Narrative:

Prior to flight, it was noted that the cargo compartment was bulked out. I twice asked ramp agents, including the load coordinator if the compartment was beyond limits. The answer was no both times. Upon rotation, the aircraft required less than normal back force but otherwise had normal flight characteristics. We continued to our destination and had a normal landing. I had the contents of the compartment weighed and it was over by +30% or 257 pounds. Later company investigation showed a claim by the load coordinator that I was notified of a sports team and their baggage would be on board. Company may claim that I did not follow procedure for a sports team. I have discovered that the sports team was not aboard, but some of their baggage was. The overall limits, ie, maximum weight, landing weight, zero fuel weights, were not exceeded -- only the cargo weight. I was not given any written or verbal confirmation of a sports team. The loading worksheet showed 32+27 average weight bags (33 pounds) for a total of 1947 pounds. This number was used to calculate weight and balance. This is not an isolated incident due to oversize bags. There is a big hole in the system. On some days, on some rtes, bags are heavier than average. Ramp workers say that the bags seem to be getting heavier as a result of increased security (ie, bigger hassle to carry stuff through security). Also, the demographics of the passenger have changed. Rampers are not permitted to double weight heavy bags. Rampers are under significant pressure to not have misconnected bags. Increasing the average bag weight will show on the bottom line financially. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the chief pilot had looked into the situation and found this to be the only complaint received from a pilot concerning bag weights. The company uses 33 pounds for bag weight, as per published procedures. It is this analyst's opinion that the pilot was being a little overzealous and may have been trying to put the company on report by using this situation. Additionally, if the pilot thought the aircraft was out of limits, he should not have accepted it for flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC-8 PLT CONCERNED ABOUT WT AND BAL DUE TO CARGO LOADING.

Narrative: PRIOR TO FLT, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS BULKED OUT. I TWICE ASKED RAMP AGENTS, INCLUDING THE LOAD COORDINATOR IF THE COMPARTMENT WAS BEYOND LIMITS. THE ANSWER WAS NO BOTH TIMES. UPON ROTATION, THE ACFT REQUIRED LESS THAN NORMAL BACK FORCE BUT OTHERWISE HAD NORMAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS. WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST AND HAD A NORMAL LNDG. I HAD THE CONTENTS OF THE COMPARTMENT WEIGHED AND IT WAS OVER BY +30% OR 257 LBS. LATER COMPANY INVESTIGATION SHOWED A CLAIM BY THE LOAD COORDINATOR THAT I WAS NOTIFIED OF A SPORTS TEAM AND THEIR BAGGAGE WOULD BE ON BOARD. COMPANY MAY CLAIM THAT I DID NOT FOLLOW PROC FOR A SPORTS TEAM. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE SPORTS TEAM WAS NOT ABOARD, BUT SOME OF THEIR BAGGAGE WAS. THE OVERALL LIMITS, IE, MAX WT, LNDG WT, ZERO FUEL WTS, WERE NOT EXCEEDED -- ONLY THE CARGO WT. I WAS NOT GIVEN ANY WRITTEN OR VERBAL CONFIRMATION OF A SPORTS TEAM. THE LOADING WORKSHEET SHOWED 32+27 AVERAGE WT BAGS (33 LBS) FOR A TOTAL OF 1947 LBS. THIS NUMBER WAS USED TO CALCULATE WT AND BAL. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT DUE TO OVERSIZE BAGS. THERE IS A BIG HOLE IN THE SYS. ON SOME DAYS, ON SOME RTES, BAGS ARE HEAVIER THAN AVERAGE. RAMP WORKERS SAY THAT THE BAGS SEEM TO BE GETTING HEAVIER AS A RESULT OF INCREASED SECURITY (IE, BIGGER HASSLE TO CARRY STUFF THROUGH SECURITY). ALSO, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE PAX HAVE CHANGED. RAMPERS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DOUBLE WT HVY BAGS. RAMPERS ARE UNDER SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE TO NOT HAVE MISCONNECTED BAGS. INCREASING THE AVERAGE BAG WT WILL SHOW ON THE BOTTOM LINE FINANCIALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE CHIEF PLT HAD LOOKED INTO THE SIT AND FOUND THIS TO BE THE ONLY COMPLAINT RECEIVED FROM A PLT CONCERNING BAG WTS. THE COMPANY USES 33 LBS FOR BAG WT, AS PER PUBLISHED PROCS. IT IS THIS ANALYST'S OPINION THAT THE PLT WAS BEING A LITTLE OVERZEALOUS AND MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PUT THE COMPANY ON RPT BY USING THIS SIT. ADDITIONALLY, IF THE PLT THOUGHT THE ACFT WAS OUT OF LIMITS, HE SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED IT FOR FLT.

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.