Narrative:

I was captain on flight from dfw airport to roswell, NM. On the ground at dfw I was informed of 39 total bags on board. My first officer and I both decided that at 20 pounds per bag we were within center of gravity limits and under our takeoff weight. We completed all necessary paperwork, then our ground crew informed us that we were waiting on 6 more passenger and 1 bag from a connecting airline. My first officer and I once again calculated our weight and balance and determined to be within all limits. After taxiing from the gate we realized we forgot to change our center of gravity index on the station copy only. We intended to call company operations before departing but failed to do so. After takeoff the first officer commented on a slightly unstable aircraft, so I took the controls and decided to return for landing, however, we were over our landing weight. I felt that the aircraft was totally ctlable and not in an unsafe situation, so I decided to continue the flight as planned. Upon arrival in roswell, all operations and functions of the aircraft were normal including cruise, descent and taxi phases of flight. As we arrived at the gate, both engines were shut down, the first officer stepped out, started unloading nose compartment bags and passenger started to deplane. At this time there were several passenger in the very aft rows of the aircraft and all bags still in the aft compartment. The aircraft proceeded to settle on its tail due to the abnormal weight distribution. Only minor damage to the tail of the aircraft was present and there was no harm to passenger or crew. I have learned to take more care and time dealing with paperwork and to visually check all baggage for oversize or overweight conditions before takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SA227 FLC IN COMPUTING THE CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS CAME UP WITH LEGAL WT. AFTER COMPLETING PAPERWORK, 6 MORE PAX PLUS 1 BAG WERE BOARDED. DETERMINED LEGAL BUT FAILED TO CORRECT COMPANY COPY OF THE MANIFEST. DEPARTED FOR ROW AND FO SAID ACFT SEEMED TAIL HVY. CAPT DECIDED TO CONTINUE AFTER CHKING ACFT SINCE THEY WERE OVERWT FOR LNDG. ON ARR ROW AND DEPLANING, ACFT SETTLED ON THE TAIL. MINOR DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON FLT FROM DFW ARPT TO ROSWELL, NM. ON THE GND AT DFW I WAS INFORMED OF 39 TOTAL BAGS ON BOARD. MY FO AND I BOTH DECIDED THAT AT 20 LBS PER BAG WE WERE WITHIN CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS AND UNDER OUR TKOF WT. WE COMPLETED ALL NECESSARY PAPERWORK, THEN OUR GND CREW INFORMED US THAT WE WERE WAITING ON 6 MORE PAX AND 1 BAG FROM A CONNECTING AIRLINE. MY FO AND I ONCE AGAIN CALCULATED OUR WT AND BAL AND DETERMINED TO BE WITHIN ALL LIMITS. AFTER TAXIING FROM THE GATE WE REALIZED WE FORGOT TO CHANGE OUR CTR OF GRAVITY INDEX ON THE STATION COPY ONLY. WE INTENDED TO CALL COMPANY OPS BEFORE DEPARTING BUT FAILED TO DO SO. AFTER TKOF THE FO COMMENTED ON A SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE ACFT, SO I TOOK THE CTLS AND DECIDED TO RETURN FOR LNDG, HOWEVER, WE WERE OVER OUR LNDG WT. I FELT THAT THE ACFT WAS TOTALLY CTLABLE AND NOT IN AN UNSAFE SIT, SO I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT AS PLANNED. UPON ARR IN ROSWELL, ALL OPS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ACFT WERE NORMAL INCLUDING CRUISE, DSCNT AND TAXI PHASES OF FLT. AS WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE, BOTH ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN, THE FO STEPPED OUT, STARTED UNLOADING NOSE COMPARTMENT BAGS AND PAX STARTED TO DEPLANE. AT THIS TIME THERE WERE SEVERAL PAX IN THE VERY AFT ROWS OF THE ACFT AND ALL BAGS STILL IN THE AFT COMPARTMENT. THE ACFT PROCEEDED TO SETTLE ON ITS TAIL DUE TO THE ABNORMAL WT DISTRIBUTION. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TAIL OF THE ACFT WAS PRESENT AND THERE WAS NO HARM TO PAX OR CREW. I HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE MORE CARE AND TIME DEALING WITH PAPERWORK AND TO VISUALLY CHK ALL BAGGAGE FOR OVERSIZE OR OVERWT CONDITIONS BEFORE TKOF.

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.