Narrative:

The trip was a scheduled flight from jfk to alb. During boarding in jfk my first officer advised me that we may not be able to take all the bags which were loaded in the tail cargo area due to aft center of gravity limits. I instructed ramp agents to remove 4 bags and asked our flight attendant to move some passenger forward in accordance with company procedures. My first officer completed the manifest using the new numbers and advised me that we were within limits and we departed for alb. Takeoff and flight to alb all normal. On landing in alb, as the main wheels touched down, the nose of the aircraft began to rise. I countered this with full nose down elevator which had no effect. I then applied a burst of power. The nose stopped rising and then began to fall to the runway. The rollout and taxi to gate were normal. While I didn't feel the tail contact the runway on landing, a post-flight inspection revealed a bent tail stand bracket and paint missing from the underside of the tail. Our company uses an average weight of 35 pounds for bags on jfk flts. I believe this is too low. Some bags are so heavy it requires 2 ramp agents to lift them into the aircraft. The ramp workers are required to count a heavy bag as 2, but the company frequently makes everyone aware of the cost of separating passenger and their bags. I believe some flts depart with more bags on board than the crew knows about, and I believe most bags are heavier than 35 pounds resulting in a higher gross weight and possibly an out of limits center of gravity -- even when the manifest shows all is ok.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LTT ACR ACFT HIT THE TAILSKID DURING LNDG DUE TO THE ACFT AFT CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS EXCEEDED.

Narrative: THE TRIP WAS A SCHEDULED FLT FROM JFK TO ALB. DURING BOARDING IN JFK MY FO ADVISED ME THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL THE BAGS WHICH WERE LOADED IN THE TAIL CARGO AREA DUE TO AFT CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS. I INSTRUCTED RAMP AGENTS TO REMOVE 4 BAGS AND ASKED OUR FLT ATTENDANT TO MOVE SOME PAX FORWARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS. MY FO COMPLETED THE MANIFEST USING THE NEW NUMBERS AND ADVISED ME THAT WE WERE WITHIN LIMITS AND WE DEPARTED FOR ALB. TKOF AND FLT TO ALB ALL NORMAL. ON LNDG IN ALB, AS THE MAIN WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN, THE NOSE OF THE ACFT BEGAN TO RISE. I COUNTERED THIS WITH FULL NOSE DOWN ELEVATOR WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. I THEN APPLIED A BURST OF PWR. THE NOSE STOPPED RISING AND THEN BEGAN TO FALL TO THE RWY. THE ROLLOUT AND TAXI TO GATE WERE NORMAL. WHILE I DIDN'T FEEL THE TAIL CONTACT THE RWY ON LNDG, A POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED A BENT TAIL STAND BRACKET AND PAINT MISSING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TAIL. OUR COMPANY USES AN AVERAGE WT OF 35 LBS FOR BAGS ON JFK FLTS. I BELIEVE THIS IS TOO LOW. SOME BAGS ARE SO HVY IT REQUIRES 2 RAMP AGENTS TO LIFT THEM INTO THE ACFT. THE RAMP WORKERS ARE REQUIRED TO COUNT A HVY BAG AS 2, BUT THE COMPANY FREQUENTLY MAKES EVERYONE AWARE OF THE COST OF SEPARATING PAX AND THEIR BAGS. I BELIEVE SOME FLTS DEPART WITH MORE BAGS ON BOARD THAN THE CREW KNOWS ABOUT, AND I BELIEVE MOST BAGS ARE HEAVIER THAN 35 LBS RESULTING IN A HIGHER GROSS WT AND POSSIBLY AN OUT OF LIMITS CTR OF GRAVITY -- EVEN WHEN THE MANIFEST SHOWS ALL IS OK.

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.