Narrative:

Scheduled to depart ZZZ XA45; actual departure XB19 due to late aircraft arrival. Tps listed weight restr flight; planned fuel: 37800 pounds; ptow: 149400; planned ramp: 151000; planned ZFW: 112300 pounds. Captain updated fuel and weight restr with 37800 pounds of fuel. We were showing 150.1 on totalizer. Prior to door closing; agent reported we had 137 passenger. She stated loads had allowed her 138 but she put only 137 on to be safe. Push crew checked on and said we were ready for pushback. I called ZZZ operations (ramp) and got push approval. After pushback; we started 1 engine. Ground crew released aircraft when I got a call from operations to say we may be overweight and to come back to the gate. We were towed back to gate and in by XB26 and told by agent that we would need to take about 6 passenger off. Captain told her he would coordinate with loads and operations to get number. I checked with operations and they were talking to loads to confirm. It was taking a while so captain decided to call loads himself. While he was on phone with loads talking to them he asked what our ZFW was and they said 112644 pounds and that the fuel at 37800 pounds would give us a 150444 pounds at pushback; below our 150500 maximum taxi weight. Captain was told they would look at closer and get back to us. 10-15 mins went by and were told we actually had a 113400 ZFW which would make us overweight at 151200. I called maintenance to come out and inspect for an overweight taxied aircraft. Captain made a maintenance entry. On maintenance walkaround he found a lag bolt sheared off the #4 tire. He reported there were 2 parts to inspect and that the first part of replacing tire would take us 45 mins to fix and we could keep passenger on. When he stepped out; I ran out to inspect the wheel and noticed the lag bolt gone. With the black greasing around bolt it is hard to see but did find it right away. While I was out mechanic came back and told captain that he would have to take aircraft OTS and put aircraft on jacks as part of 2ND part of inspection. Captain did a superb job of keeping passenger informed and it was duly noted as they came off the aircraft. Captain called dispatch to coordinate getting another aircraft. A few mins later we were told flight was canceled. Supplemental information from acn 783381: having reviewed the maintenance log entries and signoffs since the event; I want to know why the signoff for the overweight pushback previously reported lists 'no damage found ok for system.' as per my previous report; upon return to the gate; the maintenance person came out to do the overweight movement inspection. Upon his return from his exterior walkaround; he reported a sheared lug nut on the #4 main tire. The first officer verified his report by examining the #4 main tire. We were told the aircraft was OTS due to this and the extended overweight inspection checklist that was required. The flight was canceled due to the aircraft being taken OTS. Yet; there is no documentation of the damage; any repair; or the aircraft being taken OTS. Likewise; there is no documentation anywhere in the log of the damage to the #4 main tire. Improper repair or documentation of aircraft damage creates airworthiness concerns and is a serious safety issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 PUSHED FROM THE GATE TOO HEAVY FOR TAXI AND TKOF. AFTER RETURN TO THE GATE FOR OVERWEIGHT TAXI INSPECTION; A TIRE BOLT WAS FOUND BROKEN. THE ACR DID NOT RECORD THE OVERWEIGHT EVENT.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO DEPART ZZZ XA45; ACTUAL DEP XB19 DUE TO LATE ACFT ARR. TPS LISTED WT RESTR FLT; PLANNED FUEL: 37800 LBS; PTOW: 149400; PLANNED RAMP: 151000; PLANNED ZFW: 112300 LBS. CAPT UPDATED FUEL AND WT RESTR WITH 37800 LBS OF FUEL. WE WERE SHOWING 150.1 ON TOTALIZER. PRIOR TO DOOR CLOSING; AGENT RPTED WE HAD 137 PAX. SHE STATED LOADS HAD ALLOWED HER 138 BUT SHE PUT ONLY 137 ON TO BE SAFE. PUSH CREW CHKED ON AND SAID WE WERE READY FOR PUSHBACK. I CALLED ZZZ OPS (RAMP) AND GOT PUSH APPROVAL. AFTER PUSHBACK; WE STARTED 1 ENG. GND CREW RELEASED ACFT WHEN I GOT A CALL FROM OPS TO SAY WE MAY BE OVERWT AND TO COME BACK TO THE GATE. WE WERE TOWED BACK TO GATE AND IN BY XB26 AND TOLD BY AGENT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE ABOUT 6 PAX OFF. CAPT TOLD HER HE WOULD COORDINATE WITH LOADS AND OPS TO GET NUMBER. I CHKED WITH OPS AND THEY WERE TALKING TO LOADS TO CONFIRM. IT WAS TAKING A WHILE SO CAPT DECIDED TO CALL LOADS HIMSELF. WHILE HE WAS ON PHONE WITH LOADS TALKING TO THEM HE ASKED WHAT OUR ZFW WAS AND THEY SAID 112644 LBS AND THAT THE FUEL AT 37800 LBS WOULD GIVE US A 150444 LBS AT PUSHBACK; BELOW OUR 150500 MAX TAXI WT. CAPT WAS TOLD THEY WOULD LOOK AT CLOSER AND GET BACK TO US. 10-15 MINS WENT BY AND WERE TOLD WE ACTUALLY HAD A 113400 ZFW WHICH WOULD MAKE US OVERWT AT 151200. I CALLED MAINT TO COME OUT AND INSPECT FOR AN OVERWT TAXIED ACFT. CAPT MADE A MAINT ENTRY. ON MAINT WALKAROUND HE FOUND A LAG BOLT SHEARED OFF THE #4 TIRE. HE RPTED THERE WERE 2 PARTS TO INSPECT AND THAT THE FIRST PART OF REPLACING TIRE WOULD TAKE US 45 MINS TO FIX AND WE COULD KEEP PAX ON. WHEN HE STEPPED OUT; I RAN OUT TO INSPECT THE WHEEL AND NOTICED THE LAG BOLT GONE. WITH THE BLACK GREASING AROUND BOLT IT IS HARD TO SEE BUT DID FIND IT RIGHT AWAY. WHILE I WAS OUT MECH CAME BACK AND TOLD CAPT THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ACFT OTS AND PUT ACFT ON JACKS AS PART OF 2ND PART OF INSPECTION. CAPT DID A SUPERB JOB OF KEEPING PAX INFORMED AND IT WAS DULY NOTED AS THEY CAME OFF THE ACFT. CAPT CALLED DISPATCH TO COORDINATE GETTING ANOTHER ACFT. A FEW MINS LATER WE WERE TOLD FLT WAS CANCELED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 783381: HAVING REVIEWED THE MAINT LOG ENTRIES AND SIGNOFFS SINCE THE EVENT; I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE SIGNOFF FOR THE OVERWT PUSHBACK PREVIOUSLY RPTED LISTS 'NO DAMAGE FOUND OK FOR SYS.' AS PER MY PREVIOUS REPORT; UPON RETURN TO THE GATE; THE MAINT PERSON CAME OUT TO DO THE OVERWT MOVEMENT INSPECTION. UPON HIS RETURN FROM HIS EXTERIOR WALKAROUND; HE RPTED A SHEARED LUG NUT ON THE #4 MAIN TIRE. THE FO VERIFIED HIS RPT BY EXAMINING THE #4 MAIN TIRE. WE WERE TOLD THE ACFT WAS OTS DUE TO THIS AND THE EXTENDED OVERWT INSPECTION CHKLIST THAT WAS REQUIRED. THE FLT WAS CANCELED DUE TO THE ACFT BEING TAKEN OTS. YET; THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION OF THE DAMAGE; ANY REPAIR; OR THE ACFT BEING TAKEN OTS. LIKEWISE; THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION ANYWHERE IN THE LOG OF THE DAMAGE TO THE #4 MAIN TIRE. IMPROPER REPAIR OR DOCUMENTATION OF ACFT DAMAGE CREATES AIRWORTHINESS CONCERNS AND IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.