Narrative:

I and my crew took over on a fuel stop from origination of newark, nj. No cargo was taken off or loaded on. I looked at the paperwork but neglected the cargo weight on the flight read 17980 pounds instead of actual 179802 pounds. All takeoff, weight and balance calculations were with the correct weights. As a result of weighing 160000 pounds more we were unable to reach our flight planned altitude. We called the company during climb out and we resolved to fuel stop in burgas, bolvaria instead of continuing on the bahrain (obbi), our flight planned destination. Problem arose in dispatch incorrect calculation of cargo on board aircraft. I saw what appeared to be correct number, but it was missing a digit. Our crew discovered the discrepancy on climb out. Corrective action was to call company to see if we should turn back to eham or continue on and have them set up an appropriate fuel stop en route. I had 57.5 hours as captain and was paired with a first officer with less than 100 hours. I also had a brand new first officer assigned to observe. I was explaining INS, GPS set-up along with showing him other necessities of the flight which I feel distraction me and took me out of my normal preflight duties. Supplemental information from acn 599573: upon arriving at the airport and preparing for departure of flight from ams-bah, the crew failed to notice an error of the cargo weight on the flight plan that resulted in an insufficient fuel load for the flight to bah. The error was discovered during climb and the company was notified by phone at top of climb. Various options were considered, and an en route landing was made at boj for fuel. The flight continued to bah without incident. The cargo weight numerals were correct on the flight plan but the last numeral was omitted. At a quick glance, the numbers appeared correct. Performance and weight and balance forms were correct. No freight was loaded or deplaned in ams. It was a crew change and fuel stop only. There was a 'new hire' observer in the cockpit during preflight preparations. He was a distraction!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 CREW WAS REQUIRED TO LAND SHORT OF DEST BECAUSE A 160000 LB ERROR WAS MADE IN COMPUTING THE REQUIRED FUEL ON THE FLT PLAN.

Narrative: I AND MY CREW TOOK OVER ON A FUEL STOP FROM ORIGINATION OF NEWARK, NJ. NO CARGO WAS TAKEN OFF OR LOADED ON. I LOOKED AT THE PAPERWORK BUT NEGLECTED THE CARGO WT ON THE FLT READ 17980 LBS INSTEAD OF ACTUAL 179802 LBS. ALL TKOF, WT AND BAL CALCULATIONS WERE WITH THE CORRECT WTS. AS A RESULT OF WEIGHING 160000 LBS MORE WE WERE UNABLE TO REACH OUR FLT PLANNED ALT. WE CALLED THE COMPANY DURING CLBOUT AND WE RESOLVED TO FUEL STOP IN BURGAS, BOLVARIA INSTEAD OF CONTINUING ON THE BAHRAIN (OBBI), OUR FLT PLANNED DEST. PROB AROSE IN DISPATCH INCORRECT CALCULATION OF CARGO ON BOARD ACFT. I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE CORRECT NUMBER, BUT IT WAS MISSING A DIGIT. OUR CREW DISCOVERED THE DISCREPANCY ON CLBOUT. CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TO CALL COMPANY TO SEE IF WE SHOULD TURN BACK TO EHAM OR CONTINUE ON AND HAVE THEM SET UP AN APPROPRIATE FUEL STOP ENRTE. I HAD 57.5 HRS AS CAPT AND WAS PAIRED WITH A FO WITH LESS THAN 100 HRS. I ALSO HAD A BRAND NEW FO ASSIGNED TO OBSERVE. I WAS EXPLAINING INS, GPS SET-UP ALONG WITH SHOWING HIM OTHER NECESSITIES OF THE FLT WHICH I FEEL DISTR ME AND TOOK ME OUT OF MY NORMAL PREFLT DUTIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 599573: UPON ARRIVING AT THE ARPT AND PREPARING FOR DEP OF FLT FROM AMS-BAH, THE CREW FAILED TO NOTICE AN ERROR OF THE CARGO WT ON THE FLT PLAN THAT RESULTED IN AN INSUFFICIENT FUEL LOAD FOR THE FLT TO BAH. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED DURING CLB AND THE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED BY PHONE AT TOP OF CLB. VARIOUS OPTIONS WERE CONSIDERED, AND AN ENRTE LNDG WAS MADE AT BOJ FOR FUEL. THE FLT CONTINUED TO BAH WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CARGO WT NUMERALS WERE CORRECT ON THE FLT PLAN BUT THE LAST NUMERAL WAS OMITTED. AT A QUICK GLANCE, THE NUMBERS APPEARED CORRECT. PERFORMANCE AND WT AND BAL FORMS WERE CORRECT. NO FREIGHT WAS LOADED OR DEPLANED IN AMS. IT WAS A CREW CHANGE AND FUEL STOP ONLY. THERE WAS A 'NEW HIRE' OBSERVER IN THE COCKPIT DURING PREFLT PREPARATIONS. HE WAS A DISTR!

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.