A C402 on demand cargo pilot flew his aircraft after it had been damaged unloading a cargo pallet.

Attributes
ACN	614999
Time
Date	200404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna 402/402C/B379 Businessliner/Utiliner
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 86 flight time total : 2567.5 flight time type : 100.3
ASRS Report	614999
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During the unloading phase for cargo at ZZZ, the forklift operator refused to unload pallet until centered in doorway. After recruiting several persons to help position pallet in doorway, persons began to exit aircraft. Before final egress, tail slowly fell and had impact with the ground. After all persons exited aircraft, it returned to normal position. An on-field mechanic and myself inspected the tail section and found chipped paint on the tail tiedown hook. After a more detailed postflt inspection at ZZZ1, the tail tiedown hook appeared farther out of position than normal and some buckling appeared in the skin. I proceeded to file a discrepancy write-up in the aircraft maintenance log.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C402 ON DEMAND CARGO PLT FLEW HIS ACFT AFTER IT HAD BEEN DAMAGED UNLOADING A CARGO PALLET.

Narrative: DURING THE UNLOADING PHASE FOR CARGO AT ZZZ, THE FORKLIFT OPERATOR REFUSED TO UNLOAD PALLET UNTIL CTRED IN DOORWAY. AFTER RECRUITING SEVERAL PERSONS TO HELP POS PALLET IN DOORWAY, PERSONS BEGAN TO EXIT ACFT. BEFORE FINAL EGRESS, TAIL SLOWLY FELL AND HAD IMPACT WITH THE GND. AFTER ALL PERSONS EXITED ACFT, IT RETURNED TO NORMAL POS. AN ON-FIELD MECH AND MYSELF INSPECTED THE TAIL SECTION AND FOUND CHIPPED PAINT ON THE TAIL TIEDOWN HOOK. AFTER A MORE DETAILED POSTFLT INSPECTION AT ZZZ1, THE TAIL TIEDOWN HOOK APPEARED FARTHER OUT OF POS THAN NORMAL AND SOME BUCKLING APPEARED IN THE SKIN. I PROCEEDED TO FILE A DISCREPANCY WRITE-UP IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG.

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.