B727 FLC DEPARTS ABOUT 8000 LBS OVERWT ON A FOOTBALL TEAM CHARTER FLT. DISPATCH USED 'NORMAL' AVERAGE WT OF PAX AND CARRY ON. FOOTBALL TEAMS ARE NOT NORMAL WT.
Synopsis
B727 FLC DEPARTS ABOUT 8000 LBS OVERWT ON A FOOTBALL TEAM CHARTER FLT. DISPATCH USED 'NORMAL' AVERAGE WT OF PAX AND CARRY ON. FOOTBALL TEAMS ARE NOT NORMAL WT.
Narrative
I TOOK A FOOTBALL CHARTER FROM IAD TO TPA ON JUL/XX/97. THE ACFT PAPERS INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE JUST 100 LBS OR SO BELOW ITS MAX STRUCTURAL GROSS WT FOR TKOF. TKOF WAS DONE FROM RWY 30 AT IAD. ABNORMALLY LONG GND ROLL; CLB PERFORMANCE WAS MARGINAL BOTH DIRTY AND DURING CLEAN-UP. FLT WAS FLT PLANNED FOR FL310. AT ABOUT FL260; RATE OF CLB WAS LESS THAN 500 FPM. ACFT COULD NOT MAKE FL310 AND STAYED AT FL260. WHEN I RECHKED WT AND BAL; I SAW THAT WE HAD 100 PAX AND 'NORMAL' PAX AND CARRY-ON WT OF 212 LBS WAS USED TO CALCULATE CABIN WT. THIS WT IS A FACETIOUS WT WITH A FOOTBALL TEAM. I WATCHED THESE GUYS DISEMBARK IN TAMPA. THEY ARE GIGANTIC AND ALL CARRIED VERY LARGE EQUIP DUFFEL BAGS. I THINK THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY A GOOD 8000-10000 LBS OVER PLANNED WT AND FAR IN EXCESS OF STRUCTURAL GROSS WT. SADLY; I THINK THE DISPATCHER KNEW ALL THIS BEFOREHAND BUT ALSO KNEW THAT THE ONLY WAY HE COULD GET THE ACFT OFF THE GND AND ON ITS WAY WAS TO USE 'AVERAGE NORMAL WTS.' THIS IS NOT RIGHT. ABNORMAL PAX LOADS; TROOPS; FOOTBALL TEAMS; SUMO WRESTLERS; ETC; SHOULD REQUIRE ACTUAL WTS FOR DISPATCH.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.