The NTSB issued a Safety Alert (PDF) on Friday reminding general aviation pilots they should calculate weight and balance before every flight. Between 2008 and 2016, the board said, incorrect or neglected performance calculations were cited as a probable cause in 136 GA accident reports. In one-third of those accidents, people died. “Overloading aircraft or operating outside of the CG limits can severely degrade an aircraft’s performance characteristics and ultimately lead to an aerodynamic stall and/or loss of aircraft control, typically during takeoff or landing,” the Safety Alert says. The effects of weather also should be considered, the NTSB says.
“Not accounting for atmospheric conditions — such as wind, high temperature, and high density altitude — on an aircraft’s performance can exacerbate the effects of operating outside of weight and CG limits,” says the Safety Alert. “Even if an aircraft is under or near its maximum gross takeoff limit, atmospheric conditions can degrade the aircraft’s performance enough to prevent it from attaining or maintaining a climb.” The Safety Alert describes several fatal accidents that illustrate the diversity of circumstances that can result from a failure to check weight and balance before takeoff.
