A320 apparently improperly loaded. Poor climb and landing performance plus improper landing gear str...

Attributes
ACN	577163
Time
Date	200303
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	577163
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : person 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Possible illegal weight and balance. On climb out, crew noticed aircraft was very slow to climb, ie, slow rate of climb. Aircraft overburned scheduled burn by 2500 pounds. After programming landing data in the mcdu, vls displayed as 138 KTS. On final approach when managed speed was selected, managed speed bug went to 145 KTS. Taxiing in to gate, aircraft started to roll backwards approaching the gate, and power was required to pull into the gate. After engine shutdown, we got an ECAM (not sure of the exact verbiage), but something to do about landing gear strut extension disagree. The mechanic came running up to the aircraft, and said to stop unloading passenger, because the nose strut was fully extended, and he was worried that the aircraft was going to settle on its tail. The captain went outside and saw virtually no cargo in the front pit, while the back pit was filled to capacity. Passenger load for the flight was 12/125, 1 lap, 3 flight attendants.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 APPARENTLY IMPROPERLY LOADED. POOR CLB AND LNDG PERFORMANCE PLUS IMPROPER LNDG GEAR STRUT EXTENSION ON GND LED TO DISCOVERY, ALL CARGO WAS IN AFT PIT.

Narrative: POSSIBLE ILLEGAL WT AND BAL. ON CLBOUT, CREW NOTICED ACFT WAS VERY SLOW TO CLB, IE, SLOW RATE OF CLB. ACFT OVERBURNED SCHEDULED BURN BY 2500 LBS. AFTER PROGRAMMING LNDG DATA IN THE MCDU, VLS DISPLAYED AS 138 KTS. ON FINAL APCH WHEN MANAGED SPD WAS SELECTED, MANAGED SPD BUG WENT TO 145 KTS. TAXIING IN TO GATE, ACFT STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS APCHING THE GATE, AND PWR WAS REQUIRED TO PULL INTO THE GATE. AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN, WE GOT AN ECAM (NOT SURE OF THE EXACT VERBIAGE), BUT SOMETHING TO DO ABOUT LNDG GEAR STRUT EXTENSION DISAGREE. THE MECH CAME RUNNING UP TO THE ACFT, AND SAID TO STOP UNLOADING PAX, BECAUSE THE NOSE STRUT WAS FULLY EXTENDED, AND HE WAS WORRIED THAT THE ACFT WAS GOING TO SETTLE ON ITS TAIL. THE CAPT WENT OUTSIDE AND SAW VIRTUALLY NO CARGO IN THE FRONT PIT, WHILE THE BACK PIT WAS FILLED TO CAPACITY. PAX LOAD FOR THE FLT WAS 12/125, 1 LAP, 3 FLT ATTENDANTS.

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.

A320 apparently improperly loaded. Poor climb and landing performance plus improper landing gear strut extension on ground led to discovery, all cargo was in aft pit.