Overweight takeoff of heavy transport at MEL.

Attributes
ACN	457282
Time
Date	199912
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	457282
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 95 flight time total : 13850 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	457400
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Company Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was my first time flying in awhile. I was a little rusty, I am usually relief pilot. We arrived in the cockpit about 20 mins before pushback. Short taxi, no other aircraft, runway 34. Just prior to line-up clearance the relief first officer received additional information via ACARS which indicated we were too heavy for takeoff. The captain checked our original takeoff gross weight information page (from operations) and determined we were legal with a 4 KT tailwind. We took off with the discrepancy unresolved to some of the crew. We may have been over gross. We should have refused the takeoff clearance until all crew members were satisfied we were legal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERWT TKOF OF HVY TRANSPORT AT MEL.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME FLYING IN AWHILE. I WAS A LITTLE RUSTY, I AM USUALLY RELIEF PLT. WE ARRIVED IN THE COCKPIT ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE PUSHBACK. SHORT TAXI, NO OTHER ACFT, RWY 34. JUST PRIOR TO LINE-UP CLRNC THE RELIEF FO RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INFO VIA ACARS WHICH INDICATED WE WERE TOO HVY FOR TKOF. THE CAPT CHKED OUR ORIGINAL TKOF GROSS WT INFO PAGE (FROM OPS) AND DETERMINED WE WERE LEGAL WITH A 4 KT TAILWIND. WE TOOK OFF WITH THE DISCREPANCY UNRESOLVED TO SOME OF THE CREW. WE MAY HAVE BEEN OVER GROSS. WE SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE TKOF CLRNC UNTIL ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE SATISFIED WE WERE LEGAL.

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.