Narrative:

I was the captain of this flight preparing for departure from dfw. Our standard operating practice requires any bag over 24 pounds to be weighted, insuring an accurate weight and balance calculation. These bags are also supposed to be tagged as 'heavy.' following is a description of something that happened to me I feel is a safety hazard and needs to be corrected and reported. I asked a ramper how much the bag that he was loading weighed. He said 'about 60 pounds.' he also said that he doesn't weight bags, he just 'guesses the weight.' after telling him to weigh the heavy bags I asked the bag room person why they didn't weigh heavy bags. He said they did not have time and 'if all heavy bags were weighted, every flight would leave late. He said there were not enough workers to weight the bags, and that the loaders were pretty good at 'guessing weights.' to be safe, they 'overestimate the bag's weight.' this is not being safe as it makes the trim setting and center of gravity calculations inaccurate. It also forces bags to be left behind unnecessarily. I helped weigh the bags for my flight and found the scale to be in very bad shape. It was inaccurate and extremely difficult to use (awkward and time consuming). Returning to the plane a supervisor told me they always estimate heavy bags because 'some carry-ONS are light' (average out). I found their estimate to be off by 35 percent. I also found out that heavy bags from the pad (remote ATR operation) are never weighed. This was due to the time/staffing constraints, and pressure from management to get the flts out on time. After weighing bags and getting the final bag count, the cargo compartment had been overloaded by 57 pounds and cargo had to be removed to remain within weight and balance limitations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has used hotline but has not had response at this time. He has talked within his company until he is 'blue in the face' without positive results at this time. He is also following through with action from the union and hopes for some result. His main concern is that FARS are being ignored and flts are in jeopardy with overloading or simply misloading. He would like to see ground handlers complying with the regulations and be assured of proper loading.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT COMMUTER GND PROCS ALLOW INACCURATE WT AND BAL INFO.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF THIS FLT PREPARING FOR DEP FROM DFW. OUR STANDARD OPERATING PRACTICE REQUIRES ANY BAG OVER 24 LBS TO BE WEIGHTED, INSURING AN ACCURATE WT AND BAL CALCULATION. THESE BAGS ARE ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE TAGGED AS 'HVY.' FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME I FEEL IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED AND RPTED. I ASKED A RAMPER HOW MUCH THE BAG THAT HE WAS LOADING WEIGHED. HE SAID 'ABOUT 60 LBS.' HE ALSO SAID THAT HE DOESN'T WEIGHT BAGS, HE JUST 'GUESSES THE WT.' AFTER TELLING HIM TO WEIGH THE HVY BAGS I ASKED THE BAG ROOM PERSON WHY THEY DIDN'T WEIGH HVY BAGS. HE SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME AND 'IF ALL HVY BAGS WERE WEIGHTED, EVERY FLT WOULD LEAVE LATE. HE SAID THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH WORKERS TO WEIGHT THE BAGS, AND THAT THE LOADERS WERE PRETTY GOOD AT 'GUESSING WTS.' TO BE SAFE, THEY 'OVERESTIMATE THE BAG'S WT.' THIS IS NOT BEING SAFE AS IT MAKES THE TRIM SETTING AND CTR OF GRAVITY CALCULATIONS INACCURATE. IT ALSO FORCES BAGS TO BE LEFT BEHIND UNNECESSARILY. I HELPED WEIGH THE BAGS FOR MY FLT AND FOUND THE SCALE TO BE IN VERY BAD SHAPE. IT WAS INACCURATE AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO USE (AWKWARD AND TIME CONSUMING). RETURNING TO THE PLANE A SUPVR TOLD ME THEY ALWAYS ESTIMATE HVY BAGS BECAUSE 'SOME CARRY-ONS ARE LIGHT' (AVERAGE OUT). I FOUND THEIR ESTIMATE TO BE OFF BY 35 PERCENT. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT HVY BAGS FROM THE PAD (REMOTE ATR OP) ARE NEVER WEIGHED. THIS WAS DUE TO THE TIME/STAFFING CONSTRAINTS, AND PRESSURE FROM MGMNT TO GET THE FLTS OUT ON TIME. AFTER WEIGHING BAGS AND GETTING THE FINAL BAG COUNT, THE CARGO COMPARTMENT HAD BEEN OVERLOADED BY 57 LBS AND CARGO HAD TO BE REMOVED TO REMAIN WITHIN WT AND BAL LIMITATIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS USED HOTLINE BUT HAS NOT HAD RESPONSE AT THIS TIME. HE HAS TALKED WITHIN HIS COMPANY UNTIL HE IS 'BLUE IN THE FACE' WITHOUT POSITIVE RESULTS AT THIS TIME. HE IS ALSO FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH ACTION FROM THE UNION AND HOPES FOR SOME RESULT. HIS MAIN CONCERN IS THAT FARS ARE BEING IGNORED AND FLTS ARE IN JEOPARDY WITH OVERLOADING OR SIMPLY MISLOADING. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE GND HANDLERS COMPLYING WITH THE REGS AND BE ASSURED OF PROPER LOADING.

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.