Narrative:

During departure preparation; planned weights were in a constant state of change. We left the blocks 48 mins late and taxied for a runway 14R departure. Just before departure; we pulled up takeoff data after clearing gross weight and saw the current zero fuel weight was 403.2 pounds. This was entered in the FMC and this gave us a gross weight of 639.2 pounds after adding 236.0 pounds fuel on board. While holding at runway 14R; weights never came and we started a series of ACARS messages. Load said they were waiting on customer service count figures; and we gave them what had been given us by the agent. After about 20 mins of delay at runway 14R; we received an ACARS message that we were overweight and needed to return to the blocks. First officer relief pilot was on the radio checking on a gate and was told we were 6000-7000 pounds overweight. As this put us over maximum taxi weight; before moving the aircraft; we contacted dispatch who got in touch with maintenance controller. We then got a message that maintenance controller said good to taxi but we would need an overweight inspection at the gate. We then returned to the gate where I contacted zone control who confirmed we were 6600 pounds overweight. With this information; station maintenance did the required inspection and cleared our overweight taxi write-up with a new maintenance release. We got new paperwork; fuel; and after another 48 mins on the gate left again for rjaa. Now; in addition to further delays with ord ground traffic trying to get to runway 32L for takeoff; we had food issues come up with 3 hour maximum exceeded for the first main meal. Flight attendants modified the meal service and shorted our passenger. Pilots gave crew meals to flight attendants who now had none. Now for an important statement from our chief purser: she said the same delay; misloading; and maintenance inspection was required on this flight on sep/tue! Our loading problems need to be fixed now before we have an accident in addition to blowing more money in fuel and passenger misconnects. This is my second major delay with load problems and this time with greater overload issues involved versus missing bag closeouts weights. Long range flts that are maximum'ed out need proper zero fuel weight information before they even leave the gate. Dispatch says they are telling the company of these problems; but the issues are not getting fixed. We need to self disclose this issue to the FAA; as this incident and the one on aug/tue/05 says things are not under control. This is the worst load overweight problem I have personally seen in 27 yrs at the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE FAILURES IN INTERDEPARTMENTAL COOPERATION RESULT IN GATE DEP OF B777 WELL OVER MAX TAXI AND TKOF WT FOR AN INTL DEP. ERROR CAUGHT PRIOR TO TKOF. RPTR STATES THIS IS A RECURRING PROB.

Narrative: DURING DEP PREPARATION; PLANNED WTS WERE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF CHANGE. WE LEFT THE BLOCKS 48 MINS LATE AND TAXIED FOR A RWY 14R DEP. JUST BEFORE DEP; WE PULLED UP TKOF DATA AFTER CLRING GROSS WT AND SAW THE CURRENT ZERO FUEL WT WAS 403.2 LBS. THIS WAS ENTERED IN THE FMC AND THIS GAVE US A GROSS WT OF 639.2 LBS AFTER ADDING 236.0 LBS FUEL ON BOARD. WHILE HOLDING AT RWY 14R; WTS NEVER CAME AND WE STARTED A SERIES OF ACARS MESSAGES. LOAD SAID THEY WERE WAITING ON CUSTOMER SVC COUNT FIGURES; AND WE GAVE THEM WHAT HAD BEEN GIVEN US BY THE AGENT. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS OF DELAY AT RWY 14R; WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT WE WERE OVERWT AND NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE BLOCKS. FO RELIEF PLT WAS ON THE RADIO CHKING ON A GATE AND WAS TOLD WE WERE 6000-7000 LBS OVERWT. AS THIS PUT US OVER MAX TAXI WT; BEFORE MOVING THE ACFT; WE CONTACTED DISPATCH WHO GOT IN TOUCH WITH MAINT CTLR. WE THEN GOT A MESSAGE THAT MAINT CTLR SAID GOOD TO TAXI BUT WE WOULD NEED AN OVERWT INSPECTION AT THE GATE. WE THEN RETURNED TO THE GATE WHERE I CONTACTED ZONE CTL WHO CONFIRMED WE WERE 6600 LBS OVERWT. WITH THIS INFO; STATION MAINT DID THE REQUIRED INSPECTION AND CLRED OUR OVERWT TAXI WRITE-UP WITH A NEW MAINT RELEASE. WE GOT NEW PAPERWORK; FUEL; AND AFTER ANOTHER 48 MINS ON THE GATE LEFT AGAIN FOR RJAA. NOW; IN ADDITION TO FURTHER DELAYS WITH ORD GND TFC TRYING TO GET TO RWY 32L FOR TKOF; WE HAD FOOD ISSUES COME UP WITH 3 HR MAX EXCEEDED FOR THE FIRST MAIN MEAL. FLT ATTENDANTS MODIFIED THE MEAL SVC AND SHORTED OUR PAX. PLTS GAVE CREW MEALS TO FLT ATTENDANTS WHO NOW HAD NONE. NOW FOR AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT FROM OUR CHIEF PURSER: SHE SAID THE SAME DELAY; MISLOADING; AND MAINT INSPECTION WAS REQUIRED ON THIS FLT ON SEP/TUE! OUR LOADING PROBS NEED TO BE FIXED NOW BEFORE WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT IN ADDITION TO BLOWING MORE MONEY IN FUEL AND PAX MISCONNECTS. THIS IS MY SECOND MAJOR DELAY WITH LOAD PROBS AND THIS TIME WITH GREATER OVERLOAD ISSUES INVOLVED VERSUS MISSING BAG CLOSEOUTS WTS. LONG RANGE FLTS THAT ARE MAX'ED OUT NEED PROPER ZERO FUEL WT INFO BEFORE THEY EVEN LEAVE THE GATE. DISPATCH SAYS THEY ARE TELLING THE COMPANY OF THESE PROBS; BUT THE ISSUES ARE NOT GETTING FIXED. WE NEED TO SELF DISCLOSE THIS ISSUE TO THE FAA; AS THIS INCIDENT AND THE ONE ON AUG/TUE/05 SAYS THINGS ARE NOT UNDER CTL. THIS IS THE WORST LOAD OVERWT PROB I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN IN 27 YRS AT THE COMPANY.

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.