Narrative:

First officer's leg -- after takeoff, he rotated and it just didn't feel right. I called load control to verify the correct load. They verified that it was correct, but I called dispatch to be certain. I reminded them of MEL. Dispatch determined that 6200 pounds of freight was loaded in error in the rear belly. The load included compressed oxygen. I felt I could not continue under these circumstances, and decided to land in den. I did not want to inform passenger of the fire hazard, so I told them that due to a cargo imbalance, we would be landing in den. A den landing would be safer than continuing on to sea because the more fuel we burned, the further out of balance we became. We landed in den, moved the cargo, refueled and continued to sea. Supplemental information from acn 333529: this flight was released to sea on a B757 with an MEL on forward equipment cooling overboard exhaust valve, MEL # xx. This MEL restricts the flight to FL350 and aft cargo compartment remains empty. Remarks section of release did state flight restr to FL350 but failed to make reference to aft cargo compartment. After investigation the dispatcher and load agent determined flight loaded properly for normal operating conditions. My relief dispatcher (I was relieved at XX00 CDT) noticed MEL and consulted flight and maintenance personnel and ascertained that landing denver was advisable. The aft cargo compartment was loaded with 6274 pounds cargo, with cargo in the aft cargo area, this presents a non-controllable fire hazard.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THIS ACR FLC REALIZED THAT THE ACFT WAS MISLOADED AFTER TKOF. THE MEL RESTRS FORBID ANY CARGO IN THE AFT COMPARTMENT AND THE ACFT WAS TAIL HVY SO AFTER CONFIRMING WITH DISPATCH AND LOAD CTL THAT CARGO HAD BEEN INCORRECTLY PLACED INTO THE AFT COMPARTMENT THE FLC DIVERTED AND HAD THE CARGO REARRANGED PROPERLY.

Narrative: FO'S LEG -- AFTER TKOF, HE ROTATED AND IT JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. I CALLED LOAD CTL TO VERIFY THE CORRECT LOAD. THEY VERIFIED THAT IT WAS CORRECT, BUT I CALLED DISPATCH TO BE CERTAIN. I REMINDED THEM OF MEL. DISPATCH DETERMINED THAT 6200 LBS OF FREIGHT WAS LOADED IN ERROR IN THE REAR BELLY. THE LOAD INCLUDED COMPRESSED OXYGEN. I FELT I COULD NOT CONTINUE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND DECIDED TO LAND IN DEN. I DID NOT WANT TO INFORM PAX OF THE FIRE HAZARD, SO I TOLD THEM THAT DUE TO A CARGO IMBALANCE, WE WOULD BE LNDG IN DEN. A DEN LNDG WOULD BE SAFER THAN CONTINUING ON TO SEA BECAUSE THE MORE FUEL WE BURNED, THE FURTHER OUT OF BAL WE BECAME. WE LANDED IN DEN, MOVED THE CARGO, REFUELED AND CONTINUED TO SEA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 333529: THIS FLT WAS RELEASED TO SEA ON A B757 WITH AN MEL ON FORWARD EQUIP COOLING OVERBOARD EXHAUST VALVE, MEL # XX. THIS MEL RESTRICTS THE FLT TO FL350 AND AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT REMAINS EMPTY. REMARKS SECTION OF RELEASE DID STATE FLT RESTR TO FL350 BUT FAILED TO MAKE REF TO AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT. AFTER INVESTIGATION THE DISPATCHER AND LOAD AGENT DETERMINED FLT LOADED PROPERLY FOR NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. MY RELIEF DISPATCHER (I WAS RELIEVED AT XX00 CDT) NOTICED MEL AND CONSULTED FLT AND MAINT PERSONNEL AND ASCERTAINED THAT LNDG DENVER WAS ADVISABLE. THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS LOADED WITH 6274 LBS CARGO, WITH CARGO IN THE AFT CARGO AREA, THIS PRESENTS A NON-CONTROLLABLE FIRE HAZARD.

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.