B747 crew departs with cargo that is not accounted for in the weight and balance.

Attributes
ACN	724662
Time
Date	200701
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : okbk.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	724662
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

I was recently informed by union reps that 6300 kilos of cargo was not unloaded in kuwait by ground personnel. This was unknown to me until I was informed by the union reps. I don't recall if there was any significant difference between the weight and balance and CDU. Extra fuel was ordered because of previous experience flying rtes similar to this one. Many firs are crossed requiring numerous over-flight permits and in the past these have not always been correct or current increasing the potential for re-rtes; holding until a permit can be resolved or a diversion. Additionally; winds and weather in this part of the world are frequently inaccurate.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that the aircraft is equipped with an automated weight and balance system using sensors on the landing gear; but is not used as the primary method of computing takeoff data. It is only used to check that the manual computations are reasonable; and in this case they were within a few thousand pounds of each other. The reporter has submitted reports to his company previously concerning this issue but they have not been well received.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW DEPARTS WITH CARGO THAT IS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE WT AND BAL.

Narrative: I WAS RECENTLY INFORMED BY UNION REPS THAT 6300 KILOS OF CARGO WAS NOT UNLOADED IN KUWAIT BY GND PERSONNEL. THIS WAS UNKNOWN TO ME UNTIL I WAS INFORMED BY THE UNION REPS. I DON'T RECALL IF THERE WAS ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WT AND BAL AND CDU. EXTRA FUEL WAS ORDERED BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE FLYING RTES SIMILAR TO THIS ONE. MANY FIRS ARE CROSSED REQUIRING NUMEROUS OVER-FLT PERMITS AND IN THE PAST THESE HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN CORRECT OR CURRENT INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR RE-RTES; HOLDING UNTIL A PERMIT CAN BE RESOLVED OR A DIVERSION. ADDITIONALLY; WINDS AND WEATHER IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD ARE FREQUENTLY INACCURATE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATED WT AND BAL SYSTEM USING SENSORS ON THE LNDG GEAR; BUT IS NOT USED AS THE PRIMARY METHOD OF COMPUTING TAKEOFF DATA. IT IS ONLY USED TO CHK THAT THE MANUAL COMPUTATIONS ARE REASONABLE; AND IN THIS CASE THEY WERE WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND POUNDS OF EACH OTHER. THE RPTR HAS SUBMITTED RPTS TO HIS COMPANY PREVIOUSLY CONCERNING THIS ISSUE BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN WELL RECEIVED.

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.