Narrative:

On a scheduled revenue flight from atlanta, GA to gadsden, al, our ramp agent advised me to expect a full flight with a large number of bags. I told him we could go with a maximum load which would be 30 passenger and 50 bags. The 30 passenger had boarded and the ramp agents were continuing to load bags and I began to notice the nose of the aircraft rising due to increasing weight in the rear. I then went outside to inspect the aircraft and observed the nose strut fully extended and the main gear struts almost fully compressed. The ramp agent told me some of the bags were very heavy but they were normal pullman type bags and due to their excess weight he should limit the number to 31 that were already loaded. I then went to the baggage bin and inspected some of the bags of which several were close to 90+ pounds. I told the ramp agent that this was unacceptable and that real bag weights would have to be used. He said that our company bag room had no scales and that he could not weight them. Another ramp agent said that the industry standard was 24 pounds for a regular bag and 47 pounds for a duffel bag. He then said that since most of the bags were very heavy he would use duffle bag weights. I told him that the aircraft was still too heavy for departure and requested that more bags be removed. Due to the ramp agent's attitude I requested a chief pilot come and arbitrate the disagreement. He instructed the ramp agents to remove the overweight bags. I elected to do this myself because of my increasing loss of faith in the ramp's ability to do it properly. I removed the bags that were excessively overweight and we were finally able to depart after a 51 minute delay. In retrospect, I can only assume that some employees cannot apply common sense over acquired misconceptions. 27 of our 30 passenger were orientals traveling to the gadsden area for an extended stay. Our company has a standard practice to cover large groups or charters and states that actual weights will be used instead of industry standard. As originally loaded I have serious reservations as to the ctlability of the aircraft had I became airborne. In the regional airline industry the low salary structure for ground personnel has created a problem in attracting quality people to fill the jobs. The 3 ramp agents working my flight have been with our airline several years, however, showed no recognition of the dangerous possible fatal consequences of their actions or lack thereof. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that his company still had not procured a scale at atl. The incident reported happened 3 days in a row due to the asian tourists buying a large block of tickets on this particular leg. When the chief pilot became involved, the station manager stated that 'a bag is a bag.' he seemed to have no comprehension of the importance of weight and balance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT IS LOADED BEYOND THE AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMIT WHEN MANY EXTRAORDINARILY HEAVY BAGS ARE LOADED WITHOUT BEING WEIGHTED.

Narrative: ON A SCHEDULED REVENUE FLT FROM ATLANTA, GA TO GADSDEN, AL, OUR RAMP AGENT ADVISED ME TO EXPECT A FULL FLT WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF BAGS. I TOLD HIM WE COULD GO WITH A MAX LOAD WHICH WOULD BE 30 PAX AND 50 BAGS. THE 30 PAX HAD BOARDED AND THE RAMP AGENTS WERE CONTINUING TO LOAD BAGS AND I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE NOSE OF THE ACFT RISING DUE TO INCREASING WEIGHT IN THE REAR. I THEN WENT OUTSIDE TO INSPECT THE ACFT AND OBSERVED THE NOSE STRUT FULLY EXTENDED AND THE MAIN GEAR STRUTS ALMOST FULLY COMPRESSED. THE RAMP AGENT TOLD ME SOME OF THE BAGS WERE VERY HEAVY BUT THEY WERE NORMAL PULLMAN TYPE BAGS AND DUE TO THEIR EXCESS WEIGHT HE SHOULD LIMIT THE NUMBER TO 31 THAT WERE ALREADY LOADED. I THEN WENT TO THE BAGGAGE BIN AND INSPECTED SOME OF THE BAGS OF WHICH SEVERAL WERE CLOSE TO 90+ LBS. I TOLD THE RAMP AGENT THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT REAL BAG WEIGHTS WOULD HAVE TO BE USED. HE SAID THAT OUR COMPANY BAG ROOM HAD NO SCALES AND THAT HE COULD NOT WEIGHT THEM. ANOTHER RAMP AGENT SAID THAT THE INDUSTRY STANDARD WAS 24 LBS FOR A REGULAR BAG AND 47 LBS FOR A DUFFEL BAG. HE THEN SAID THAT SINCE MOST OF THE BAGS WERE VERY HEAVY HE WOULD USE DUFFLE BAG WEIGHTS. I TOLD HIM THAT THE ACFT WAS STILL TOO HEAVY FOR DEP AND REQUESTED THAT MORE BAGS BE REMOVED. DUE TO THE RAMP AGENT'S ATTITUDE I REQUESTED A CHIEF PLT COME AND ARBITRATE THE DISAGREEMENT. HE INSTRUCTED THE RAMP AGENTS TO REMOVE THE OVERWEIGHT BAGS. I ELECTED TO DO THIS MYSELF BECAUSE OF MY INCREASING LOSS OF FAITH IN THE RAMP'S ABILITY TO DO IT PROPERLY. I REMOVED THE BAGS THAT WERE EXCESSIVELY OVERWEIGHT AND WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO DEPART AFTER A 51 MINUTE DELAY. IN RETROSPECT, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT SOME EMPLOYEES CANNOT APPLY COMMON SENSE OVER ACQUIRED MISCONCEPTIONS. 27 OF OUR 30 PAX WERE ORIENTALS TRAVELING TO THE GADSDEN AREA FOR AN EXTENDED STAY. OUR COMPANY HAS A STANDARD PRACTICE TO COVER LARGE GROUPS OR CHARTERS AND STATES THAT ACTUAL WEIGHTS WILL BE USED INSTEAD OF INDUSTRY STANDARD. AS ORIGINALLY LOADED I HAVE SERIOUS RESERVATIONS AS TO THE CTLABILITY OF THE ACFT HAD I BECAME AIRBORNE. IN THE REGIONAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY THE LOW SALARY STRUCTURE FOR GND PERSONNEL HAS CREATED A PROBLEM IN ATTRACTING QUALITY PEOPLE TO FILL THE JOBS. THE 3 RAMP AGENTS WORKING MY FLT HAVE BEEN WITH OUR AIRLINE SEVERAL YEARS, HOWEVER, SHOWED NO RECOGNITION OF THE DANGEROUS POSSIBLE FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS OR LACK THEREOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER SAID THAT HIS COMPANY STILL HAD NOT PROCURED A SCALE AT ATL. THE INCIDENT REPORTED HAPPENED 3 DAYS IN A ROW DUE TO THE ASIAN TOURISTS BUYING A LARGE BLOCK OF TICKETS ON THIS PARTICULAR LEG. WHEN THE CHIEF PLT BECAME INVOLVED, THE STATION MGR STATED THAT 'A BAG IS A BAG.' HE SEEMED TO HAVE NO COMPREHENSION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF WEIGHT AND BALANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.