Weight and Balance Documentation for Part 135: Requirements After the NTSB Report

The NTSB's AIR-24-03 special investigation report analyzed 576 Part 135 accidents over 12 years and identified weight and balance deficiencies as a recurring safety gap — particularly in single-engine operations where loading conditions exceeded aircraft limits.

Five specific incidents causing 11 fatalities were linked to improper weight and balance documentation. The NTSB recommended mandatory W&B documentation for all Part 135 aircraft operations, not just those currently required.

Under 14 CFR 135.63(c), operators must prepare and maintain load manifests for each flight. The manifest must include the number of passengers, total weight of passengers, baggage, and cargo, and the computed center of gravity.

For aircraft with 10+ passenger seats, weight and balance calculations must use actual passenger weights or approved standard weights per AC 120-27E. For smaller aircraft, actual weights are strongly recommended.

Calculate W&B for every flight, not just when loads appear close to limits. Errors compound — a consistently underestimated basic empty weight plus standard passenger weights plus unweighed baggage can easily exceed limits without triggering alarms.

Use digital W&B tools that calculate center of gravity in real time and flag exceedances before dispatch. Paper-based calculations are slower, more error-prone, and harder to audit.

Retain completed load manifests for the required period and store them in a retrievable format. Link manifests to trip records in Navlyt TripDesk for unified trip documentation.

Single-engine Part 135 operations face the highest W&B risk because payload margins are smaller, CG ranges are narrower, and overloading directly impacts climb performance.

For single-engine operations: always use actual weights for passengers and baggage, verify CG position against the approved loading envelope, and brief pilots on the importance of refusing overweight loads even under customer pressure.