B777-200
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Other / Unknown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
We pulled paperwork and noted it was a weight restricted flight; close to max structural limit - when fueling was completed; sent message showing 261.5 [fuel] on board. Push was on time; no concerns about weights and taxied to the runway. Didn't have a close out; so we queried them several times as to the delay (we were told the crew chief/loads were working on it). After approximately a 30 minute delay; the closeout came; and we actually came in just a bit under plan (645.6 vs. 647.0). All was checked with what was in the box; and we departed. Approximately 6 hours into the flight; dispatch notified us that the closeout was incorrect - apparently a pallet was mislabeled; and that we were about 5;000 pounds heavier than planned; which made us overweight for both taxi and takeoff. Subsequent communication with dispatch revealed that our actual zero fuel weight was 393.4 vs. the 385.3 we received on the close out. It was my leg; and it didn't feel any different than any other heavy weight operation. The concern was our re-dispatch data was now invalid and they were initially unable to calculate both ETP (Equal-Time Point) info and re-dispatch; making a landing in ZZZZ1 a strong possibility. Eventually we received data from dispatch with updated ETP info and we were successfully re-dispatched to ZZZZ from over ZZZZZZ [intersection] with a minimum FOB (Fuel On Board) of 29.0 (our actual over ZZZZZZ [intersection] was 36.5). Remainder of flight was normal; landed flaps 25 at a weight of approximately 413.0 and arrival FOB at ZZZZ was 18.8 vs. plan of 15.7.
B777 flight crew is informed six hours into flight that a loading error occurred. The aircraft is 8;000 pounds heavier than indicated on the weight and balance; making it overweight for both taxi and takeoff.