There's something very odd indeed about the flight preparation. Although the lower max take-off weight used by the flight dispatcher can perhaps be explained by the original thrust reverser unserviceability, we also learn that the data used was not archived, the crew decided to take over the flight preparation themselves, the load manifest 'was not found', neither was the captain's signature. The met data used by the crew wasn't archived either. The report then states that the technical investigators 'redid the calculations using the meteorological conditions on the day of the accident'. IMPORTANT QUESTION! Does that mean the original 12 kt headwind as assumed by the Flight Dispatcher, or the 8 kt tailwind passed to the crew when cleared for take-off??.
We must be told:
1. What was the Zero Fuel Weight, how much fuel was loaded and what, therefore, was the estimated Actual Take-Off Weight, given the FE's CVR statement that 800kg had been used for taxiing ? 187.2T??
2. What was the Regulated Take-Off Weight assuming the actual conditions at the time? I.e., with a tailwind of 8 kt? 177T??
3. What was the maximum certificated take-off weight for F-BTSC? 185.07T??
If 1. is greater than either 2. or 3., the captain's decision to take-off would have imperilled his passengers and crew from the moment of brake release. What happened next is history, but the culture which seemingly paid scant attention to the rules of scheduled performance is deeply concerning.
Imagine a scenario where you know that you need a certain mass of fuel to complete the flight. That is then loaded onto the aeroplane. When the ZFW is finally declared, you discover that you're going to be over max certificated take-off weight. But you can't offend the punters by offloading some of them and their baggage - so what do you do? <<Alors, mes copains. We will burn off the 'overweight amount' during taxi, n'est-ce pas?>> You are concerned that this will be a bit close to reality, so just as you arrive at the holding position, you ask the FE how much you've really used. When given the answer, you know that you're still just above the structural limit. What do you do now? <<Merde alors!! Close enough...we go!>> perhaps? And because you've been so concerned that you'll be over max certificated weight (although it's unlikely that anyone will find this out), when cleared for take-off with a wind of 090/8, neither you nor your questionably-CRM performing crew even mention the potential effect of the tailwind on Regulated Take-Off Weight?
I really hope that this would never happen. Would it??
[ 24 August 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]