Narrative:

Aircraft was fully loaded, within limits, with extreme aft center of gravity. After arrival at gate, engines were shut down. Main cabin door was opened by ramp/gate agent. Captain informed agent that we had full bags back aft. First officer got out of his seat to deplane passenger. Approximately 1 min later, aircraft shifted from normal position (all 3 wheels on deck) to extreme nose high, aircraft sitting on tall ('tail stand'). Minor aircraft damage to tail section resulted with no injuries. Apparently, gate agents removed all of the forward baggage first. This allowed for a gross shift aft of aircraft's center of gravity, which in turn caused the aircraft to situation on its tail. The aircraft was loaded correctly and within limits at origin. After the incident, the ramp agents stated that they were doing just what they were taught to do -- remove carry-on bags from forward baggage. However, cargo was loaded in forward baggage, not carry-on bags. Thus, the 'ballast' in forward baggage was, obviously, needed to prevent a tail stand until sufficient bags were removed from aft baggage. Better, more complete ramp agent training is needed on aircraft center of gravity awareness and the proper way to off-load a fully loaded, aft center of gravity aircraft. Thank god no one was hurt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT DOES A 'TAIL STAND' FOR DEPLANING PAX WHEN CARGO IS OFF-LOADED IMPROPERLY. FLC GND CREW COORD INADEQUATE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FULLY LOADED, WITHIN LIMITS, WITH EXTREME AFT CTR OF GRAVITY. AFTER ARR AT GATE, ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN. MAIN CABIN DOOR WAS OPENED BY RAMP/GATE AGENT. CAPT INFORMED AGENT THAT WE HAD FULL BAGS BACK AFT. FO GOT OUT OF HIS SEAT TO DEPLANE PAX. APPROX 1 MIN LATER, ACFT SHIFTED FROM NORMAL POS (ALL 3 WHEELS ON DECK) TO EXTREME NOSE HIGH, ACFT SITTING ON TALL ('TAIL STAND'). MINOR ACFT DAMAGE TO TAIL SECTION RESULTED WITH NO INJURIES. APPARENTLY, GATE AGENTS REMOVED ALL OF THE FORWARD BAGGAGE FIRST. THIS ALLOWED FOR A GROSS SHIFT AFT OF ACFT'S CTR OF GRAVITY, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE ACFT TO SIT ON ITS TAIL. THE ACFT WAS LOADED CORRECTLY AND WITHIN LIMITS AT ORIGIN. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE RAMP AGENTS STATED THAT THEY WERE DOING JUST WHAT THEY WERE TAUGHT TO DO -- REMOVE CARRY-ON BAGS FROM FORWARD BAGGAGE. HOWEVER, CARGO WAS LOADED IN FORWARD BAGGAGE, NOT CARRY-ON BAGS. THUS, THE 'BALLAST' IN FORWARD BAGGAGE WAS, OBVIOUSLY, NEEDED TO PREVENT A TAIL STAND UNTIL SUFFICIENT BAGS WERE REMOVED FROM AFT BAGGAGE. BETTER, MORE COMPLETE RAMP AGENT TRAINING IS NEEDED ON ACFT CTR OF GRAVITY AWARENESS AND THE PROPER WAY TO OFF-LOAD A FULLY LOADED, AFT CTR OF GRAVITY ACFT. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT.

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.