Narrative:

We had 37 passengers, full flight, and a jumpseater. We had a light cargo load and around 7500 pounds fuel. These conditions put our cg forward of the limit. I determined that we either had to remove the jumpseater or move 5 carry on bags to C4 in order to bring the cg within limits. The gate agent elected to move the carry on bags. The flight attendant said there were some bags in the C1 closet, but I asked her to move my bag as well as hers plus 3 passenger bags from the cabin. This was done and we were within cg limits. It wasn't until after the flight that I realized that I hadn't included the 3 bags in the C1 closet in the cg calculation. I am unsure if we were actually out of cg limits because we removed my bag from the closet but it is a possibility. It was my own fault for forgetting to include the passenger bags in C1, but I have some ideas as to why it happened. We were past departure time and trying to resolve the matter quickly. More importantly is the fact that the flight attendant's do not routinely inform us of carry on bags that they place in C1. We are not used to accounting for C1 bags. I think that this might be avoided if the flight attendant's had a box on their passenger count form to include carry on bags in the C1 closet. Although there is a place on the cargo load sheet for C1 cargo the ramp agents normally would not fill this out as they do not have access to the closet. In the future I will brief the flight attendant to include the number of bags in the closet on the passenger count form. I think this will keep me from making this mistake again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that the EMJ135, when there is no cargo loaded and a full load of passengers is aboard, has a forward center of gravity. If the carry on baggage is improperly loaded the aircraft can become out of limits. He was concerned that there is no procedure to notify the flight crew of the location of the carry on baggage so it can be loaded into the proper area. He indicated that he was unaware if other operators of the same equipment have similar procedures. Reporter indicated that the fwd cg was prevalent on the EMJ135 and not the EMJ145. He has flown both types of equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMJ135 FLT CREW HAS WT AND BALANCE PROB PRIOR TO DEP FROM KRDU.

Narrative: WE HAD 37 PASSENGERS, FULL FLT, AND A JUMPSEATER. WE HAD A LIGHT CARGO LOAD AND AROUND 7500 LBS FUEL. THESE CONDITIONS PUT OUR CG FORWARD OF THE LIMIT. I DETERMINED THAT WE EITHER HAD TO REMOVE THE JUMPSEATER OR MOVE 5 CARRY ON BAGS TO C4 IN ORDER TO BRING THE CG WITHIN LIMITS. THE GATE AGENT ELECTED TO MOVE THE CARRY ON BAGS. THE FA SAID THERE WERE SOME BAGS IN THE C1 CLOSET, BUT I ASKED HER TO MOVE MY BAG AS WELL AS HERS PLUS 3 PAX BAGS FROM THE CABIN. THIS WAS DONE AND WE WERE WITHIN CG LIMITS. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE FLT THAT I REALIZED THAT I HADN'T INCLUDED THE 3 BAGS IN THE C1 CLOSET IN THE CG CALCULATION. I AM UNSURE IF WE WERE ACTUALLY OUT OF CG LIMITS BECAUSE WE REMOVED MY BAG FROM THE CLOSET BUT IT IS A POSSIBILITY. IT WAS MY OWN FAULT FOR FORGETTING TO INCLUDE THE PAX BAGS IN C1, BUT I HAVE SOME IDEAS AS TO WHY IT HAPPENED. WE WERE PAST DEP TIME AND TRYING TO RESOLVE THE MATTER QUICKLY. MORE IMPORTANTLY IS THE FACT THAT THE FA'S DO NOT ROUTINELY INFORM US OF CARRY ON BAGS THAT THEY PLACE IN C1. WE ARE NOT USED TO ACCOUNTING FOR C1 BAGS. I THINK THAT THIS MIGHT BE AVOIDED IF THE FA'S HAD A BOX ON THEIR PAX COUNT FORM TO INCLUDE CARRY ON BAGS IN THE C1 CLOSET. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A PLACE ON THE CARGO LOAD SHEET FOR C1 CARGO THE RAMP AGENTS NORMALLY WOULD NOT FILL THIS OUT AS THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE CLOSET. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BRIEF THE FA TO INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF BAGS IN THE CLOSET ON THE PAX COUNT FORM. I THINK THIS WILL KEEP ME FROM MAKING THIS MISTAKE AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE EMJ135, WHEN THERE IS NO CARGO LOADED AND A FULL LOAD OF PASSENGERS IS ABOARD, HAS A FORWARD CENTER OF GRAVITY. IF THE CARRY ON BAGGAGE IS IMPROPERLY LOADED THE ACFT CAN BECOME OUT OF LIMITS. HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE IS NO PROCEDURE TO NOTIFY THE FLT CREW OF THE LOCATION OF THE CARRY ON BAGGAGE SO IT CAN BE LOADED INTO THE PROPER AREA. HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE IF OTHER OPERATORS OF THE SAME EQUIPMENT HAVE SIMILAR PROCS. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE FWD CG WAS PREVALENT ON THE EMJ135 AND NOT THE EMJ145. HE HAS FLOWN BOTH TYPES OF EQUIP.

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.