Originally Posted by Dirtdiver

When you include SOBs in your mayday/panpanpan call, it only needs to be in the ballpark so they know what size response to launch. If you say 200 and you really had 208, they won't pack up and leave after #200 is plucked out of the water.

The real issue is your weight and balance. Without a proper headcount how do you know your AWABS is accurate? Then again, how do you know the number the agent tells you is correct? By the way, all the pax weights are estimates anyway. What could possibly go wrong?