Narrative:

Arrived in casper at XA18 mt. Our scheduled return to denver was at XA30 mt. During this turn, I remained in the cockpit to prepare for departure. My first officer went outside to perform a routine aircraft check and supervise aircraft loading. With a full complement of passenger and baggage, the aircraft was determined to be in an aft center gravity condition. I instructed my first officer to supervise ramp personnel in repositioning baggage as far forward as possible. This would bring the aircraft within the certified aft limit of center gravity. In accordance with company policy, he physically assisted in this operation. For reasons unknown, the ramper pulled the cargo door forcibly striking my first officer on the head and causing near unconsciousness. When he returned to the cockpit, he informed me of this event. I asked if he felt able to continue the flight and suggested that we delay our departure and seek medical attention. He assured me that he was ok and we continued our flight mission. The flight proceeded to denver without incident with the first officer as PF as previously planned. I did notice that he was very quiet and somewhat lethargic. Upon arrival in the denver terminal area, VMC prevailed. ATC cleared us for a visual approach from a position much closer to the airport than normal. We immediately set power to flight idle and established the aircraft in the landing confign. Although we were initially high and fast, we arrived at the normal GS approximately 1 mi from the runway threshold. As the runway is 12000 ft long and dry, I was not overly concerned with this slight extra speed. We touched down at a speed approximately reference plus 5 KTS. The aircraft bounced 3 times in touchdown. I assisted in the application of the flight controls to correct this situation and brought the aircraft to taxi speed. There were no known injuries, complaints or aircraft damage. I later learned that my first officer suffered localized bleeding, swelling and continued pain as a result of his injury. I believe that the primary cause of this incident is the trauma suffered by my first officer had temporarily impaired his motor skills and judgement. Contributing factors would include the aircraft being loaded at the aft center gravity limit thus increasing pitch sensitivity, and a slightly excessive landing speed. The company has always placed excessive pressure on flcs to maintain schedules at all costs. This occasionally results in crew members flying while sick or injured. Additionally, formal training of ramp personnel is non- existent. It is also the company policy that pilots load baggage. This has resulted in numerous injuries, most of which are not reported for fear of loss of medical or termination. Pilots are not provided any protective equipment such as gloves or back supports. The schedules are often unrealistic and result in haste and incidents such as this. These items have been brought to the attention of management on numerous occasions but have fallen on deaf ears. If the company would place emphasis on safety before profits, incidents like this could be avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO HIT ON HEAD BY BAGGAGE DOOR, SUBSEQUENTLY MAKES ROUGH LNDG.

Narrative: ARRIVED IN CASPER AT XA18 MT. OUR SCHEDULED RETURN TO DENVER WAS AT XA30 MT. DURING THIS TURN, I REMAINED IN THE COCKPIT TO PREPARE FOR DEP. MY FO WENT OUTSIDE TO PERFORM A ROUTINE ACFT CHK AND SUPERVISE ACFT LOADING. WITH A FULL COMPLEMENT OF PAX AND BAGGAGE, THE ACFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE IN AN AFT CTR GRAVITY CONDITION. I INSTRUCTED MY FO TO SUPERVISE RAMP PERSONNEL IN REPOSITIONING BAGGAGE AS FAR FORWARD AS POSSIBLE. THIS WOULD BRING THE ACFT WITHIN THE CERTIFIED AFT LIMIT OF CTR GRAVITY. IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY POLICY, HE PHYSICALLY ASSISTED IN THIS OP. FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, THE RAMPER PULLED THE CARGO DOOR FORCIBLY STRIKING MY FO ON THE HEAD AND CAUSING NEAR UNCONSCIOUSNESS. WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT, HE INFORMED ME OF THIS EVENT. I ASKED IF HE FELT ABLE TO CONTINUE THE FLT AND SUGGESTED THAT WE DELAY OUR DEP AND SEEK MEDICAL ATTN. HE ASSURED ME THAT HE WAS OK AND WE CONTINUED OUR FLT MISSION. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO DENVER WITHOUT INCIDENT WITH THE FO AS PF AS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED. I DID NOTICE THAT HE WAS VERY QUIET AND SOMEWHAT LETHARGIC. UPON ARR IN THE DENVER TERMINAL AREA, VMC PREVAILED. ATC CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH FROM A POS MUCH CLOSER TO THE ARPT THAN NORMAL. WE IMMEDIATELY SET PWR TO FLT IDLE AND ESTABLISHED THE ACFT IN THE LNDG CONFIGN. ALTHOUGH WE WERE INITIALLY HIGH AND FAST, WE ARRIVED AT THE NORMAL GS APPROX 1 MI FROM THE RWY THRESHOLD. AS THE RWY IS 12000 FT LONG AND DRY, I WAS NOT OVERLY CONCERNED WITH THIS SLIGHT EXTRA SPD. WE TOUCHED DOWN AT A SPD APPROX REF PLUS 5 KTS. THE ACFT BOUNCED 3 TIMES IN TOUCHDOWN. I ASSISTED IN THE APPLICATION OF THE FLT CTLS TO CORRECT THIS SIT AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO TAXI SPD. THERE WERE NO KNOWN INJURIES, COMPLAINTS OR ACFT DAMAGE. I LATER LEARNED THAT MY FO SUFFERED LOCALIZED BLEEDING, SWELLING AND CONTINUED PAIN AS A RESULT OF HIS INJURY. I BELIEVE THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IS THE TRAUMA SUFFERED BY MY FO HAD TEMPORARILY IMPAIRED HIS MOTOR SKILLS AND JUDGEMENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WOULD INCLUDE THE ACFT BEING LOADED AT THE AFT CTR GRAVITY LIMIT THUS INCREASING PITCH SENSITIVITY, AND A SLIGHTLY EXCESSIVE LNDG SPD. THE COMPANY HAS ALWAYS PLACED EXCESSIVE PRESSURE ON FLCS TO MAINTAIN SCHEDULES AT ALL COSTS. THIS OCCASIONALLY RESULTS IN CREW MEMBERS FLYING WHILE SICK OR INJURED. ADDITIONALLY, FORMAL TRAINING OF RAMP PERSONNEL IS NON- EXISTENT. IT IS ALSO THE COMPANY POLICY THAT PLTS LOAD BAGGAGE. THIS HAS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS INJURIES, MOST OF WHICH ARE NOT RPTED FOR FEAR OF LOSS OF MEDICAL OR TERMINATION. PLTS ARE NOT PROVIDED ANY PROTECTIVE EQUIP SUCH AS GLOVES OR BACK SUPPORTS. THE SCHEDULES ARE OFTEN UNREALISTIC AND RESULT IN HASTE AND INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS. THESE ITEMS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF MGMNT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BUT HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS. IF THE COMPANY WOULD PLACE EMPHASIS ON SAFETY BEFORE PROFITS, INCIDENTS LIKE THIS COULD BE AVOIDED.

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.