Overweight takeoff
 

Good morning all,

I was reading a TSB Canada report today on a Canadian Airlines DC10-30 that overran the runway during an RTO after a loss of power on No 1 engine at Vancouver in 1995.

Interestingly in discussion on weight and balance the report notes that after the incident, when everything was weighed there were three discrepancies as follows:

23 additional passenger bags
1 additional passenger
Ramp fuel weight on documentation was lower than actual fuel weight on board.

Weight was also affected by the fact that the taxi time was half that which was planned.

This added up to an assessment that the aircraft lined up around 3000lbs over the max design take off weight for that type (590,000lbs).

My question is, assuming that the engine failure and RTO hadn’t occurred, what would have happened if the takeoff attempt was continued overweight in both the standard and engine out scenarios? Is there an allowable exceedence? I guess 3000lbs isn’t that much for this type in terms of performance, but what about structurally?

Should also add that high power ( called C2B apparently) was being used for takeoff and No2 thrust reverser was locked out.

Cheers,

GB

3000lbs on a DC10 are absolutely nothing.
I started my career in central Africa and if I told you by how much the MTOW is regularly (INTENTIONALLY, OF COURSE) exceeded that would scare you!
Actually nothing happens, just slightly flatter gradients...
And overweight landings are even more commons.

Anyways, in the modern world too we regularly exceed the MTOW: do you really think the average pax+handbags weigh76Kg on a charter flight?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

True LEM you have to consider the use of standard PAX weights through out the globe . And you would have to say that there is alot more overweight departures than realised. Not so critrical with larger types.
But smaller Types like 19 seaters it is and most definitely affects performance. The Beech 1900d accident in Carolina, forced the lifting of standard weights for Adults. Well it isnt a lie that people in the developed world are getting heavier.

Not sure what the actual weight change was but I belive it was 10lbs increase in each category.

Many a time as Captain on Twin Otter I wondered what my actual weight was, even after heavily scrutinizing the load sheet before departure.:uhoh: :\ I belive I aint alone on that one.