Originally Posted by
Kalium Chloride
No, they meant 239,000kg - but this was the 747's take-off weight.
More importantly, it was actually the take-off weight at the aircraft's previous stopping point, Bradley, Connecticut.
Its take-off weight at Halifax was about 50% more, but the crew unwittingly used the previous weight data at Bradley to calculate take-off performance requirements for Halifax. The rest is history.
Just for the record, Bradley Field is in Windsor Locks, CT.