Reporter discovers required weight and balance ballast bags are missing.

Attributes
ACN	317735
Time
Date	199510
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : parked other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	317735
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I checked in for flight alb-bos on oct/xx/95 at XA45 am (departure time) due to crew legality. I met my first officer at the aircraft and asked him if he had enough time in 1900 (at least 100 hours) because I'm a new captain. He said that he only was 89 hours. So I called the company and was told by an official that we were good to go because the far states that if the first officer has at least 75 hours any captain can fly with any first officer with 75 hours. Once that was settled, he told me that the aircraft was all set and preflight complete. Upon reaching boston I went to retrieve my overnight bag and noticed there were no ballast bags in the cargo compartment. There should have been 3 since there was only 1 piece of baggage in the aft cargo compartment. I checked the nose of the aircraft and found no ballast bags there either. I immediately called maintenance and grounded the aircraft until 3 ballast bags were placed on the aircraft. The lack of experience of the first officer and his incomplete preflight led to this situation. Also since maintenance was performed on this aircraft the previous night, the mechanics forgot to replace these ballast bags which should never have happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR DISCOVERS REQUIRED WT AND BAL BALLAST BAGS ARE MISSING.

Narrative: I CHKED IN FOR FLT ALB-BOS ON OCT/XX/95 AT XA45 AM (DEP TIME) DUE TO CREW LEGALITY. I MET MY FO AT THE ACFT AND ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ENOUGH TIME IN 1900 (AT LEAST 100 HRS) BECAUSE I'M A NEW CAPT. HE SAID THAT HE ONLY WAS 89 HRS. SO I CALLED THE COMPANY AND WAS TOLD BY AN OFFICIAL THAT WE WERE GOOD TO GO BECAUSE THE FAR STATES THAT IF THE FO HAS AT LEAST 75 HRS ANY CAPT CAN FLY WITH ANY FO WITH 75 HRS. ONCE THAT WAS SETTLED, HE TOLD ME THAT THE ACFT WAS ALL SET AND PREFLT COMPLETE. UPON REACHING BOSTON I WENT TO RETRIEVE MY OVERNIGHT BAG AND NOTICED THERE WERE NO BALLAST BAGS IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 3 SINCE THERE WAS ONLY 1 PIECE OF BAGGAGE IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT. I CHKED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AND FOUND NO BALLAST BAGS THERE EITHER. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MAINT AND GNDED THE ACFT UNTIL 3 BALLAST BAGS WERE PLACED ON THE ACFT. THE LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF THE FO AND HIS INCOMPLETE PREFLT LED TO THIS SIT. ALSO SINCE MAINT WAS PERFORMED ON THIS ACFT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, THE MECHS FORGOT TO REPLACE THESE BALLAST BAGS WHICH SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED.

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.