A B747-400 flight crew took off without final weights.

Attributes
ACN	697462
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	697462
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Just before reaching the runway on taxi out; we received an ACARS final weights message. This was printed. We completed checklist and were cleared into position on the runway for takeoff. Once airborne we noticed a message from load planning which indicated that we were tail heavy and that we needed to move 4 passenger from coach to business class and that the new final weights would be forthcoming. We thus took off without having the real final weights and with 4 too many passenger in coach. It occurred to me that there should be a chime when a message from load planning is sent to the cockpit so that in a situation such as this; when the crew is busy with important tasks like checklists; watching for traffic; and taking the runway; they will know that a message has arrived. We never knew that load planning had sent a message until it was too late.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 FLT CREW TOOK OFF WITHOUT FINAL WTS.

Narrative: JUST BEFORE REACHING THE RWY ON TAXI OUT; WE RECEIVED AN ACARS FINAL WTS MESSAGE. THIS WAS PRINTED. WE COMPLETED CHKLIST AND WERE CLRED INTO POS ON THE RWY FOR TKOF. ONCE AIRBORNE WE NOTICED A MESSAGE FROM LOAD PLANNING WHICH INDICATED THAT WE WERE TAIL HVY AND THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE 4 PAX FROM COACH TO BUSINESS CLASS AND THAT THE NEW FINAL WTS WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. WE THUS TOOK OFF WITHOUT HAVING THE REAL FINAL WTS AND WITH 4 TOO MANY PAX IN COACH. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CHIME WHEN A MESSAGE FROM LOAD PLANNING IS SENT TO THE COCKPIT SO THAT IN A SITUATION SUCH AS THIS; WHEN THE CREW IS BUSY WITH IMPORTANT TASKS LIKE CHKLISTS; WATCHING FOR TFC; AND TAKING THE RWY; THEY WILL KNOW THAT A MESSAGE HAS ARRIVED. WE NEVER KNEW THAT LOAD PLANNING HAD SENT A MESSAGE UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.

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.