Narrative:

In my opinion, the problem was caused by too much weight in the cargo area due to not calculating the weight of the freight and baggage correctly. Also, this situation was never discussed in training. (Aircraft type - E120.) I was in the cockpit at the time, calculating how many bags we would be able to take with various passenger counts. (At this time we did not have a final passenger count.) prior to this, I assisted in loading some of the bags. At that time, the first officer said there were 38 bags. I said we should stop there and wait to see how many bags we could take, after determining the final passenger count. During the incident, I experienced a slow rising of the front of the aircraft, then a momentary pause, then a continuation of movement until the tail touched. I then looked to the rear inside the airplane to determine the status of the flight attendant, and the passenger. They appeared startled, but unhurt. I then moved to the open cabin door to see what was going on at the rear of the airplane. The people there were unloading the airplane. I moved back to my seat to get more weight forward and asked the flight attendant to make sure everyone was sitting down (a few people were moving forward in the cabin to get to empty seats). Also I asked the flight attendant to come forward to situation in the captain's seat to get more weight forward. Before she came forward, the plane settled back on the nose gear. The plane was jolted, and it appeared that the nose gear strut bottomed out, but it did not seem excessive. After this, I exited the plane, went to the rear and was told to unload the passenger. From what I saw of the passenger, they did not appear to be injured or traumatized, although my memory of this point is vague, as I instructed the flight attendant to unload them and believe I returned to unload more bags.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FALLS ON TAIL WHEN IMPROPERLY LOADED AT THE GATE.

Narrative: IN MY OPINION, THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY TOO MUCH WT IN THE CARGO AREA DUE TO NOT CALCULATING THE WT OF THE FREIGHT AND BAGGAGE CORRECTLY. ALSO, THIS SIT WAS NEVER DISCUSSED IN TRAINING. (ACFT TYPE - E120.) I WAS IN THE COCKPIT AT THE TIME, CALCULATING HOW MANY BAGS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE WITH VARIOUS PAX COUNTS. (AT THIS TIME WE DID NOT HAVE A FINAL PAX COUNT.) PRIOR TO THIS, I ASSISTED IN LOADING SOME OF THE BAGS. AT THAT TIME, THE FO SAID THERE WERE 38 BAGS. I SAID WE SHOULD STOP THERE AND WAIT TO SEE HOW MANY BAGS WE COULD TAKE, AFTER DETERMINING THE FINAL PAX COUNT. DURING THE INCIDENT, I EXPERIENCED A SLOW RISING OF THE FRONT OF THE ACFT, THEN A MOMENTARY PAUSE, THEN A CONTINUATION OF MOVEMENT UNTIL THE TAIL TOUCHED. I THEN LOOKED TO THE REAR INSIDE THE AIRPLANE TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THE FLT ATTENDANT, AND THE PAX. THEY APPEARED STARTLED, BUT UNHURT. I THEN MOVED TO THE OPEN CABIN DOOR TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PEOPLE THERE WERE UNLOADING THE AIRPLANE. I MOVED BACK TO MY SEAT TO GET MORE WT FORWARD AND ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS SITTING DOWN (A FEW PEOPLE WERE MOVING FORWARD IN THE CABIN TO GET TO EMPTY SEATS). ALSO I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO COME FORWARD TO SIT IN THE CAPT'S SEAT TO GET MORE WT FORWARD. BEFORE SHE CAME FORWARD, THE PLANE SETTLED BACK ON THE NOSE GEAR. THE PLANE WAS JOLTED, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE NOSE GEAR STRUT BOTTOMED OUT, BUT IT DID NOT SEEM EXCESSIVE. AFTER THIS, I EXITED THE PLANE, WENT TO THE REAR AND WAS TOLD TO UNLOAD THE PAX. FROM WHAT I SAW OF THE PAX, THEY DID NOT APPEAR TO BE INJURED OR TRAUMATIZED, ALTHOUGH MY MEMORY OF THIS POINT IS VAGUE, AS I INSTRUCTED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO UNLOAD THEM AND BELIEVE I RETURNED TO UNLOAD MORE BAGS.

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.