Narrative:

We thought we had finished the boarding process with 45 passenger on board. We completed our load manifest paperwork and were closing the main cabin door for pushback when ramp personnel advised us that we were going to have more passenger. The new passenger trickled out 1 and 2 at a time. We were told that the final count would be 47. Then; a few mins later; we were told the final count was 48. Finally; we were told that we would have a full plane of 50. This whole process was frustrating and confusing for everybody involved. Of course; we wanted to accommodate all our customers; but this confusion distraction the flight crew; as we did not realize that extra passenger put us overweight. We did not discover this error until cruise when I started to prepare the landing data for our approach. We were overweight on takeoff planning due to maximum landing weight and fuel burn. I briefed the first officer of my discovery and stated that we needed to make sure we didn't land overweight. Fortunately; we had been delayed by a long taxi and some course deviations in-flight by ATC. Our actual fuel burn was over 700 pounds more than the planned burn on the dispatch release. Thus; we landed below the maximum landing weight of 47000 pounds. Prevention: our highest priority is operating the aircraft safely. In this case; we got involved in the boarding process which really is not our responsibility. We thought the people involved in the boarding process were not doing their job well. By being proactive in boarding; we erred in our own responsibilities. No matter how poorly the passenger boarding was conducted; we should have just let those responsible for that task do their job and we; the flight crew; do our job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER MUCH DISTR DURING PAX BOARDING PROCESS; FLT CREW OF CARJ TAKE OFF ABOVE MAX STRUCTURAL TKOF WT.

Narrative: WE THOUGHT WE HAD FINISHED THE BOARDING PROCESS WITH 45 PAX ON BOARD. WE COMPLETED OUR LOAD MANIFEST PAPERWORK AND WERE CLOSING THE MAIN CABIN DOOR FOR PUSHBACK WHEN RAMP PERSONNEL ADVISED US THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE MORE PAX. THE NEW PAX TRICKLED OUT 1 AND 2 AT A TIME. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FINAL COUNT WOULD BE 47. THEN; A FEW MINS LATER; WE WERE TOLD THE FINAL COUNT WAS 48. FINALLY; WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD HAVE A FULL PLANE OF 50. THIS WHOLE PROCESS WAS FRUSTRATING AND CONFUSING FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED. OF COURSE; WE WANTED TO ACCOMMODATE ALL OUR CUSTOMERS; BUT THIS CONFUSION DISTR THE FLT CREW; AS WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT EXTRA PAX PUT US OVERWT. WE DID NOT DISCOVER THIS ERROR UNTIL CRUISE WHEN I STARTED TO PREPARE THE LNDG DATA FOR OUR APCH. WE WERE OVERWT ON TKOF PLANNING DUE TO MAXIMUM LNDG WT AND FUEL BURN. I BRIEFED THE FO OF MY DISCOVERY AND STATED THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T LAND OVERWT. FORTUNATELY; WE HAD BEEN DELAYED BY A LONG TAXI AND SOME COURSE DEVS INFLT BY ATC. OUR ACTUAL FUEL BURN WAS OVER 700 LBS MORE THAN THE PLANNED BURN ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE. THUS; WE LANDED BELOW THE MAX LNDG WT OF 47000 LBS. PREVENTION: OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS OPERATING THE ACFT SAFELY. IN THIS CASE; WE GOT INVOLVED IN THE BOARDING PROCESS WHICH REALLY IS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY. WE THOUGHT THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE BOARDING PROCESS WERE NOT DOING THEIR JOB WELL. BY BEING PROACTIVE IN BOARDING; WE ERRED IN OUR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES. NO MATTER HOW POORLY THE PAX BOARDING WAS CONDUCTED; WE SHOULD HAVE JUST LET THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT TASK DO THEIR JOB AND WE; THE FLT CREW; DO OUR JOB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.