Narrative:

Flight from stl to bmi was the last leg of a 9 leg day. I was in the cockpit filling out our paperwork, ready for departure, when I received a zone and cargo weight slip showing that the aircraft had 19 passenger, 404 pounds of bags in the pod, 384 pounds in the rear and 30 pounds in the coat closet of a J32. As I was boarding the aircraft, the baggage handler told me we had a lot of bags in the tail. I asked how many, he replied 16. Our average bag count is 24 pounds per bag which would be 384 pounds in the tail. The final paperwork agreed with this figure. I computed the weight and balance for the takeoff and determined that we were legal for takeoff and landing. (I assumed that we were bulked out and could not fit anymore bags in the tail.) upon landing at bmi the bag handler remarked that we had a lot of bags in the tail. I replied we only had 16 told to us by the stl station and they were big bags. He replied that there were a lot more than 16 bags. I double checked my paperwork and confirmed I had 384 pounds. If we had more than 16 bags, we may have been over maximum gross weight for takeoff or for landing. After redoing the paperwork and concurring with the first officer, he stated there was only 264 pounds in the pod instead of 404 pounds. (The first officer overheard the ramp agent give that weight in the pod.) by recalculating all of the new numbers, we were ok for takeoff and landing, but it was unclr as to what bags were where and the final weights. Our baggage handlers and ramp supervisors did not give me the correct number of bags. I basically didn't have any accurate information as to the bag loading. But again, by redoing the numbers with the first officer's weight of 264 pounds in the bag pod instead of 404 pounds, we did not exceed any limitations. The only way I could assure an accurate count is counting the bags myself. It may have been an honest mistake on the baggage handler's part, but I cannot certainly say what the real count of bags were, in the tail and pod with all the erroneous information I was given.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER BA32 FLC WAS GIVEN AN ERRONEOUS BAG COUNT. EXTRA BAGS IN THE TAIL PLACED THE ACFT IN AN OVERWT CONDITION FOR TKOF AND LNDG, ACCORDING TO CALCULATIONS WITH SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FIGURES GIVEN TO THE CAPT.

Narrative: FLT FROM STL TO BMI WAS THE LAST LEG OF A 9 LEG DAY. I WAS IN THE COCKPIT FILLING OUT OUR PAPERWORK, READY FOR DEP, WHEN I RECEIVED A ZONE AND CARGO WT SLIP SHOWING THAT THE ACFT HAD 19 PAX, 404 LBS OF BAGS IN THE POD, 384 LBS IN THE REAR AND 30 LBS IN THE COAT CLOSET OF A J32. AS I WAS BOARDING THE ACFT, THE BAGGAGE HANDLER TOLD ME WE HAD A LOT OF BAGS IN THE TAIL. I ASKED HOW MANY, HE REPLIED 16. OUR AVERAGE BAG COUNT IS 24 LBS PER BAG WHICH WOULD BE 384 LBS IN THE TAIL. THE FINAL PAPERWORK AGREED WITH THIS FIGURE. I COMPUTED THE WT AND BAL FOR THE TKOF AND DETERMINED THAT WE WERE LEGAL FOR TKOF AND LNDG. (I ASSUMED THAT WE WERE BULKED OUT AND COULD NOT FIT ANYMORE BAGS IN THE TAIL.) UPON LNDG AT BMI THE BAG HANDLER REMARKED THAT WE HAD A LOT OF BAGS IN THE TAIL. I REPLIED WE ONLY HAD 16 TOLD TO US BY THE STL STATION AND THEY WERE BIG BAGS. HE REPLIED THAT THERE WERE A LOT MORE THAN 16 BAGS. I DOUBLE CHKED MY PAPERWORK AND CONFIRMED I HAD 384 LBS. IF WE HAD MORE THAN 16 BAGS, WE MAY HAVE BEEN OVER MAX GROSS WT FOR TKOF OR FOR LNDG. AFTER REDOING THE PAPERWORK AND CONCURRING WITH THE FO, HE STATED THERE WAS ONLY 264 LBS IN THE POD INSTEAD OF 404 LBS. (THE FO OVERHEARD THE RAMP AGENT GIVE THAT WT IN THE POD.) BY RECALCULATING ALL OF THE NEW NUMBERS, WE WERE OK FOR TKOF AND LNDG, BUT IT WAS UNCLR AS TO WHAT BAGS WERE WHERE AND THE FINAL WTS. OUR BAGGAGE HANDLERS AND RAMP SUPVRS DID NOT GIVE ME THE CORRECT NUMBER OF BAGS. I BASICALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY ACCURATE INFO AS TO THE BAG LOADING. BUT AGAIN, BY REDOING THE NUMBERS WITH THE FO'S WT OF 264 LBS IN THE BAG POD INSTEAD OF 404 LBS, WE DID NOT EXCEED ANY LIMITATIONS. THE ONLY WAY I COULD ASSURE AN ACCURATE COUNT IS COUNTING THE BAGS MYSELF. IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN HONEST MISTAKE ON THE BAGGAGE HANDLER'S PART, BUT I CANNOT CERTAINLY SAY WHAT THE REAL COUNT OF BAGS WERE, IN THE TAIL AND POD WITH ALL THE ERRONEOUS INFO I WAS GIVEN.

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.