ACR USES WT AND BAL COMPUTATIONS WITH ADJUSTED INDEX AND SEATING POS. ACI STATES AFTER THE FLT THAT SEATING NOT CORRECT.
Synopsis
ACR USES WT AND BAL COMPUTATIONS WITH ADJUSTED INDEX AND SEATING POS. ACI STATES AFTER THE FLT THAT SEATING NOT CORRECT.
Narrative
COMPANY RECENTLY BEGAN USING ADJUSTED WT INDEX METHOD FOR COMPUTING ACFT WT AND BAL BY COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS. DATA FOR COMPLETING THIS FORM IS SUPPLIED TO US BY GND PERSONNEL AND OUR FLT ATTENDANT. UNFORTUNATELY; THE ACCURACY OF THESE COMPUTATIONS IS BASED SOLELY ON THE INFO PROVIDED. ON THIS FLT; THE FLT ATTENDANT PROVIDED US WITH A PAX COUNT AND SEATING ARRANGEMENT THAT INDICATED THE ACFT WAS WITHIN WT AND BAL LIMITS FOR THE FLT. HOWEVER; AFTER THE FLT; THE FAA INSPECTOR (PERFORMING A CABIN LINE INSPECTION); REVIEWED OUR WT AND BAL FORM AND TOLD US THAT THE PAX WERE NOT SEATED IN THE LOCATIONS THAT MADE OUR COMPUTATIONS VALID. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS BEFORE AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO A MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE PART OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. ALTHOUGH OUR COMPANY USES THE WT AND BAL METHOD FOR ALL ACFT TYPES IT OPERATES; THE PAX SEATING SPLITS ARE DIFFERENT IN EACH. FURTHER; EVEN THOUGH I BRIEFED OUR FLT ATTENDANT ON PAX COUNTS AND ARRANGEMENTS; SHE STILL CONFUSED IT WITH THE OTHER ACFT SHE OPERATES. I RECOMMEND PUTTING A PLACARD IN THE CABIN OF EACH ACFT IDENTING THE CABIN HALVES AND MAX PAX SEATING DISPERSAL. THIS WOULD ALLEVIATE CONFUSION FOR THE CABIN CREW AND PROVIDE ACCURATE INFO FOR WT AND BAL COMPUTATIONS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.