Narrative:

We blocked into the clt cargo ramp at XX00Z. After calling in our arrival times to operations, I walked back out to our aircraft and saw a truck with an FAA sign hanging in the window parked between the aircraft and some freight that had just been downloaded. I did not see anyone in the truck. I went up to the cockpit. A few mins later an individual identing herself as an FAA inspector entered the cockpit. She told me she had observed a number of unairworthy uld's (cargo pallets) on the ramp outside the aircraft. I went downstairs with her to look. I observed several pallets with less than the minimum number of tie down clips and several with nets so loose several boxes were about to fall off. Ms X told me she had observed a number of cardboard boxes laying on the ramp next to the pallets they had apparently been stacked on. I did not see these. They had evidently already been taken into the sort building. I did not observe ms X recording pallet numbers. Ms X told me that if she was not on her way to another inspection she would have taken pictures and pursued this matter with greater scrutiny. She also told me she would contact my pmi (primary maintenance inspector, FAA) on this matter. I assured her I would inform my supervisor of this situation as soon as possible. I am aware of the fact that as captain I am responsible for the aircraft and its contents, however, neither the captain nor crew can be available 100% of the time to supervise the construction of each pallet load or observe each pallet as it is put on the aircraft. Frequently the entire crew is occupied with preflight duties as pallet loads arrive planeside and are placed on the aircraft. It is of concern that a flight crew is responsible for preflight checks and supervision of freight loading, both occurring simultaneously. It is known that often freight arrives at the last min and is loaded rapidly to meet schedules. This is clearly a prime time for errors. I have often been involved in sits where I am required to switch to a plane other than the one I flew into the hub. This plane can be partially loaded before the flight crew ever gets to the plane. The flight crew is busy trying to ready the aircraft and supervise freight loading yet cannot physically inspect the freight loaded initially. I believe that greater adherence to approved regulations and procedures by loading personnel could avoid this type of episode and certainly prevent any future events. I would like to feel that the personnel loading the freight were aware of the responsibility and are appropriately supervised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-61 PIC RPT REGARDING AN FAA RAMP CHK THAT DISCLOSED SEVERAL FAULTY PALLETS OFF LOADED FROM HIS ACFT THAT ALLOWED SOME BOXES TO FALL ONTO THE RAMP. PIC SAYS THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY PLACED UPON THE FLC FOR LOADING ACFT IS AN ILLOGICAL ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY.

Narrative: WE BLOCKED INTO THE CLT CARGO RAMP AT XX00Z. AFTER CALLING IN OUR ARR TIMES TO OPS, I WALKED BACK OUT TO OUR ACFT AND SAW A TRUCK WITH AN FAA SIGN HANGING IN THE WINDOW PARKED BTWN THE ACFT AND SOME FREIGHT THAT HAD JUST BEEN DOWNLOADED. I DID NOT SEE ANYONE IN THE TRUCK. I WENT UP TO THE COCKPIT. A FEW MINS LATER AN INDIVIDUAL IDENTING HERSELF AS AN FAA INSPECTOR ENTERED THE COCKPIT. SHE TOLD ME SHE HAD OBSERVED A NUMBER OF UNAIRWORTHY ULD'S (CARGO PALLETS) ON THE RAMP OUTSIDE THE ACFT. I WENT DOWNSTAIRS WITH HER TO LOOK. I OBSERVED SEVERAL PALLETS WITH LESS THAN THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF TIE DOWN CLIPS AND SEVERAL WITH NETS SO LOOSE SEVERAL BOXES WERE ABOUT TO FALL OFF. MS X TOLD ME SHE HAD OBSERVED A NUMBER OF CARDBOARD BOXES LAYING ON THE RAMP NEXT TO THE PALLETS THEY HAD APPARENTLY BEEN STACKED ON. I DID NOT SEE THESE. THEY HAD EVIDENTLY ALREADY BEEN TAKEN INTO THE SORT BUILDING. I DID NOT OBSERVE MS X RECORDING PALLET NUMBERS. MS X TOLD ME THAT IF SHE WAS NOT ON HER WAY TO ANOTHER INSPECTION SHE WOULD HAVE TAKEN PICTURES AND PURSUED THIS MATTER WITH GREATER SCRUTINY. SHE ALSO TOLD ME SHE WOULD CONTACT MY PMI (PRIMARY MAINT INSPECTOR, FAA) ON THIS MATTER. I ASSURED HER I WOULD INFORM MY SUPVR OF THIS SIT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I AM AWARE OF THE FACT THAT AS CAPT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACFT AND ITS CONTENTS, HOWEVER, NEITHER THE CAPT NOR CREW CAN BE AVAILABLE 100% OF THE TIME TO SUPERVISE THE CONSTRUCTION OF EACH PALLET LOAD OR OBSERVE EACH PALLET AS IT IS PUT ON THE ACFT. FREQUENTLY THE ENTIRE CREW IS OCCUPIED WITH PREFLT DUTIES AS PALLET LOADS ARRIVE PLANESIDE AND ARE PLACED ON THE ACFT. IT IS OF CONCERN THAT A FLC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PREFLT CHKS AND SUPERVISION OF FREIGHT LOADING, BOTH OCCURRING SIMULTANEOUSLY. IT IS KNOWN THAT OFTEN FREIGHT ARRIVES AT THE LAST MIN AND IS LOADED RAPIDLY TO MEET SCHEDULES. THIS IS CLRLY A PRIME TIME FOR ERRORS. I HAVE OFTEN BEEN INVOLVED IN SITS WHERE I AM REQUIRED TO SWITCH TO A PLANE OTHER THAN THE ONE I FLEW INTO THE HUB. THIS PLANE CAN BE PARTIALLY LOADED BEFORE THE FLC EVER GETS TO THE PLANE. THE FLC IS BUSY TRYING TO READY THE ACFT AND SUPERVISE FREIGHT LOADING YET CANNOT PHYSICALLY INSPECT THE FREIGHT LOADED INITIALLY. I BELIEVE THAT GREATER ADHERENCE TO APPROVED REGS AND PROCS BY LOADING PERSONNEL COULD AVOID THIS TYPE OF EPISODE AND CERTAINLY PREVENT ANY FUTURE EVENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO FEEL THAT THE PERSONNEL LOADING THE FREIGHT WERE AWARE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY AND ARE APPROPRIATELY SUPERVISED.

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.