Narrative:

Departing from yyz, I had planned (company policy) to use normal weights for baggage which is 23.5 pounds a bag. But almost all passenger were on their way to jfk airport. When you fly to jfk, you're supposed to use international baggage weights of 35 pounds. When you fly from yyz to syr, we're supposed to use 23.5 pounds then, once we land and prepare to go to jfk, the bags automatically go up to 35 pounds. I think this is a terrible policy. Upon landing syr, normal approach and normal speeds, we touched down in the touchdown zone, and unexpectedly the nose came abruptly off the ground. We added a little power as well as pushing forward on the controls. Once we got the nose back on the ground, we proceeded normally to the gate. Upon visual inspection of the tail, I saw a few scratches on the tail section. At that point, we requested all bags be weighed. The average weight of the bags was 44.5 pounds. At that weight, we were so far aft center gravity that we would not have ever been able to leave yyz. Callback conversation with an FAA FSDO inspector revealed the following information: baggage weight estimates are agreed to between the air carrier and its poi. It was agreed that this system is not completely foolproof. Many acrs, usually flying small aircraft, have run into weight and balance problems using faulty estimates as this reporter did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGE MINOR SKIN DAMAGE UPON LNDG TAIL STRIKE.

Narrative: DEPARTING FROM YYZ, I HAD PLANNED (COMPANY POLICY) TO USE NORMAL WTS FOR BAGGAGE WHICH IS 23.5 LBS A BAG. BUT ALMOST ALL PAX WERE ON THEIR WAY TO JFK ARPT. WHEN YOU FLY TO JFK, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO USE INTL BAGGAGE WTS OF 35 LBS. WHEN YOU FLY FROM YYZ TO SYR, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO USE 23.5 LBS THEN, ONCE WE LAND AND PREPARE TO GO TO JFK, THE BAGS AUTOMATICALLY GO UP TO 35 LBS. I THINK THIS IS A TERRIBLE POLICY. UPON LNDG SYR, NORMAL APCH AND NORMAL SPDS, WE TOUCHED DOWN IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE, AND UNEXPECTEDLY THE NOSE CAME ABRUPTLY OFF THE GND. WE ADDED A LITTLE PWR AS WELL AS PUSHING FORWARD ON THE CTLS. ONCE WE GOT THE NOSE BACK ON THE GND, WE PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO THE GATE. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TAIL, I SAW A FEW SCRATCHES ON THE TAIL SECTION. AT THAT POINT, WE REQUESTED ALL BAGS BE WEIGHED. THE AVERAGE WT OF THE BAGS WAS 44.5 LBS. AT THAT WT, WE WERE SO FAR AFT CTR GRAVITY THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE EVER BEEN ABLE TO LEAVE YYZ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH AN FAA FSDO INSPECTOR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: BAGGAGE WT ESTIMATES ARE AGREED TO BTWN THE ACR AND ITS POI. IT WAS AGREED THAT THIS SYS IS NOT COMPLETELY FOOLPROOF. MANY ACRS, USUALLY FLYING SMALL ACFT, HAVE RUN INTO WT AND BAL PROBS USING FAULTY ESTIMATES AS THIS RPTR DID.

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.