Narrative:

Flight from jfk-dca was a normal flight in all respects except for baggage loading. The ground crew advised us (flight crew) on 2 occasions that we were loaded with 37 bags. Our flight attendant provided us with a passenger count of 39 passenger. Given our fuel load of 5200 pounds, we were well within our weight and balance limits for flight. Upon approach for a STOL landing on runway 33 at dca, I ran out of nose down trim. The aircraft was easily ctlable with light input forces. Upon arrival at dca, I was advised there were more than 37 bags on board. The total count was 68 bags. Our company has recently increased standard baggage weight to 35 pounds per bag. At this weight, the total weight in the baggage compartment was 2380 pounds (180 pounds over maximum allowable weight in that compartment). With that passenger load of 39 passenger, the maximum load is further reduced to 1900 pounds (480 pounds over weight). Possible contributing factors: 1) ground crew indifference. A) I advised ground crew that we may be limited on amount of bags we could carry because we were overbooked. They may not have wanted to unload bags they had just loaded. B) 5000 furloughs had been announced earlier in the week. 2) there were 13 bags loaded that were destined for iad, not dca. Even so, we would still have been overloaded for our passenger load and the count would still have been off by 18 bags.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSTFLT RECALCULATION OF BAGGAGE SHOWED ACFT OVERWT IN REAR COMPARTMENT BY POSSIBLY 480 POUNDS. THIS CAUSED A NOSE UP INCLINATION AT LOW LNDG SPDS EASILY CONTROLLABLE WITH ELEVATOR INPUT.

Narrative: FLT FROM JFK-DCA WAS A NORMAL FLT IN ALL RESPECTS EXCEPT FOR BAGGAGE LOADING. THE GND CREW ADVISED US (FLC) ON 2 OCCASIONS THAT WE WERE LOADED WITH 37 BAGS. OUR FLT ATTENDANT PROVIDED US WITH A PAX COUNT OF 39 PAX. GIVEN OUR FUEL LOAD OF 5200 POUNDS, WE WERE WELL WITHIN OUR WT AND BAL LIMITS FOR FLT. UPON APCH FOR A STOL LNDG ON RWY 33 AT DCA, I RAN OUT OF NOSE DOWN TRIM. THE ACFT WAS EASILY CTLABLE WITH LIGHT INPUT FORCES. UPON ARR AT DCA, I WAS ADVISED THERE WERE MORE THAN 37 BAGS ON BOARD. THE TOTAL COUNT WAS 68 BAGS. OUR COMPANY HAS RECENTLY INCREASED STANDARD BAGGAGE WT TO 35 POUNDS PER BAG. AT THIS WT, THE TOTAL WT IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WAS 2380 POUNDS (180 POUNDS OVER MAX ALLOWABLE WT IN THAT COMPARTMENT). WITH THAT PAX LOAD OF 39 PAX, THE MAX LOAD IS FURTHER REDUCED TO 1900 POUNDS (480 POUNDS OVER WT). POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) GND CREW INDIFFERENCE. A) I ADVISED GND CREW THAT WE MAY BE LIMITED ON AMOUNT OF BAGS WE COULD CARRY BECAUSE WE WERE OVERBOOKED. THEY MAY NOT HAVE WANTED TO UNLOAD BAGS THEY HAD JUST LOADED. B) 5000 FURLOUGHS HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED EARLIER IN THE WK. 2) THERE WERE 13 BAGS LOADED THAT WERE DESTINED FOR IAD, NOT DCA. EVEN SO, WE WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN OVERLOADED FOR OUR PAX LOAD AND THE COUNT WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN OFF BY 18 BAGS.

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.