Narrative:

Realize please, that as flcs, we have no choice but to believe what our ramp personnel tell us when they load us. We have no immediate access to cargo bays and we should be able to trust them with our lives and do. I do not think enough people in non flying position are aware of just how dangerous the situation can be if numbers are fudged, even by a few. On aug/sat/91, while preparing for a flight from cle to azo, operations informed us, the crew, that we would be full. Looking at our fuel load, we did a preliminary weight and balance and found that with 30 passenger and release fuel, we would be limited to 41 bags. Operations then informed the ramp. Finally loaded with 38 passenger the ramp informed us our baggage load was indeed 41 bags. Falling well within our weight and balance envelope, we departed the gate on time. Upon rotation, the aircraft pitched up sharply, approximately 20 degree nose high deck angle. We forced yoke forward and trimmed further forward and arrested the pitch up. The remainder of the flight went off uneventfully. As we landed in azo, our operations workers there began off loading bags. Because it was taking an abnormally long period of time for them to off load the bags, I went aft to check why. It looked like more than 41 bags to me but because I had no way to count them myself, I asked the rampers for a bag count. This is when we learned we had 58 bags aft instead of 41. The next morning, in cle, we immediately informed our operations and chief pilot's office.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT ACR ACFT OVER ROTATES ON TKOF AS A RESULT OF OUT OF TRIM CONDITION.

Narrative: REALIZE PLEASE, THAT AS FLCS, WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BELIEVE WHAT OUR RAMP PERSONNEL TELL US WHEN THEY LOAD US. WE HAVE NO IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO CARGO BAYS AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRUST THEM WITH OUR LIVES AND DO. I DO NOT THINK ENOUGH PEOPLE IN NON FLYING POS ARE AWARE OF JUST HOW DANGEROUS THE SITUATION CAN BE IF NUMBERS ARE FUDGED, EVEN BY A FEW. ON AUG/SAT/91, WHILE PREPARING FOR A FLT FROM CLE TO AZO, OPS INFORMED US, THE CREW, THAT WE WOULD BE FULL. LOOKING AT OUR FUEL LOAD, WE DID A PRELIMINARY WT AND BAL AND FOUND THAT WITH 30 PAX AND RELEASE FUEL, WE WOULD BE LIMITED TO 41 BAGS. OPS THEN INFORMED THE RAMP. FINALLY LOADED WITH 38 PAX THE RAMP INFORMED US OUR BAGGAGE LOAD WAS INDEED 41 BAGS. FALLING WELL WITHIN OUR WT AND BAL ENVELOPE, WE DEPARTED THE GATE ON TIME. UPON ROTATION, THE ACFT PITCHED UP SHARPLY, APPROX 20 DEG NOSE HIGH DECK ANGLE. WE FORCED YOKE FORWARD AND TRIMMED FURTHER FORWARD AND ARRESTED THE PITCH UP. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WENT OFF UNEVENTFULLY. AS WE LANDED IN AZO, OUR OPS WORKERS THERE BEGAN OFF LOADING BAGS. BECAUSE IT WAS TAKING AN ABNORMALLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME FOR THEM TO OFF LOAD THE BAGS, I WENT AFT TO CHK WHY. IT LOOKED LIKE MORE THAN 41 BAGS TO ME BUT BECAUSE I HAD NO WAY TO COUNT THEM MYSELF, I ASKED THE RAMPERS FOR A BAG COUNT. THIS IS WHEN WE LEARNED WE HAD 58 BAGS AFT INSTEAD OF 41. THE NEXT MORNING, IN CLE, WE IMMEDIATELY INFORMED OUR OPS AND CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE.

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.