Part 4/10:
Unbeknownst to the crew, the miscalculated weight led to the EFB providing flawed data for crucial performance metrics, including flap settings and takeoff speeds. With both pilots engrossed in other conversations and final preparations, numerous opportunities for verification slipped away. A critical verbal communication step meant to align the first officer’s weight entries with the cockpit checks was overlooked entirely.
As the aircraft prepared to taxi, the first officer selected insufficient flap settings, further compromising takeoff performance. With every passing moment, the risk escalated, and by the time Flight 407 began its takeoff roll, the pilots had unwittingly forfeited safety protocols in favor of complacency and distraction.