Narrative:

I was dispatched by company from ankeny, ia, to the des moines international airport for an unscheduled cargo flight. The flight was to contain 5 letters. After arriving at the ramp another company plane was already there for different cargo flight. My cargo of 5 letters were loaded onto the plane that I was flying. Then, when loading the other plane's cargo which contained 8-10 letters and a large thin box, weighing less than 2 pounds, would not fit into the other plane. I was flying a beechcraft baron 58 and the other plane was a beechcraft baron 55. The baron 58 has a larger side door than the baron 55 smaller cargo door. So we then switched cargo loads because the larger package would fit into the baron 58 if we bent it in the middle. I did not have a cargo net when dispatched so I put the letters in the far aft of the cabin which contained a small cargo area covered by a net, but the large package was unable to fit because of its size so I put it in the main cabin. It was resting from the top of the cabin to the floor in a very tight fit. I felt the package would not shift or move in flight because of the size and fit of the package. I then flew from des moines to the mason city, ia, airport and dropped off a few letters. Then I continued to the waterloo, ia, airport. The WX was IFR so on the instrument approach into the waterloo airport I picked up a small amount of structure icing. At waterloo I was ramp checked by the FAA. The inspector checked the load and saw the large package without a cargo net, and also noted the ice on the airplane. I still had one more stop which was the large package's destination. I called my director of operations and told him of the situation, and he instructed me to continue the flight. I then approached the inspector inside the FBO to explain the situation about the cargo being switched and dispatched without a cargo net. When I was talking to the inspector he would not even acknowledge me or look at me. Before continuing the last leg of the flight I was removing the ice on the airplane by hand when the inspector approached me and asked me of my intentions. I told him that my director of operations instructed me to continue the flight. He then left and I then continued the last leg of the flight in VFR flight conditions. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the FAA has followed up and there will be an information hearing in about a month or two. The FAA is recommending a 45 day suspension. This would be difficult since the reporter flies professionally and would be unable to earn his living during the suspension. Reporter no longer works for the company in question and the FAA has apparently settled with the company and will only be taking action against the reporter. He has consulted with and is represented by an attorney.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO BEECH 58 LOADED WITHOUT CARGO NET. RAMP CHK OCCURRED.

Narrative: I WAS DISPATCHED BY COMPANY FROM ANKENY, IA, TO THE DES MOINES INTL ARPT FOR AN UNSCHEDULED CARGO FLT. THE FLT WAS TO CONTAIN 5 LETTERS. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE RAMP ANOTHER COMPANY PLANE WAS ALREADY THERE FOR DIFFERENT CARGO FLT. MY CARGO OF 5 LETTERS WERE LOADED ONTO THE PLANE THAT I WAS FLYING. THEN, WHEN LOADING THE OTHER PLANE'S CARGO WHICH CONTAINED 8-10 LETTERS AND A LARGE THIN BOX, WEIGHING LESS THAN 2 LBS, WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE OTHER PLANE. I WAS FLYING A BEECHCRAFT BARON 58 AND THE OTHER PLANE WAS A BEECHCRAFT BARON 55. THE BARON 58 HAS A LARGER SIDE DOOR THAN THE BARON 55 SMALLER CARGO DOOR. SO WE THEN SWITCHED CARGO LOADS BECAUSE THE LARGER PACKAGE WOULD FIT INTO THE BARON 58 IF WE BENT IT IN THE MIDDLE. I DID NOT HAVE A CARGO NET WHEN DISPATCHED SO I PUT THE LETTERS IN THE FAR AFT OF THE CABIN WHICH CONTAINED A SMALL CARGO AREA COVERED BY A NET, BUT THE LARGE PACKAGE WAS UNABLE TO FIT BECAUSE OF ITS SIZE SO I PUT IT IN THE MAIN CABIN. IT WAS RESTING FROM THE TOP OF THE CABIN TO THE FLOOR IN A VERY TIGHT FIT. I FELT THE PACKAGE WOULD NOT SHIFT OR MOVE IN FLT BECAUSE OF THE SIZE AND FIT OF THE PACKAGE. I THEN FLEW FROM DES MOINES TO THE MASON CITY, IA, ARPT AND DROPPED OFF A FEW LETTERS. THEN I CONTINUED TO THE WATERLOO, IA, ARPT. THE WX WAS IFR SO ON THE INST APCH INTO THE WATERLOO ARPT I PICKED UP A SMALL AMOUNT OF STRUCTURE ICING. AT WATERLOO I WAS RAMP CHKED BY THE FAA. THE INSPECTOR CHKED THE LOAD AND SAW THE LARGE PACKAGE WITHOUT A CARGO NET, AND ALSO NOTED THE ICE ON THE AIRPLANE. I STILL HAD ONE MORE STOP WHICH WAS THE LARGE PACKAGE'S DEST. I CALLED MY DIRECTOR OF OPS AND TOLD HIM OF THE SIT, AND HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTINUE THE FLT. I THEN APCHED THE INSPECTOR INSIDE THE FBO TO EXPLAIN THE SIT ABOUT THE CARGO BEING SWITCHED AND DISPATCHED WITHOUT A CARGO NET. WHEN I WAS TALKING TO THE INSPECTOR HE WOULD NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE ME OR LOOK AT ME. BEFORE CONTINUING THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT I WAS REMOVING THE ICE ON THE AIRPLANE BY HAND WHEN THE INSPECTOR APCHED ME AND ASKED ME OF MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD HIM THAT MY DIRECTOR OF OPS INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTINUE THE FLT. HE THEN LEFT AND I THEN CONTINUED THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT IN VFR FLT CONDITIONS. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE FAA HAS FOLLOWED UP AND THERE WILL BE AN INFO HEARING IN ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO. THE FAA IS RECOMMENDING A 45 DAY SUSPENSION. THIS WOULD BE DIFFICULT SINCE THE RPTR FLIES PROFESSIONALLY AND WOULD BE UNABLE TO EARN HIS LIVING DURING THE SUSPENSION. RPTR NO LONGER WORKS FOR THE COMPANY IN QUESTION AND THE FAA HAS APPARENTLY SETTLED WITH THE COMPANY AND WILL ONLY BE TAKING ACTION AGAINST THE RPTR. HE HAS CONSULTED WITH AND IS REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY.

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.