Narrative:

We received our final weights during pushback. The zero fuel weight was reported as 505490 pounds for final weight for takeoff. The captain commented that the aircraft felt a little sluggish coming off the ground. Approximately 4 hours into the flight; load planning sent us new weights via ACARS. Our real zero fuel weight was 510770 pounds and ramp had realized they had made loading record error. My concern is that this invalidates our takeoff data and had we taken the shorter runway; we may not have gotten off the ground -- especially if we were flying the earlier flight to pek. This also brings up things like the loss of an engine on takeoff and the fact that the wrong numbers in the box could have caused the aircraft to be in the stick shaker with the low zero fuel weight in the box. Bottom line is that we need the correct numbers before we take off!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOAD PLANNERS PROVIDE B747-400 FLT CREW WITH INACCURATE TKOF ZFW DATA.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED OUR FINAL WTS DURING PUSHBACK. THE ZERO FUEL WT WAS RPTED AS 505490 LBS FOR FINAL WT FOR TKOF. THE CAPT COMMENTED THAT THE ACFT FELT A LITTLE SLUGGISH COMING OFF THE GND. APPROX 4 HRS INTO THE FLT; LOAD PLANNING SENT US NEW WTS VIA ACARS. OUR REAL ZERO FUEL WT WAS 510770 LBS AND RAMP HAD REALIZED THEY HAD MADE LOADING RECORD ERROR. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS INVALIDATES OUR TKOF DATA AND HAD WE TAKEN THE SHORTER RWY; WE MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN OFF THE GND -- ESPECIALLY IF WE WERE FLYING THE EARLIER FLT TO PEK. THIS ALSO BRINGS UP THINGS LIKE THE LOSS OF AN ENG ON TKOF AND THE FACT THAT THE WRONG NUMBERS IN THE BOX COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACFT TO BE IN THE STICK SHAKER WITH THE LOW ZERO FUEL WT IN THE BOX. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE NEED THE CORRECT NUMBERS BEFORE WE TAKE OFF!

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.