Narrative:

Upon arrival at cedar rapids to begin a day of flying I preflted the aircraft and checked WX. All preflight actions went normally. We taxied out to the runway with 580 pounds listed on our baggage sheet for the forward baggage area and over 300 pounds in the aft area. The only 2 passenger were seated in row 1. Since we were out of the gray area and the agent had moved the passenger forward, which was not necessary, the captain radioed in to verify the weights. The station manager verified that the weights indicated were correct. I flew the leg from cedar rapids to kansas city and the aircraft handled normally for a center of gravity near the aft portion of the envelope. Upon arrival during the parking process the aircraft tilted up, fully extending the nose gear strut. This made the captain curious and he requested that all bags in the aft areas be weighed and verified. When this was done we were advised that the aft 1 area had 1043 pounds in it and the aft 2 area weight listed had been correct. This weight exceeded the allowable weight of 880 pounds by 163 pounds. The aircraft was, however, within weight and balance limits. The only limit which was exceeded was the cargo area limit. No adverse problems were noted and a subsequent maintenance check showed no signs of trouble. The flight had been smooth with no turbulence encountered. This could have been averted had the agent loading the back not been in such a hurry. I believe that she was not paying attention to what she put in the back because there was twice as much weight in there as was listed on the load sheet the crew received. Our gom has no procedure for the crew verifying the load in the back. We go strictly by what is listed on the bag sheet the agents give us. The captain then fills out the load manifest based on the information listed on this sheet. Our company is looking at this situation and will likely come up with some method of checking to assure weights are right. I do not believe the crew had any fault in this incident. There was no indication from the way the aircraft handled indicating a problem. Since we do not load or check the aft area once we are on board in the cockpit and additional bags are often added. It is nearly impossible for us to verify the contents of that area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOADING PROC CARGO FAULTY.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT CEDAR RAPIDS TO BEGIN A DAY OF FLYING I PREFLTED THE ACFT AND CHKED WX. ALL PREFLT ACTIONS WENT NORMALLY. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY WITH 580 LBS LISTED ON OUR BAGGAGE SHEET FOR THE FORWARD BAGGAGE AREA AND OVER 300 LBS IN THE AFT AREA. THE ONLY 2 PAX WERE SEATED IN ROW 1. SINCE WE WERE OUT OF THE GRAY AREA AND THE AGENT HAD MOVED THE PAX FORWARD, WHICH WAS NOT NECESSARY, THE CAPT RADIOED IN TO VERIFY THE WTS. THE STATION MGR VERIFIED THAT THE WTS INDICATED WERE CORRECT. I FLEW THE LEG FROM CEDAR RAPIDS TO KANSAS CITY AND THE ACFT HANDLED NORMALLY FOR A CTR OF GRAVITY NEAR THE AFT PORTION OF THE ENVELOPE. UPON ARR DURING THE PARKING PROCESS THE ACFT TILTED UP, FULLY EXTENDING THE NOSE GEAR STRUT. THIS MADE THE CAPT CURIOUS AND HE REQUESTED THAT ALL BAGS IN THE AFT AREAS BE WEIGHED AND VERIFIED. WHEN THIS WAS DONE WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE AFT 1 AREA HAD 1043 LBS IN IT AND THE AFT 2 AREA WT LISTED HAD BEEN CORRECT. THIS WT EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE WT OF 880 LBS BY 163 LBS. THE ACFT WAS, HOWEVER, WITHIN WT AND BAL LIMITS. THE ONLY LIMIT WHICH WAS EXCEEDED WAS THE CARGO AREA LIMIT. NO ADVERSE PROBS WERE NOTED AND A SUBSEQUENT MAINT CHK SHOWED NO SIGNS OF TROUBLE. THE FLT HAD BEEN SMOOTH WITH NO TURB ENCOUNTERED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED HAD THE AGENT LOADING THE BACK NOT BEEN IN SUCH A HURRY. I BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS NOT PAYING ATTN TO WHAT SHE PUT IN THE BACK BECAUSE THERE WAS TWICE AS MUCH WT IN THERE AS WAS LISTED ON THE LOAD SHEET THE CREW RECEIVED. OUR GOM HAS NO PROC FOR THE CREW VERIFYING THE LOAD IN THE BACK. WE GO STRICTLY BY WHAT IS LISTED ON THE BAG SHEET THE AGENTS GIVE US. THE CAPT THEN FILLS OUT THE LOAD MANIFEST BASED ON THE INFO LISTED ON THIS SHEET. OUR COMPANY IS LOOKING AT THIS SIT AND WILL LIKELY COME UP WITH SOME METHOD OF CHKING TO ASSURE WTS ARE RIGHT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE CREW HAD ANY FAULT IN THIS INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM THE WAY THE ACFT HANDLED INDICATING A PROB. SINCE WE DO NOT LOAD OR CHK THE AFT AREA ONCE WE ARE ON BOARD IN THE COCKPIT AND ADDITIONAL BAGS ARE OFTEN ADDED. IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO VERIFY THE CONTENTS OF THAT AREA.

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.