Overview
- The wrong aircraft type was entered into Qantas’ system for a Canberra–Sydney sector, causing passengers to be dropped from records and corrupting weight data.
- The loadsheet understated aircraft weight by 4,291 kg, producing take-off speeds 3–4 knots lower than required and raising the risk of degraded performance.
- Attempts to alert the cockpit failed due to unanswered mobile calls, a deselected radio, a handover to a gate agent outside procedure, and a missed message in the cabin.
- The crew used the full runway and did not apply a headwind component, learned of the error after departure, entered a hold to verify weight, and landed safely in Sydney.
- Qantas is enabling direct ACARS contact from load control to crews and mandating headcounts when passenger discrepancies arise, following the ATSB findings.