Narrative:

Ramp agent in bna handed a pink tag with the baggage load written on it through the communication hatch to me. The slip indicated that there were 19 bags loaded in the front baggage compartment (C1) and 28 bags plus 30 pounds of mail loaded in the aft baggage compartment (C2). Since the maximum baggage loading for each compartment is 600 pounds, I called the ramp agent up to the cockpit and requested that he move 3 bags and all of the mail from the rear cargo compartment to the forward cargo compartment. He said that he would. I wrote the corrected figures on the bottom of the pink tag (bag slip) and handed it to the first officer. The new load was 25 bags in C2 and 22 bags plus 30 pounds of mail in C1. After about 3 mins the cargo door was reopened for a few moments and then closed. I asked the ramp agent if he had moved the bags as requested and he said that he had. We departed bna and proceeded to cvg. On approach to cvg the aircraft was flying like it was very tail heavy. After parking at the gate in cvg I requested that ramp agent unloading the aircraft count the bags as they were offloaded. There were still the 28 bags in C2 plus 65 pounds of mail and there were 21 bags in C1. I called maintenance and informed them that the aircraft had been loaded beyond the limitations in the afm and made this entry in the maintenance log. Bna uses contract aviation service personnel to do our ground handling. I don't believe that these contract stations have as much training or experience with our company's aircraft and procedures as company handled stations. This particular agent was either too busy or too lazy to make the requested load change. I believe that if he realized the importance of proper loading and that improperly loading an aircraft can make it unflyable, that he would have taken the time to adjust the baggage load. I believe that the only solution for this is better training of ramp personnel. Not just how to load, but why it is so important to the safety of the aircraft and passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ON APCH AN SF34 FLC NOTICED UNUSUAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS. AFTER LNDG THE CAPT HAD THE BAGS COUNTED FROM EACH LOADING AREA AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN OPERATED WITH A LOAD THAT EXCEEDED LIMITATIONS FOR A CARGO COMPARTMENT.

Narrative: RAMP AGENT IN BNA HANDED A PINK TAG WITH THE BAGGAGE LOAD WRITTEN ON IT THROUGH THE COM HATCH TO ME. THE SLIP INDICATED THAT THERE WERE 19 BAGS LOADED IN THE FRONT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT (C1) AND 28 BAGS PLUS 30 LBS OF MAIL LOADED IN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT (C2). SINCE THE MAX BAGGAGE LOADING FOR EACH COMPARTMENT IS 600 LBS, I CALLED THE RAMP AGENT UP TO THE COCKPIT AND REQUESTED THAT HE MOVE 3 BAGS AND ALL OF THE MAIL FROM THE REAR CARGO COMPARTMENT TO THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD. I WROTE THE CORRECTED FIGURES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PINK TAG (BAG SLIP) AND HANDED IT TO THE FO. THE NEW LOAD WAS 25 BAGS IN C2 AND 22 BAGS PLUS 30 LBS OF MAIL IN C1. AFTER ABOUT 3 MINS THE CARGO DOOR WAS REOPENED FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND THEN CLOSED. I ASKED THE RAMP AGENT IF HE HAD MOVED THE BAGS AS REQUESTED AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD. WE DEPARTED BNA AND PROCEEDED TO CVG. ON APCH TO CVG THE ACFT WAS FLYING LIKE IT WAS VERY TAIL HVY. AFTER PARKING AT THE GATE IN CVG I REQUESTED THAT RAMP AGENT UNLOADING THE ACFT COUNT THE BAGS AS THEY WERE OFFLOADED. THERE WERE STILL THE 28 BAGS IN C2 PLUS 65 LBS OF MAIL AND THERE WERE 21 BAGS IN C1. I CALLED MAINT AND INFORMED THEM THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN LOADED BEYOND THE LIMITATIONS IN THE AFM AND MADE THIS ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG. BNA USES CONTRACT AVIATION SVC PERSONNEL TO DO OUR GND HANDLING. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THESE CONTRACT STATIONS HAVE AS MUCH TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE WITH OUR COMPANY'S ACFT AND PROCS AS COMPANY HANDLED STATIONS. THIS PARTICULAR AGENT WAS EITHER TOO BUSY OR TOO LAZY TO MAKE THE REQUESTED LOAD CHANGE. I BELIEVE THAT IF HE REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER LOADING AND THAT IMPROPERLY LOADING AN ACFT CAN MAKE IT UNFLYABLE, THAT HE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO ADJUST THE BAGGAGE LOAD. I BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR THIS IS BETTER TRAINING OF RAMP PERSONNEL. NOT JUST HOW TO LOAD, BUT WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT AND PAX.

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.