computerized take off performance calculations

[ulisse]

good day,
some operators are using TODC send at the flight crew by ACARS. To my knowledge it's the flight crew in charge of the performance calculations and they can rely in this procedure to obtain relevant data, but they must validate the data received.

My questions are:
who is in charge of this calculations? The flight crew, the system or the computer?
Wath if the flaps configurations it's not present in the paper documents?

thanks

[Mach E Avelli]

It would be normal for the flight crew to send the current airport conditions to the TODC computer via whatever means your airline uses. But it may be that in some airlines Operations or Dispatch does this and the crew gets the numbers from ACARS.
The PIC is ultimately responsible for applying some sort of 'reasonableness' test to the computed data, i.e. have enough practical knowledge of what flap setting and thrust derate would be acceptable. The option should be there for the Captain to tell the program what flap setting is required, if operational conditions such as contaminated runway require non standard selection. A proper TODC would know that anyway, but still needs to be told the runway status. As with any computer system garbage in, garbage out.
This is why we study performance, and hopefully occasionally get re checked on our knowledge.
As for the integrity of the TODC program itself, the airline should have a performance specialist, or contract one, to do this at certain intervals. The regulatory authority should ensure that this is done by audit. So, there should be sufficient safeguards to validate the performance data. Should be.......
Can the Captain accurately validate every take off to the nearest knot or kilo? Not practical, any more than he could be expected to know the exact load distribution, though he signs the load sheet, usually with a statement to the effect that 'to the best of my knowledge I certify...blah blah'