ACR LGT OPERATED WITHOUT FEDERAL AVIATION REG REQUIRED ACFT OPERATIONS MANUALS ONBOARD.

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FLT FROM MSP TO ORD LNDG IN DTW THE FE DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT OPERATING MANUALS WERE NOT ON THE ACFT AND THAT WE HAD BETTER NOTIFY MAINT CTL TO GET A SET ON PRIOR TO NEXT DEP. IN RETROSPECT THE PLANE HAD JUST COME OUT OF THE MAINT HANGAR AND HAD NUMEROUS ITEMS MISSING FROM THE COCKPIT. WHAT AMAZED ME WAS THAT THE FE DID NOT CATCH THE MANUALS MISSING IN HIS PREFLT (HE'S REQUIRED TO CHK THEM) AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HE DID NOT CHK THE WT FOR TKOF AS BEING OK FOR THE RWY WE WERE TAKING OFF FROM (HE SAYS THAT 'WE WERE SO LIGHT IT WOULDN'T HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.'). IF HE HAD TRIED TO CHK OUR TKOF WT AS OK PRIOR TO TKOF WE WOULD HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE MANUALS WERE NOT ON THE ACFT AND TAXIED BACK IN TO GET THEM. I SEE THE PRIMARY PROB HERE AS NON ADHERENCE TO THE CHKLIST AND NOT PAYING LIP SVC TO THE PREFLT CHK OR ESPECIALLY THE BEFORE TKOF CHK THAT CHKS RWY WTS. I GUESS AS A CREW MEMBER I PUT TRUST IN THE OTHERS ON MY CREW TO DO THEIR JOB AS I DO. THAT TRUST WAS BROKEN IN THIS INSTANCE; BUT THERE WAS A GOOD LESSON LEARNED BY OUR FE AND ALL OF US; AND I DOUBT IF THAT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. NEEDLESS TO SAY; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF MAINT HAD PUT THE MANUALS BACK ON THE PLANE; BUT ULTIMATELY THE RESPONSIBILITY WAS WITH US TO CHK.