Narrative:

Arrived at this landing strip with a load of freight. After offloading the inbound freight, I asked the loaders what was the weight of the outbound stuff. He indicated the pallet with the 2 big valves strapped to it was about 700 pounds and the 6 empty compressed gas cylinders were about 100 pounds each. I had already figured the worst case loading scenario and this easily fell within the center of gravity limit. By the time all the freight was loaded, the floor of the baggage compartment was very slippery from the tracked in snow. The first officer and I both confirmed that the tailstand was hanging free, which validates that the rear center of gravity limit is not exceeded. I tried to secure the pallet with a cargo strap that I was not familiar with. It never seemed to ratchet down tight and left quite a bit of slack when 'locked.' I was not convinced that it was secure, even though the first officer was talking me through the procedure. The cold temperature and our late arrival and the onset of some mild body aches that felt flu-like were making me more than a little anxious. The first officer pulled the tailstand and threw it in the cargo compartment and we stood there for a brief moment. We both agreed to put another strap around the pallet. Without another thought toward the tailstand, I helped her up into the cargo compartment. Bang! Down came the tail and we were eyeball to eyeball. The pallet, indeed, slid back and wedged the sole of her boot against the step in the compartment and had to be pried out. With the help of the others, we got the plane righted and secured. I then loaded 2 cylinders from the rear compartment to the forward cabin and secured, evaluated the tail cone skin and ventral fin, put a good snub on the pallet with a strap I knew how to work and decided to get to the next stop before properly notifying dispatch and maintenance. I believe that my deteriorating physical condition, the continued exposure to the cold along with the lure of hangars and phones and other support staff at the next stop clouded my judgement to follow procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE1900 CREW HAD CARGO LOADING PROBS AT A PVT ARPT.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT THIS LNDG STRIP WITH A LOAD OF FREIGHT. AFTER OFFLOADING THE INBOUND FREIGHT, I ASKED THE LOADERS WHAT WAS THE WT OF THE OUTBOUND STUFF. HE INDICATED THE PALLET WITH THE 2 BIG VALVES STRAPPED TO IT WAS ABOUT 700 LBS AND THE 6 EMPTY COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDERS WERE ABOUT 100 LBS EACH. I HAD ALREADY FIGURED THE WORST CASE LOADING SCENARIO AND THIS EASILY FELL WITHIN THE CTR OF GRAVITY LIMIT. BY THE TIME ALL THE FREIGHT WAS LOADED, THE FLOOR OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WAS VERY SLIPPERY FROM THE TRACKED IN SNOW. THE FO AND I BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS HANGING FREE, WHICH VALIDATES THAT THE REAR CTR OF GRAVITY LIMIT IS NOT EXCEEDED. I TRIED TO SECURE THE PALLET WITH A CARGO STRAP THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH. IT NEVER SEEMED TO RATCHET DOWN TIGHT AND LEFT QUITE A BIT OF SLACK WHEN 'LOCKED.' I WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT IT WAS SECURE, EVEN THOUGH THE FO WAS TALKING ME THROUGH THE PROC. THE COLD TEMP AND OUR LATE ARR AND THE ONSET OF SOME MILD BODY ACHES THAT FELT FLU-LIKE WERE MAKING ME MORE THAN A LITTLE ANXIOUS. THE FO PULLED THE TAILSTAND AND THREW IT IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AND WE STOOD THERE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT. WE BOTH AGREED TO PUT ANOTHER STRAP AROUND THE PALLET. WITHOUT ANOTHER THOUGHT TOWARD THE TAILSTAND, I HELPED HER UP INTO THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. BANG! DOWN CAME THE TAIL AND WE WERE EYEBALL TO EYEBALL. THE PALLET, INDEED, SLID BACK AND WEDGED THE SOLE OF HER BOOT AGAINST THE STEP IN THE COMPARTMENT AND HAD TO BE PRIED OUT. WITH THE HELP OF THE OTHERS, WE GOT THE PLANE RIGHTED AND SECURED. I THEN LOADED 2 CYLINDERS FROM THE REAR COMPARTMENT TO THE FORWARD CABIN AND SECURED, EVALUATED THE TAIL CONE SKIN AND VENTRAL FIN, PUT A GOOD SNUB ON THE PALLET WITH A STRAP I KNEW HOW TO WORK AND DECIDED TO GET TO THE NEXT STOP BEFORE PROPERLY NOTIFYING DISPATCH AND MAINT. I BELIEVE THAT MY DETERIORATING PHYSICAL CONDITION, THE CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO THE COLD ALONG WITH THE LURE OF HANGARS AND PHONES AND OTHER SUPPORT STAFF AT THE NEXT STOP CLOUDED MY JUDGEMENT TO FOLLOW PROC.

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.