Narrative:

We departed phl in a 15 passenger seat small transport commuter en route to syr with 12 passenger and 1200 pounds of fuel. While boarding the passenger in phl a passenger came forward. There was little room for him in 1-R so I told him to situation in 8-L. With him in 1-R/left there is no room for his legs or if we put the seats forward to give him leg room then there is no crew room. Not only that but a few weeks ago while on final a passenger in 1-R got sick and didn't use a sick sack. It was a mess for the copilot and some of it got on my clothes. The company doesn't like us to buy fuel in phl unless its absolutely a must and it wasn't, but a few extra pounds may have saved the cg from moving aft. There wasn't much bag weight in the nose. When we landed in syr my first officer opened the rear and only airstair door, I got up and turned around to make sure the passenger deplaned from the rear first. Unknown to us the line crew took 1/2 of the 128 numbers of bags out of the nose and all of a sudden the plane sat on its tail. I computed that even if I stayed seated and the first officer was in the rear, the cg would have been 5' aft of maximum. If the passenger was up front and no bags taken out and the first officer aft 2' cg. No one was hurt other than my pride. Anyway, our landing cg was 1' within cg. The plane is almost within time for weight and balance revision. I wonder how accurate it is now. I wonder if the fuel gauge wasn't MEL'ed and if we didn't take a gate delay and if I put fuel on anyway this would or could have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMT SAT ON ITS TAIL AS PAX WERE BEING OFF LOADED AT DES ARPT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED PHL IN A 15 PAX SEAT SMT COMMUTER ENRTE TO SYR WITH 12 PAX AND 1200 LBS OF FUEL. WHILE BOARDING THE PAX IN PHL A PAX CAME FORWARD. THERE WAS LITTLE ROOM FOR HIM IN 1-R SO I TOLD HIM TO SIT IN 8-L. WITH HIM IN 1-R/L THERE IS NO ROOM FOR HIS LEGS OR IF WE PUT THE SEATS FORWARD TO GIVE HIM LEG ROOM THEN THERE IS NO CREW ROOM. NOT ONLY THAT BUT A FEW WKS AGO WHILE ON FINAL A PAX IN 1-R GOT SICK AND DIDN'T USE A SICK SACK. IT WAS A MESS FOR THE COPLT AND SOME OF IT GOT ON MY CLOTHES. THE COMPANY DOESN'T LIKE US TO BUY FUEL IN PHL UNLESS ITS ABSOLUTELY A MUST AND IT WASN'T, BUT A FEW EXTRA LBS MAY HAVE SAVED THE CG FROM MOVING AFT. THERE WASN'T MUCH BAG WT IN THE NOSE. WHEN WE LANDED IN SYR MY F/O OPENED THE REAR AND ONLY AIRSTAIR DOOR, I GOT UP AND TURNED AROUND TO MAKE SURE THE PAX DEPLANED FROM THE REAR FIRST. UNKNOWN TO US THE LINE CREW TOOK 1/2 OF THE 128 NUMBERS OF BAGS OUT OF THE NOSE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PLANE SAT ON ITS TAIL. I COMPUTED THAT EVEN IF I STAYED SEATED AND THE F/O WAS IN THE REAR, THE CG WOULD HAVE BEEN 5' AFT OF MAX. IF THE PAX WAS UP FRONT AND NO BAGS TAKEN OUT AND THE F/O AFT 2' CG. NO ONE WAS HURT OTHER THAN MY PRIDE. ANYWAY, OUR LNDG CG WAS 1' WITHIN CG. THE PLANE IS ALMOST WITHIN TIME FOR WT AND BALANCE REVISION. I WONDER HOW ACCURATE IT IS NOW. I WONDER IF THE FUEL GAUGE WASN'T MEL'ED AND IF WE DIDN'T TAKE A GATE DELAY AND IF I PUT FUEL ON ANYWAY THIS WOULD OR COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.