Narrative:

After a 'fiasco' involving removing excess passenger and associated delay, a final cargo count was received. Center of gravity calculation determined our load exceeded the rear limit of center of gravity envelope. Normally, passenger would be removed to solve the center of gravity problem. However, the crew and dispatch agreed the already irritated passenger were not good candidates for another seating shuffle. We decided to remove 250 pounds from cargo #1. Despite our clearly conveyed instructions, it was later determined the ground personnel merely shifted 250 pounds from cargo #2 to cargo #1. Thus the flight was operated out of center of gravity limits (not overweight limits) without the crew's knowledge. No adverse sits resulted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a saab SF340B that had a full load of passenger. The captain said that in this confign one must be careful of the cargo compartment loads. Both the cargo #1 and cargo #2 compartments are accessed through the same cargo door and both are aft of the center of gravity. In this case, the only remedy for the aft center of gravity problem was to remove weight from a compartment. The shuffling of weight between these aft areas would not correct the aft balance problem. The airline does not want to leave freight or luggage behind so the operations personnel decided to solve the problem by moving some of the weight to the forward-most compartment. The captain did not know of this 'solution' until he was airborne. The flight crew flew the final approach a bit faster than normal and were prepared to use an aft center of gravity technique to get the nose gear onto the runway, but that was unnecessary. This incident has led to increased awareness of the problem at this airline and more training for the ground crews.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WT AND BAL -- ACR TKOF WITH THE CTR OF GRAVITY AFT OF ITS LIMIT. CAPT IS INFORMED ENRTE.

Narrative: AFTER A 'FIASCO' INVOLVING REMOVING EXCESS PAX AND ASSOCIATED DELAY, A FINAL CARGO COUNT WAS RECEIVED. CTR OF GRAVITY CALCULATION DETERMINED OUR LOAD EXCEEDED THE REAR LIMIT OF CTR OF GRAVITY ENVELOPE. NORMALLY, PAX WOULD BE REMOVED TO SOLVE THE CTR OF GRAVITY PROB. HOWEVER, THE CREW AND DISPATCH AGREED THE ALREADY IRRITATED PAX WERE NOT GOOD CANDIDATES FOR ANOTHER SEATING SHUFFLE. WE DECIDED TO REMOVE 250 LBS FROM CARGO #1. DESPITE OUR CLRLY CONVEYED INSTRUCTIONS, IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THE GND PERSONNEL MERELY SHIFTED 250 LBS FROM CARGO #2 TO CARGO #1. THUS THE FLT WAS OPERATED OUT OF CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS (NOT OVERWT LIMITS) WITHOUT THE CREW'S KNOWLEDGE. NO ADVERSE SITS RESULTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A SAAB SF340B THAT HAD A FULL LOAD OF PAX. THE CAPT SAID THAT IN THIS CONFIGN ONE MUST BE CAREFUL OF THE CARGO COMPARTMENT LOADS. BOTH THE CARGO #1 AND CARGO #2 COMPARTMENTS ARE ACCESSED THROUGH THE SAME CARGO DOOR AND BOTH ARE AFT OF THE CTR OF GRAVITY. IN THIS CASE, THE ONLY REMEDY FOR THE AFT CTR OF GRAVITY PROB WAS TO REMOVE WT FROM A COMPARTMENT. THE SHUFFLING OF WT BTWN THESE AFT AREAS WOULD NOT CORRECT THE AFT BALANCE PROB. THE AIRLINE DOES NOT WANT TO LEAVE FREIGHT OR LUGGAGE BEHIND SO THE OPS PERSONNEL DECIDED TO SOLVE THE PROB BY MOVING SOME OF THE WT TO THE FORWARD-MOST COMPARTMENT. THE CAPT DID NOT KNOW OF THIS 'SOLUTION' UNTIL HE WAS AIRBORNE. THE FLC FLEW THE FINAL APCH A BIT FASTER THAN NORMAL AND WERE PREPARED TO USE AN AFT CTR OF GRAVITY TECHNIQUE TO GET THE NOSE GEAR ONTO THE RWY, BUT THAT WAS UNNECESSARY. THIS INCIDENT HAS LED TO INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE PROB AT THIS AIRLINE AND MORE TRAINING FOR THE GND CREWS.

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.