Narrative:

We showed on time this morning for a flight to phx. Upon reaching the aircraft, I found the APU was MEL'ed inoperative. I notified operations that we'd need ground power and an air cart. The ramp crew were loading another flight next T our aircraft and did not top to bring a power cart to our aircraft. I called operations on the radio and told them for a second time we still needed a power and air cart. When the other flight was pushed, the ground crew finally brought a power cart to the plane only 15 mins prior to our scheduled departure. The gate wanted to board the flight but I told them we still had to do all our preflight checks since we had just gotten power on the airplane. After the flight crew and flight attendant preflight checks were complete, we began boarding the plane only 10 mins prior to departure. The first officer was completing the weight and balance manifest. This is normally when I set the takeoff v-spds, but I was distraction when the 'a' flight attendant entered the flight deck and told me we had no potable water on the plane. I stopped what I was doing and called operations for potable water. The first officer finished the weight and balance and started to review and sign it. As I was signing the manifest, a ramp agent banged on the side of the aircraft next to my seat asking if the air cart had been successfully plugged. I selected the ecs page on the EICAS to check and there was no air pressure in the manifold. I gave the agent a thumbs down and he walked away. I failed to see that the aircraft was over maximum allowable taxi and takeoff weights. After a few more attempts, the ground air was successfully plugged into the plane and sufficient air pressure was in the manifold for an engine start. This was 5 mins after scheduled departure. After pushing 10 mins late, and as we were taxiing out and running the before takeoff checklist, and when we reached the takeoff weight item on the checklist, I realized the aircraft was 1000 pounds over maximum takeoff weight and 800 pounds over maximum taxi weight. The manifest average index weight of the plane was 83500 pounds and maximum takeoff weight is 82500 pounds. With the similarity of these numbers, I missed the overweight condition. I returned to the gate and 5 passenger (2 non revenue and 3 volunteer revenue) were deplaned. We completed a new weight and balance load manifest and proceeded on to phoenix normally, 30 mins after scheduled departure. This mistake was the result of being behind schedule, frustration and untimely distrs at times when I normally perform pre-taxi and takeoff items such as setting takeoff speeds and signing the load manifest. As captain, I can blame no one but myself for allowing these events to escalate to the point where such a mistake is not discovered in a timely manner. I'd like to say 'it was just one of those mornings,' but ultimately, I'm responsible for the safety of the passenger, crew and plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ900 PIC RPTR ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN OVERWT LOAD FACTORS PRIOR TO TAXI AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: WE SHOWED ON TIME THIS MORNING FOR A FLT TO PHX. UPON REACHING THE ACFT, I FOUND THE APU WAS MEL'ED INOP. I NOTIFIED OPS THAT WE'D NEED GND PWR AND AN AIR CART. THE RAMP CREW WERE LOADING ANOTHER FLT NEXT T OUR ACFT AND DID NOT TOP TO BRING A PWR CART TO OUR ACFT. I CALLED OPS ON THE RADIO AND TOLD THEM FOR A SECOND TIME WE STILL NEEDED A PWR AND AIR CART. WHEN THE OTHER FLT WAS PUSHED, THE GND CREW FINALLY BROUGHT A PWR CART TO THE PLANE ONLY 15 MINS PRIOR TO OUR SCHEDULED DEP. THE GATE WANTED TO BOARD THE FLT BUT I TOLD THEM WE STILL HAD TO DO ALL OUR PREFLT CHKS SINCE WE HAD JUST GOTTEN PWR ON THE AIRPLANE. AFTER THE FLT CREW AND FLT ATTENDANT PREFLT CHKS WERE COMPLETE, WE BEGAN BOARDING THE PLANE ONLY 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. THE FO WAS COMPLETING THE WT AND BAL MANIFEST. THIS IS NORMALLY WHEN I SET THE TKOF V-SPDS, BUT I WAS DISTR WHEN THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE FLT DECK AND TOLD ME WE HAD NO POTABLE WATER ON THE PLANE. I STOPPED WHAT I WAS DOING AND CALLED OPS FOR POTABLE WATER. THE FO FINISHED THE WT AND BAL AND STARTED TO REVIEW AND SIGN IT. AS I WAS SIGNING THE MANIFEST, A RAMP AGENT BANGED ON THE SIDE OF THE ACFT NEXT TO MY SEAT ASKING IF THE AIR CART HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PLUGGED. I SELECTED THE ECS PAGE ON THE EICAS TO CHK AND THERE WAS NO AIR PRESSURE IN THE MANIFOLD. I GAVE THE AGENT A THUMBS DOWN AND HE WALKED AWAY. I FAILED TO SEE THAT THE ACFT WAS OVER MAX ALLOWABLE TAXI AND TKOF WTS. AFTER A FEW MORE ATTEMPTS, THE GND AIR WAS SUCCESSFULLY PLUGGED INTO THE PLANE AND SUFFICIENT AIR PRESSURE WAS IN THE MANIFOLD FOR AN ENG START. THIS WAS 5 MINS AFTER SCHEDULED DEP. AFTER PUSHING 10 MINS LATE, AND AS WE WERE TAXIING OUT AND RUNNING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, AND WHEN WE REACHED THE TKOF WT ITEM ON THE CHKLIST, I REALIZED THE ACFT WAS 1000 LBS OVER MAX TKOF WT AND 800 LBS OVER MAX TAXI WT. THE MANIFEST AVERAGE INDEX WT OF THE PLANE WAS 83500 LBS AND MAX TKOF WT IS 82500 LBS. WITH THE SIMILARITY OF THESE NUMBERS, I MISSED THE OVERWT CONDITION. I RETURNED TO THE GATE AND 5 PAX (2 NON REVENUE AND 3 VOLUNTEER REVENUE) WERE DEPLANED. WE COMPLETED A NEW WT AND BAL LOAD MANIFEST AND PROCEEDED ON TO PHOENIX NORMALLY, 30 MINS AFTER SCHEDULED DEP. THIS MISTAKE WAS THE RESULT OF BEING BEHIND SCHEDULE, FRUSTRATION AND UNTIMELY DISTRS AT TIMES WHEN I NORMALLY PERFORM PRE-TAXI AND TKOF ITEMS SUCH AS SETTING TKOF SPDS AND SIGNING THE LOAD MANIFEST. AS CAPT, I CAN BLAME NO ONE BUT MYSELF FOR ALLOWING THESE EVENTS TO ESCALATE TO THE POINT WHERE SUCH A MISTAKE IS NOT DISCOVERED IN A TIMELY MANNER. I'D LIKE TO SAY 'IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE MORNINGS,' BUT ULTIMATELY, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PAX, CREW AND PLANE.

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.