Narrative:

The aircraft in use was an all cargo large transport which was nine pallets on the upper deck and two cargo bins. The pallets are labeled 1P through 9P. The forward bin is divided into two loading zones, 2L and 3L. The aft bin is labeled 8L and 9L. The cargo load is calculated by a load planner working in terminal operations. The load planner directs cargo loaders who place the cargo into the loading areas by plan which includes limitations of mac weights in each loading zone. The weight in the cargo bins, 2L, 3L, 8L and 9L affects the maximum weight on the pallets such that published limits include a maximum for 2L and 2P; 3L and 3P; 8L and 8P and also 9L and 9P. On this date the load planner authorized loading of 8P and 9P to the weight which was very nearly maximum for the zones. At the last min before departure ('close out' of load) someone put additional cargo in 8L and 9L which, when combined respectively with 8P and 9P, exceeded the limitations for the zone. The flight was conducted with the out-of-limits load and discovered at the next stop. The pilots had no data which could have determined the loading error for that flight, but I will be requesting the data on all flts and be double checking the load planner figures in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON A CARGO LGT, TOO MUCH WEIGHT WAS LOADED IN TWO AFT LOADING ZONES.

Narrative: THE ACFT IN USE WAS AN ALL CARGO LGT WHICH WAS NINE PALLETS ON THE UPPER DECK AND TWO CARGO BINS. THE PALLETS ARE LABELED 1P THROUGH 9P. THE FORWARD BIN IS DIVIDED INTO TWO LOADING ZONES, 2L AND 3L. THE AFT BIN IS LABELED 8L AND 9L. THE CARGO LOAD IS CALCULATED BY A LOAD PLANNER WORKING IN TERMINAL OPS. THE LOAD PLANNER DIRECTS CARGO LOADERS WHO PLACE THE CARGO INTO THE LOADING AREAS BY PLAN WHICH INCLUDES LIMITATIONS OF MAC WEIGHTS IN EACH LOADING ZONE. THE WEIGHT IN THE CARGO BINS, 2L, 3L, 8L AND 9L AFFECTS THE MAX WEIGHT ON THE PALLETS SUCH THAT PUBLISHED LIMITS INCLUDE A MAX FOR 2L AND 2P; 3L AND 3P; 8L AND 8P AND ALSO 9L AND 9P. ON THIS DATE THE LOAD PLANNER AUTHORIZED LOADING OF 8P AND 9P TO THE WEIGHT WHICH WAS VERY NEARLY MAX FOR THE ZONES. AT THE LAST MIN BEFORE DEP ('CLOSE OUT' OF LOAD) SOMEONE PUT ADDITIONAL CARGO IN 8L AND 9L WHICH, WHEN COMBINED RESPECTIVELY WITH 8P AND 9P, EXCEEDED THE LIMITATIONS FOR THE ZONE. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE OUT-OF-LIMITS LOAD AND DISCOVERED AT THE NEXT STOP. THE PLTS HAD NO DATA WHICH COULD HAVE DETERMINED THE LOADING ERROR FOR THAT FLT, BUT I WILL BE REQUESTING THE DATA ON ALL FLTS AND BE DOUBLE CHKING THE LOAD PLANNER FIGURES IN THE FUTURE.

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.