AN MD11 WAS DISPATCHED 1400 LBS OVERWT DUE TO LACK OF CREW; TECHNICIAN AND LOADMASTER KNOWLEDGE OF CHANGE TO LNDG GEAR COMPONENTS.

Narrative

I RECEIVED AN E-MAIL EARLY ON OCT/MON/05 FROM AN AIR CARGO CHK AIRMAN POINTING OUT A REDUCTION IN TKOF WT ON 2 ACFT. IT SEEMS THAT DUE TO COMPONENTS INCORPORATED FROM ACR TO ACR LNDG GEAR; THAT A TEMPORARY TKOF WT REDUCTION FROM 630500 LBS TO 618000 LBS WAS IN EFFECT ON ACFT X AND ACFT Y. THIS INFO WAS NOT DISSEMINATED BY BULLETIN; MEMO OR COMPANY CHANNEL. I DO NOT RECALL THIS LIMITATION ON ANY FLT PLANS PREVIOUS TO OCT/SUN/05 AND DID NOT NOTICE IT ON THE FLT PLAN THOUGH I HEARD IN RETROSPECT THAT IT WAS THERE AND I MISSED IT. THE FLT WAS OPERATING LATE WITH A CONTRACT LOAD MASTER AND HE WASN'T AWARE OF ANY LIMITATION. APPARENTLY; MAINT HAD ONLY NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND THE INFO HAD NOT GONE TO FLT OPS; TRAINING OR THE MODEL MGR. UPON RECEIPT OF THE E-MAIL; I CONTACTED MY DIRECTOR OF SAFETY; AND MODEL MGR. MY ESTIMATED TKOF WT WAS APPROX 619400 LBS. WHILE I ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN OVERSIGHT ON MY PART; I BELIEVE A LACK OF PROPER INFO DISSEMINATION CREATED THIS SITUATION. I WAS TASKED WITH A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT FLT WITH A COMPLICATED MEL PROC (3 PAGES) TO GET THE ACFT STARTED AND A BRAND NEW FO IN THE R SEAT. NONE OF THE 3 PLTS NOTED THE REDUCED TKOF WT ON THE FLT PLAN (A RE-DISPATCH) NOT PRINTED IN THE ACR'S NORMAL FORMAT. NO ONE CAN ACCURATELY TELL ME WHEN THIS WT REDUCTION CAME TO KNOWLEDGE; WHO TOLD WHO; AND BY WHAT METHOD. I AM; AS CAPT; ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE; DID IN ALL GOOD FAITH OPERATE THIS FLT WITHIN KNOWN LIMITATIONS AND COMPANY PROCS.