS MOVING PUT US IN A 'GO' MODE TO MOVE THE BOXES. DISCUSSION AMONG THE CREW BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE FAILURE OF USING NORMAL ROUTINE AND CONSISTENT HABIT PATTERNS THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED US LEAVING WITH AN INACCURATE WT AND BAL SHEET.

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.