Narrative:

This incident occurred early one morning when dispatch requested that I fly a special flight from oak to bur. The following is documentation of the events as I experienced them. From the information that I was given prior to departure, I believed that I flew the aircraft at the maximum gross weight, not over. I blocked in from a flight in a beech 99. As I was taxiing in, dispatch asked if I would fly a chieftain to bur right away. I calculated the duty time in my head and considered the round trip with headwinds (+40 KTS at 9000 ft). I told them that I would be close to timing out at the end of the round trip flight. They told me it was only a 1-WAY trip and I could get my rest in bur prior to returning. So I acquiesced. I went to retrieve my belongings from the beech 99 and to begin my postflt inspection when a mechanic offered to put the snubbers on, postflt and ensure that all the work was out of the airplane. So I hurried over to the chieftain and began my preflight inspection. As I walked up, I noticed that the plane appeared to be tail heavy. Dispatch was involved in the loading and it appeared to be about 90% loaded already. I opened the nose baggage compartment which was empty and asked that they fill that before adding more freight in the tail. Then I asked the dispatcher, who was loading the plane, how much weight they had and he said it was 1600 pounds. He added that the fuel load was full outboards and 'a little' on the inboards. With that information, I climbed in and began my preflight inspection. I checked the fuel and I did have full outboards but the inboards were close to 1/2 full. I calculated the weight and balance and as it stood I had 7015 pounds total (which is slightly over gtow but 30 pounds under maximum ramp weight). Then I began preflting the outside. When I got to the landing gear I noticed that the struts were only exposed about 1/4 inch and the main wheel tires were bulging slightly. I checked with maintenance to confirm this was within limits and they said that it was ok. I asked dispatch for my manifest, and with that I got in and began the flight. The takeoff roll was longer than usual and the initial climb out was slow at 500 FPM at 106-120 KTS. The aircraft was pitch sensitive and it was difficult to maintain a constant airspeed. Each small touch on the yoke created a large movement in the pitch of the aircraft. Once stabilized in cruise, it had a tendency to porpoise. I elected to continue on to bur deciding that I would be better to land after burning off 2 hours of fuel than returning to oak. In addition, the WX was VFR and I did not expect to run into any moderate or greater turbulence along the route of flight. When I got close to bur, after stage cooling the aircraft, I decided to conduct a stall check to see how the aircraft would handle close to stalling speeds. With 0 degree flaps, I received the first indication of a stall (the stall warning horn) at 100 KTS. I chose to land at a higher than normal speed and use only 15 degrees of flaps. The landing and taxi went smoothly. We began unloading the aircraft and as I inspected the freight thoroughly for the first time, I began to think that it might weigh more than 1600 pounds. It consisted almost entirely of file folder size boxes containing paperwork and small bank bags. In addition, it was loaded 100% (cargo bay, nose, and wing lockers). 2 line service guys and I unloaded the freight into 4 carts. There had been some volume in 2 of the carts prior to unloading and I asked if he knew how much weight was already in those 2 carts and if he would be willing to weigh the freight after we unloaded it because I was wondering now if it weighed over 1600 pounds. He said he had 1689 pounds in the carts already and yes he would weigh it all after we unloaded it. The volume filled 4 carts piled twice as high as the sides meant to contain it. They weighed 2446, 1480, 1496, 1881 pounds, and the tare weights were 1614, 336, 370, and 360 pounds respectively. The total weight of the 4 carts was 7303 pounds less the total tare weights of 2710 pounds less the 1689 pounds already on the carts equals 2904 pounds (1300 pounds over what my manifest indicated and 1300 pounds over maximum gross weight of the aircraft). I called oak dispatch to let them know that weight of the freight that I had brought down and was told that company said that the weight of the freight on the truck that they brought out to the airplane 2300 pounds and since they did not load all of it dispatch considered it to be 1600 pounds. I was concerned that the aircraft structure may have been stressed and spoke with a mechanic in oak who said it would be all right to fly the airplane back to oak. When I got back to oak, I brought the matter to the attention of oak flight department because it concerned me that it might happen again. After this experience I would be hesitant to accept an airplane without personally overseeing the loading even if our dispatch had participated in the loading themselves.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PA31-350 CARGO FLT NOTICES LONG TKOF ROLL AND POOR CLB PERFORMANCE AND SUSPECTS OVER GROSS LOADING. PLT HAS THE CARGO WEIGHED AT DEST ARPT AND DISCOVERS THE ACFT WAS LOADED 1300 LBS OVER MAX GROSS WT.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED EARLY ONE MORNING WHEN DISPATCH REQUESTED THAT I FLY A SPECIAL FLT FROM OAK TO BUR. THE FOLLOWING IS DOCUMENTATION OF THE EVENTS AS I EXPERIENCED THEM. FROM THE INFO THAT I WAS GIVEN PRIOR TO DEP, I BELIEVED THAT I FLEW THE ACFT AT THE MAX GROSS WT, NOT OVER. I BLOCKED IN FROM A FLT IN A BEECH 99. AS I WAS TAXIING IN, DISPATCH ASKED IF I WOULD FLY A CHIEFTAIN TO BUR RIGHT AWAY. I CALCULATED THE DUTY TIME IN MY HEAD AND CONSIDERED THE ROUND TRIP WITH HEADWINDS (+40 KTS AT 9000 FT). I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD BE CLOSE TO TIMING OUT AT THE END OF THE ROUND TRIP FLT. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ONLY A 1-WAY TRIP AND I COULD GET MY REST IN BUR PRIOR TO RETURNING. SO I ACQUIESCED. I WENT TO RETRIEVE MY BELONGINGS FROM THE BEECH 99 AND TO BEGIN MY POSTFLT INSPECTION WHEN A MECH OFFERED TO PUT THE SNUBBERS ON, POSTFLT AND ENSURE THAT ALL THE WORK WAS OUT OF THE AIRPLANE. SO I HURRIED OVER TO THE CHIEFTAIN AND BEGAN MY PREFLT INSPECTION. AS I WALKED UP, I NOTICED THAT THE PLANE APPEARED TO BE TAIL HVY. DISPATCH WAS INVOLVED IN THE LOADING AND IT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 90% LOADED ALREADY. I OPENED THE NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WHICH WAS EMPTY AND ASKED THAT THEY FILL THAT BEFORE ADDING MORE FREIGHT IN THE TAIL. THEN I ASKED THE DISPATCHER, WHO WAS LOADING THE PLANE, HOW MUCH WT THEY HAD AND HE SAID IT WAS 1600 LBS. HE ADDED THAT THE FUEL LOAD WAS FULL OUTBOARDS AND 'A LITTLE' ON THE INBOARDS. WITH THAT INFO, I CLBED IN AND BEGAN MY PREFLT INSPECTION. I CHKED THE FUEL AND I DID HAVE FULL OUTBOARDS BUT THE INBOARDS WERE CLOSE TO 1/2 FULL. I CALCULATED THE WT AND BAL AND AS IT STOOD I HAD 7015 LBS TOTAL (WHICH IS SLIGHTLY OVER GTOW BUT 30 LBS UNDER MAX RAMP WT). THEN I BEGAN PREFLTING THE OUTSIDE. WHEN I GOT TO THE LNDG GEAR I NOTICED THAT THE STRUTS WERE ONLY EXPOSED ABOUT 1/4 INCH AND THE MAIN WHEEL TIRES WERE BULGING SLIGHTLY. I CHKED WITH MAINT TO CONFIRM THIS WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS OK. I ASKED DISPATCH FOR MY MANIFEST, AND WITH THAT I GOT IN AND BEGAN THE FLT. THE TKOF ROLL WAS LONGER THAN USUAL AND THE INITIAL CLBOUT WAS SLOW AT 500 FPM AT 106-120 KTS. THE ACFT WAS PITCH SENSITIVE AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT AIRSPD. EACH SMALL TOUCH ON THE YOKE CREATED A LARGE MOVEMENT IN THE PITCH OF THE ACFT. ONCE STABILIZED IN CRUISE, IT HAD A TENDENCY TO PORPOISE. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE ON TO BUR DECIDING THAT I WOULD BE BETTER TO LAND AFTER BURNING OFF 2 HRS OF FUEL THAN RETURNING TO OAK. IN ADDITION, THE WX WAS VFR AND I DID NOT EXPECT TO RUN INTO ANY MODERATE OR GREATER TURB ALONG THE RTE OF FLT. WHEN I GOT CLOSE TO BUR, AFTER STAGE COOLING THE ACFT, I DECIDED TO CONDUCT A STALL CHK TO SEE HOW THE ACFT WOULD HANDLE CLOSE TO STALLING SPDS. WITH 0 DEG FLAPS, I RECEIVED THE FIRST INDICATION OF A STALL (THE STALL WARNING HORN) AT 100 KTS. I CHOSE TO LAND AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SPD AND USE ONLY 15 DEGS OF FLAPS. THE LNDG AND TAXI WENT SMOOTHLY. WE BEGAN UNLOADING THE ACFT AND AS I INSPECTED THE FREIGHT THOROUGHLY FOR THE FIRST TIME, I BEGAN TO THINK THAT IT MIGHT WEIGH MORE THAN 1600 LBS. IT CONSISTED ALMOST ENTIRELY OF FILE FOLDER SIZE BOXES CONTAINING PAPERWORK AND SMALL BANK BAGS. IN ADDITION, IT WAS LOADED 100% (CARGO BAY, NOSE, AND WING LOCKERS). 2 LINE SVC GUYS AND I UNLOADED THE FREIGHT INTO 4 CARTS. THERE HAD BEEN SOME VOLUME IN 2 OF THE CARTS PRIOR TO UNLOADING AND I ASKED IF HE KNEW HOW MUCH WT WAS ALREADY IN THOSE 2 CARTS AND IF HE WOULD BE WILLING TO WEIGH THE FREIGHT AFTER WE UNLOADED IT BECAUSE I WAS WONDERING NOW IF IT WEIGHED OVER 1600 LBS. HE SAID HE HAD 1689 LBS IN THE CARTS ALREADY AND YES HE WOULD WEIGH IT ALL AFTER WE UNLOADED IT. THE VOLUME FILLED 4 CARTS PILED TWICE AS HIGH AS THE SIDES MEANT TO CONTAIN IT. THEY WEIGHED 2446, 1480, 1496, 1881 LBS, AND THE TARE WTS WERE 1614, 336, 370, AND 360 LBS RESPECTIVELY. THE TOTAL WT OF THE 4 CARTS WAS 7303 LBS LESS THE TOTAL TARE WTS OF 2710 LBS LESS THE 1689 LBS ALREADY ON THE CARTS EQUALS 2904 LBS (1300 LBS OVER WHAT MY MANIFEST INDICATED AND 1300 LBS OVER MAX GROSS WT OF THE ACFT). I CALLED OAK DISPATCH TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WT OF THE FREIGHT THAT I HAD BROUGHT DOWN AND WAS TOLD THAT COMPANY SAID THAT THE WT OF THE FREIGHT ON THE TRUCK THAT THEY BROUGHT OUT TO THE AIRPLANE 2300 LBS AND SINCE THEY DID NOT LOAD ALL OF IT DISPATCH CONSIDERED IT TO BE 1600 LBS. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE ACFT STRUCTURE MAY HAVE BEEN STRESSED AND SPOKE WITH A MECH IN OAK WHO SAID IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BACK TO OAK. WHEN I GOT BACK TO OAK, I BROUGHT THE MATTER TO THE ATTN OF OAK FLT DEPT BECAUSE IT CONCERNED ME THAT IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE I WOULD BE HESITANT TO ACCEPT AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT PERSONALLY OVERSEEING THE LOADING EVEN IF OUR DISPATCH HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE LOADING THEMSELVES.

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.