Hazardous material loading aboard a B727-200 (148 pt 32).

Attributes
ACN	349223
Time
Date	199609
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw airport : buf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	349223
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft was loaded with hazardous cargo which included dry ice. Total dry ice was 475 KG -- aircraft allows 1080. However, ice was loaded into belly compartment instead of main cargo deck. The limitation there is 200 KG. The form showed the actual loading and this overload condition was not noticed by either the engineer or myself. There was no impact on the flight crew, but a ground handler at dtw (the next stop) got dizzy when he opened the lower cargo (forward) door. Dry ice was removed from aircraft with no further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter felt responsible for the misloading. Not that he does any of the cargo loading, but, if he had observed the loading slip more closely he could have alerted the ground personnel that an error in compartment loading had occurred. The total amount of dry ice was acceptable, however, it was all in 1 belly compartment, which was too much. When opening the belly compartment in dtw it overwhelmed the ground handler. Reporter has made a suggestion to the company on how to arrange the loading document so an improper loading can more easily be idented.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HAZARDOUS MATERIAL LOADING ABOARD A B727-200 (148 PT 32).

Narrative: ACFT WAS LOADED WITH HAZARDOUS CARGO WHICH INCLUDED DRY ICE. TOTAL DRY ICE WAS 475 KG -- ACFT ALLOWS 1080. HOWEVER, ICE WAS LOADED INTO BELLY COMPARTMENT INSTEAD OF MAIN CARGO DECK. THE LIMITATION THERE IS 200 KG. THE FORM SHOWED THE ACTUAL LOADING AND THIS OVERLOAD CONDITION WAS NOT NOTICED BY EITHER THE ENGINEER OR MYSELF. THERE WAS NO IMPACT ON THE FLC, BUT A GND HANDLER AT DTW (THE NEXT STOP) GOT DIZZY WHEN HE OPENED THE LOWER CARGO (FORWARD) DOOR. DRY ICE WAS REMOVED FROM ACFT WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FELT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MISLOADING. NOT THAT HE DOES ANY OF THE CARGO LOADING, BUT, IF HE HAD OBSERVED THE LOADING SLIP MORE CLOSELY HE COULD HAVE ALERTED THE GND PERSONNEL THAT AN ERROR IN COMPARTMENT LOADING HAD OCCURRED. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DRY ICE WAS ACCEPTABLE, HOWEVER, IT WAS ALL IN 1 BELLY COMPARTMENT, WHICH WAS TOO MUCH. WHEN OPENING THE BELLY COMPARTMENT IN DTW IT OVERWHELMED THE GND HANDLER. RPTR HAS MADE A SUGGESTION TO THE COMPANY ON HOW TO ARRANGE THE LOADING DOCUMENT SO AN IMPROPER LOADING CAN MORE EASILY BE IDENTED.

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.