An air carrier changed the A320's FMS format; so that by mistake a ZFW can be entered into the gw fi...

Attributes
ACN	794891
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	794891
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft

Narrative:

On taxi out; after receipt of final weight and balance message; first officer entered ZFW into gw field of FMGC mcdu; causing lower ECAM to display aircraft weight of 150000 pounds versus 192000 pounds (too low by amount of fob). Captain caught this before calling for taxi checklist and first officer entered correct weight. Since we were so close to our maximum weight for this runway; I was paying close attention to actual weight and noticed discrepancy. Recent upgrade to FMS allows entry to ZFW center of gravity instead of takeoff center of gravity. Also; ACARS weight and balance message format has changed recently to accommodate this new procedure. This has built in another error path for confusing gw with ZFW. Change ACARS weight and balance format to move gw farther from ZFW and ZFW center of gravity on the final weight and balance message and include all caps heading and asterisk stars around ZFW and ZFW center of gravity numbers on weight and balance message. Please disseminate this incident to all crews and reinforce the recent procedural changes in ZZZ.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CHANGED THE A320'S FMS FORMAT; SO THAT BY MISTAKE A ZFW CAN BE ENTERED INTO THE GW FIELD AND ZFW CG CAN BE ENTERED INTO THE TKOF CG.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT; AFTER RECEIPT OF FINAL WT AND BAL MESSAGE; FO ENTERED ZFW INTO GW FIELD OF FMGC MCDU; CAUSING LOWER ECAM TO DISPLAY ACFT WT OF 150000 LBS VERSUS 192000 LBS (TOO LOW BY AMOUNT OF FOB). CAPT CAUGHT THIS BEFORE CALLING FOR TAXI CHKLIST AND FO ENTERED CORRECT WT. SINCE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO OUR MAX WT FOR THIS RWY; I WAS PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO ACTUAL WT AND NOTICED DISCREPANCY. RECENT UPGRADE TO FMS ALLOWS ENTRY TO ZFW CTR OF GRAVITY INSTEAD OF TKOF CTR OF GRAVITY. ALSO; ACARS WT AND BAL MESSAGE FORMAT HAS CHANGED RECENTLY TO ACCOMMODATE THIS NEW PROC. THIS HAS BUILT IN ANOTHER ERROR PATH FOR CONFUSING GW WITH ZFW. CHANGE ACARS WT AND BAL FORMAT TO MOVE GW FARTHER FROM ZFW AND ZFW CTR OF GRAVITY ON THE FINAL WT AND BAL MESSAGE AND INCLUDE ALL CAPS HDG AND ASTERISK STARS AROUND ZFW AND ZFW CTR OF GRAVITY NUMBERS ON WT AND BAL MESSAGE. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS INCIDENT TO ALL CREWS AND REINFORCE THE RECENT PROCEDURAL CHANGES IN ZZZ.

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.

An air carrier changed the A320's FMS format; so that by mistake a ZFW can be entered into the gw field and ZFW cg can be entered into the takeoff cg.