Narrative:

During routine preflight weight and balance calculations, it was determined that our aircraft had been loaded above our maximum takeoff weight of 36825 pounds. After consulting with our load planning office it was requested that we take 20 'bags' out of our front cargo compartment and place them inside the aircraft cabin (in the overheads) so that they wouldn't be used in our weight computations (shaky, but legal). We questioned the baggage handler over intercom, and he assured us that the bags being moved were 'gate check' baggage and that it was being moved to the overhead bins. After an uneventful flight from iah-crp, we landed and after questioning our brand new flight attendant it was determined that the bags moved by the ramp person were in fact placed in the aft cargo compartment, and never documented as such. (This, after we had questioned him twice on the matter prior to our flight.) we filled out a new weight and balance form to see what our actual weight and center of gravity were for the previous flight, and found that we had taken off from iah 400 pounds over gross weight with an aft center of gravity out of limits! We thank our lucky stars we didn't have an engine failure on takeoff, but were puzzled about what can be done to alleviate this problem. A late flight, an oversold flight, an overweight aircraft, and ramp supervisors pushing to get the aircraft out at all costs is a recipe for a possible disaster. Supplemental information from acn 303073: ground crew removed 21 bags from forward cargo compartment and put them into the aft cargo area without telling pilots -- giving the pilots a fraudulent load information sheet. What can be done? I don't know. Maybe somehow reduce the pressure on demoralized, under-paid, under-staffed airline ground crews to 'push' the airplanes and all the bags and people on time in spite of any rules, regulations, or difficulties. That would be a start.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT PERFORMS AN OVERWT, OUT OF CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS TKOF.

Narrative: DURING ROUTINE PREFLT WT AND BAL CALCULATIONS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT OUR ACFT HAD BEEN LOADED ABOVE OUR MAX TKOF WT OF 36825 LBS. AFTER CONSULTING WITH OUR LOAD PLANNING OFFICE IT WAS REQUESTED THAT WE TAKE 20 'BAGS' OUT OF OUR FRONT CARGO COMPARTMENT AND PLACE THEM INSIDE THE ACFT CABIN (IN THE OVERHEADS) SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE USED IN OUR WT COMPUTATIONS (SHAKY, BUT LEGAL). WE QUESTIONED THE BAGGAGE HANDLER OVER INTERCOM, AND HE ASSURED US THAT THE BAGS BEING MOVED WERE 'GATE CHK' BAGGAGE AND THAT IT WAS BEING MOVED TO THE OVERHEAD BINS. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM IAH-CRP, WE LANDED AND AFTER QUESTIONING OUR BRAND NEW FLT ATTENDANT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BAGS MOVED BY THE RAMP PERSON WERE IN FACT PLACED IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT, AND NEVER DOCUMENTED AS SUCH. (THIS, AFTER WE HAD QUESTIONED HIM TWICE ON THE MATTER PRIOR TO OUR FLT.) WE FILLED OUT A NEW WT AND BAL FORM TO SEE WHAT OUR ACTUAL WT AND CTR OF GRAVITY WERE FOR THE PREVIOUS FLT, AND FOUND THAT WE HAD TAKEN OFF FROM IAH 400 LBS OVER GROSS WT WITH AN AFT CTR OF GRAVITY OUT OF LIMITS! WE THANK OUR LUCKY STARS WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ENG FAILURE ON TKOF, BUT WERE PUZZLED ABOUT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROB. A LATE FLT, AN OVERSOLD FLT, AN OVERWT ACFT, AND RAMP SUPVRS PUSHING TO GET THE ACFT OUT AT ALL COSTS IS A RECIPE FOR A POSSIBLE DISASTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 303073: GND CREW REMOVED 21 BAGS FROM FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT AND PUT THEM INTO THE AFT CARGO AREA WITHOUT TELLING PLTS -- GIVING THE PLTS A FRAUDULENT LOAD INFO SHEET. WHAT CAN BE DONE? I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE SOMEHOW REDUCE THE PRESSURE ON DEMORALIZED, UNDER-PAID, UNDER-STAFFED AIRLINE GND CREWS TO 'PUSH' THE AIRPLANES AND ALL THE BAGS AND PEOPLE ON TIME IN SPITE OF ANY RULES, REGS, OR DIFFICULTIES. THAT WOULD BE A START.

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.