Narrative:

After boarding flight in hilton head airport south carolina, an agent came up on the flight deck with the passenger and bag count for weight and balance calculation. We saw what appeared to be duffel bags and asked the agent if they had counted them each as 2 bags, (as specified in our operations manual). The agent said there were no duffel bags in the bag compartment. They were light golf bags and that some were in canvas like bags (golf bags count as 1 bag as per our operations manual) so we calculated our weight and balance (within limits) and departed for charlotte, nc. On takeoff, cruise, and landing, aircraft did not exhibit any unusual pitch characteristics. Upon arrival at the gate in charlotte during deplaning we noted the nose of the aircraft begin to rise. I walked off the flight deck and into the cabin and noted about 12 passenger still on board at the rear of the aircraft (holds 37 passenger). After deplaning during the walkaround we noted the nosewheel was turned in excess of 90 degrees to the right (about 120 degrees). We notified maintenance and they noted nosewheel steering linkage was broken, and it had to be repaired. We figured that even though we use standard weights for golf bags, perhaps their actual weight was a little more, and that maybe there was a little more weight than thought in the bag compartment. We believe that the combination of bags and passenger at the rear of the aircraft was enough to raise the nose of the aircraft, swing the nosewheel to the stops and break the steering linkage. I can't say for sure that there was an excess of weight in the bag compartment because the aircraft was not pitch sensitive. We do not use tail booms and this is not a problem, so this situation was rather unusual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT ACFT POSSIBLE WT AND BAL ERROR AFTER ACFT PARKED, RPTR CAPT NOTED THAT THE NOSE ROSE AS PAX WERE DEPLANING. RPTR SUSPECTS THE WT WAS NOT PROPERLY CALCULATED, THE NOSE CAME UP WHEN PARKED, THE NOSEWHEEL SWUNG 90 DEGS WHICH IN TURN BROKE THE STEERING LINKAGE.

Narrative: AFTER BOARDING FLT IN HILTON HEAD ARPT SOUTH CAROLINA, AN AGENT CAME UP ON THE FLT DECK WITH THE PAX AND BAG COUNT FOR WT AND BAL CALCULATION. WE SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE DUFFEL BAGS AND ASKED THE AGENT IF THEY HAD COUNTED THEM EACH AS 2 BAGS, (AS SPECIFIED IN OUR OPS MANUAL). THE AGENT SAID THERE WERE NO DUFFEL BAGS IN THE BAG COMPARTMENT. THEY WERE LIGHT GOLF BAGS AND THAT SOME WERE IN CANVAS LIKE BAGS (GOLF BAGS COUNT AS 1 BAG AS PER OUR OPS MANUAL) SO WE CALCULATED OUR WT AND BAL (WITHIN LIMITS) AND DEPARTED FOR CHARLOTTE, NC. ON TKOF, CRUISE, AND LNDG, ACFT DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY UNUSUAL PITCH CHARACTERISTICS. UPON ARR AT THE GATE IN CHARLOTTE DURING DEPLANING WE NOTED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT BEGIN TO RISE. I WALKED OFF THE FLT DECK AND INTO THE CABIN AND NOTED ABOUT 12 PAX STILL ON BOARD AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT (HOLDS 37 PAX). AFTER DEPLANING DURING THE WALKAROUND WE NOTED THE NOSEWHEEL WAS TURNED IN EXCESS OF 90 DEGS TO THE R (ABOUT 120 DEGS). WE NOTIFIED MAINT AND THEY NOTED NOSEWHEEL STEERING LINKAGE WAS BROKEN, AND IT HAD TO BE REPAIRED. WE FIGURED THAT EVEN THOUGH WE USE STANDARD WTS FOR GOLF BAGS, PERHAPS THEIR ACTUAL WT WAS A LITTLE MORE, AND THAT MAYBE THERE WAS A LITTLE MORE WT THAN THOUGHT IN THE BAG COMPARTMENT. WE BELIEVE THAT THE COMBINATION OF BAGS AND PAX AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT WAS ENOUGH TO RAISE THE NOSE OF THE ACFT, SWING THE NOSEWHEEL TO THE STOPS AND BREAK THE STEERING LINKAGE. I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE THAT THERE WAS AN EXCESS OF WT IN THE BAG COMPARTMENT BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS NOT PITCH SENSITIVE. WE DO NOT USE TAIL BOOMS AND THIS IS NOT A PROB, SO THIS SIT WAS RATHER UNUSUAL.

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.