Narrative:

I was the captain of a saab 340B aircraft flying from indianapolis to chicago. Due to WX in chicago dropping below minimums, we diverted back to indianapolis. Due to ramp congestion caused by other aircraft diverting from chicago, it took 2 hours to deplane the passenger and we then repositioned the aircraft to a remote location on the airfield. Approximately 1 hour later, I was asked by a gate agent if it was ok to unload the baggage and I said yes, as we were planning to fly empty to our next destination. It took approximately 1 hour 30 mins to get back to the aircraft and upon instructions from operations and dispatch to repos the plane to our next stop, we ordered fuel and took off with our empty flight. Not known to myself or my crew was the fact that the baggage was still on board our aircraft and we had not made allowance of this weight during our weight and balance calculations. The flight was uneventful and the airplane handled quite normally although the trim was a little out of alignment during takeoff. We discovered the bags upon arrival and these bags were then sent on to chicago via another flight. This mishap occurred because of ramp overcongestion and ramp workers being overtasked. It did not occur to me at the time to doublechk the baggage hold which also contributed to the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WT AND BAL ERROR ON AN SF340 REPOSITIONING FLT FROM IND, IN.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF A SAAB 340B ACFT FLYING FROM INDIANAPOLIS TO CHICAGO. DUE TO WX IN CHICAGO DROPPING BELOW MINIMUMS, WE DIVERTED BACK TO INDIANAPOLIS. DUE TO RAMP CONGESTION CAUSED BY OTHER ACFT DIVERTING FROM CHICAGO, IT TOOK 2 HRS TO DEPLANE THE PAX AND WE THEN REPOSITIONED THE ACFT TO A REMOTE LOCATION ON THE AIRFIELD. APPROX 1 HR LATER, I WAS ASKED BY A GATE AGENT IF IT WAS OK TO UNLOAD THE BAGGAGE AND I SAID YES, AS WE WERE PLANNING TO FLY EMPTY TO OUR NEXT DEST. IT TOOK APPROX 1 HR 30 MINS TO GET BACK TO THE ACFT AND UPON INSTRUCTIONS FROM OPS AND DISPATCH TO REPOS THE PLANE TO OUR NEXT STOP, WE ORDERED FUEL AND TOOK OFF WITH OUR EMPTY FLT. NOT KNOWN TO MYSELF OR MY CREW WAS THE FACT THAT THE BAGGAGE WAS STILL ON BOARD OUR ACFT AND WE HAD NOT MADE ALLOWANCE OF THIS WT DURING OUR WT AND BAL CALCULATIONS. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE AIRPLANE HANDLED QUITE NORMALLY ALTHOUGH THE TRIM WAS A LITTLE OUT OF ALIGNMENT DURING TKOF. WE DISCOVERED THE BAGS UPON ARR AND THESE BAGS WERE THEN SENT ON TO CHICAGO VIA ANOTHER FLT. THIS MISHAP OCCURRED BECAUSE OF RAMP OVERCONGESTION AND RAMP WORKERS BEING OVERTASKED. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME AT THE TIME TO DOUBLECHK THE BAGGAGE HOLD WHICH ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SIT.

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.