The Herald Sun reports that a preliminary report of the incident issued in Canberra today stated that after take-off the flight crew noticed that an incorrect weight had been inadvertently entered into the laptop.
The wrong calculation was made when pre-take-off calculations were made prior to departure, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reported.
It was found that the calculations were based on a take-off weight that was 100 tonnes below the actual take-off weight of the aircraft.
The result was a thrust setting and take-off reference speeds that were lower than those required for the aircraft`s actual weight.
During the botched take-off the tail hit the runway at three different points and twice on the grassed area beyond, leaving scrape marks.
The tail also clipped a light and an antenna and the left main tyre hit another antenna array – which is a navigation device for landing aircraft.
During the return to land at Melbourne, a cabin crew member reported smoke in the cabin, the report said.
Today`s report confirms this week`s Herald Sun report that investigators were concerned about incorrect load numbers being punched into the flight computer.
The investigation into the March 20 incident found that during the take-off roll on runway 16, the captain called for the first officer to rotate (lift off).
However, when the aircraft was slow to respond, the captain commanded and applied maximum take-off thrust.
The aircraft`s tail struck the runway and the aircraft lifted off shortly afterwards.Read more on this story at The Herald Sun
