Narrative:

The #3 or aft cargo was deferred on this aircraft. Our load leaving the hub was light, so weight and balance could be corrected by moving passenger. I knew that we would be full leaving madison, so my common sense tells me we are going to need ballast. However, everyone chose to ignore what I said (including the flight crew). So now we have close to a full boat and the ground people in madison come on board and inform me that they are going to let passenger carry on everything so that they can fit all the bags up front. I told them sure they can carry on everything within the regulations so as they proceed to try and fit all the bags in the forward 2 compartments, they don't tighten the nets so the path between cargo #1 and #2 becomes almost non existent. This path serves as the flight attendant route between the cabin and flight deck also as an egress path for the flight crew. I commented to both parties that it should not be blocked. When I returned to the aft section we waited about 20 mins for the ground crew to get all the bags on and discover that the aircraft's center of gravity is affected when you put all the cargo forward and have nothing aft. So now they have to take lots of bags off. An agent knocked on the door. She has 2 checked bags in hand and says, these have to go in the cabin. My reply, 'are you crazy? I can't put checked bags in the cabin.' by then she's on board tearing off the tags and says they've already been screened. I replied, 'I will have no part of this -- I have no proof.' she took the PA and paged 2 passenger who own them. I told her I wasn't stowing them. I made the crew aware (third time I had a legitimate reason for them to intervene and received no support). I would have made a huge fuss but any time the aircraft is on the ground the station has the ultimate authority/authorized. That's real nice since they don't have to fly in the aircraft they put unscreened bags on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR-42 ACFT PARKED, PREDEP PAX AND BAGGAGE LOADING. RPTR CABIN ATTENDANT EXPRESSES CONCERNS REGARDING LOADING OF PAX BAGS IN FORWARD COMPARTMENT, CARGO NETS LOOSE ALLOWING MINIMUM MANEUVERING SPACE BTWN THEM. THEN CTR OF GRAVITY WAS OUT OF LIMITS SO BAGS HAD TO BE REMOVED, BUT THEN A PAX AGENT CAME ON WITH BAGS THAT PROBABLY HAD NOT BEEN SCREENED AND INSISTED CABIN ATTENDANT ACCEPT THEM.

Narrative: THE #3 OR AFT CARGO WAS DEFERRED ON THIS ACFT. OUR LOAD LEAVING THE HUB WAS LIGHT, SO WT AND BAL COULD BE CORRECTED BY MOVING PAX. I KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE FULL LEAVING MADISON, SO MY COMMON SENSE TELLS ME WE ARE GOING TO NEED BALLAST. HOWEVER, EVERYONE CHOSE TO IGNORE WHAT I SAID (INCLUDING THE FLC). SO NOW WE HAVE CLOSE TO A FULL BOAT AND THE GND PEOPLE IN MADISON COME ON BOARD AND INFORM ME THAT THEY ARE GOING TO LET PAX CARRY ON EVERYTHING SO THAT THEY CAN FIT ALL THE BAGS UP FRONT. I TOLD THEM SURE THEY CAN CARRY ON EVERYTHING WITHIN THE REGS SO AS THEY PROCEED TO TRY AND FIT ALL THE BAGS IN THE FORWARD 2 COMPARTMENTS, THEY DON'T TIGHTEN THE NETS SO THE PATH BTWN CARGO #1 AND #2 BECOMES ALMOST NON EXISTENT. THIS PATH SERVES AS THE FLT ATTENDANT RTE BTWN THE CABIN AND FLT DECK ALSO AS AN EGRESS PATH FOR THE FLC. I COMMENTED TO BOTH PARTIES THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE BLOCKED. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE AFT SECTION WE WAITED ABOUT 20 MINS FOR THE GND CREW TO GET ALL THE BAGS ON AND DISCOVER THAT THE ACFT'S CTR OF GRAVITY IS AFFECTED WHEN YOU PUT ALL THE CARGO FORWARD AND HAVE NOTHING AFT. SO NOW THEY HAVE TO TAKE LOTS OF BAGS OFF. AN AGENT KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. SHE HAS 2 CHKED BAGS IN HAND AND SAYS, THESE HAVE TO GO IN THE CABIN. MY REPLY, 'ARE YOU CRAZY? I CAN'T PUT CHKED BAGS IN THE CABIN.' BY THEN SHE'S ON BOARD TEARING OFF THE TAGS AND SAYS THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN SCREENED. I REPLIED, 'I WILL HAVE NO PART OF THIS -- I HAVE NO PROOF.' SHE TOOK THE PA AND PAGED 2 PAX WHO OWN THEM. I TOLD HER I WASN'T STOWING THEM. I MADE THE CREW AWARE (THIRD TIME I HAD A LEGITIMATE REASON FOR THEM TO INTERVENE AND RECEIVED NO SUPPORT). I WOULD HAVE MADE A HUGE FUSS BUT ANY TIME THE ACFT IS ON THE GND THE STATION HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTH. THAT'S REAL NICE SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE TO FLY IN THE ACFT THEY PUT UNSCREENED BAGS ON.

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.