An A320 parked on gate with passenger deplaning was tail low and was lowering on to a lavatory truck...

Attributes
ACN	635076
Time
Date	200410
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
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
ASRS Report	635076
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

While parked at the gate just after arrival, the first officer proceeded to the ramp to accomplish the walkaround for the continuation of our flight. As he walked closer to the rear of the aircraft, he noticed the tail extremely low to the ground. He immediately went to the ramp personnel unloading the forward pit and advised them to stop. Had the process continued, a lavatory truck would possibly been crushed as the tail drooped further aft. While I was loading the flight plan information into the FMGC, I noticed the ECAM gear shock absorber fault indicating the full strut extension of the nose strut. It lasted about a min and went away as more passenger deplaned. It was further noted the cleaners (7 of them) had come on board in the aft doors making the problem worse. I spoke with the ramp supervisor and informed him how dangerous this situation could have been. He responded with a promise to correct the problem. I'm concerned someone could get hurt, we could severely damage an aircraft as well as our reputation with an airbus sitting at the gate with it on its tail.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PARKED ON GATE WITH PAX DEPLANING WAS TAIL LOW AND WAS LOWERING ON TO A LAVATORY TRUCK. SEVERAL PROCS WERE VIOLATED IN THIS INCIDENT.

Narrative: WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE JUST AFTER ARR, THE FO PROCEEDED TO THE RAMP TO ACCOMPLISH THE WALKAROUND FOR THE CONTINUATION OF OUR FLT. AS HE WALKED CLOSER TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT, HE NOTICED THE TAIL EXTREMELY LOW TO THE GND. HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE RAMP PERSONNEL UNLOADING THE FORWARD PIT AND ADVISED THEM TO STOP. HAD THE PROCESS CONTINUED, A LAVATORY TRUCK WOULD POSSIBLY BEEN CRUSHED AS THE TAIL DROOPED FURTHER AFT. WHILE I WAS LOADING THE FLT PLAN INFO INTO THE FMGC, I NOTICED THE ECAM GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT INDICATING THE FULL STRUT EXTENSION OF THE NOSE STRUT. IT LASTED ABOUT A MIN AND WENT AWAY AS MORE PAX DEPLANED. IT WAS FURTHER NOTED THE CLEANERS (7 OF THEM) HAD COME ON BOARD IN THE AFT DOORS MAKING THE PROB WORSE. I SPOKE WITH THE RAMP SUPVR AND INFORMED HIM HOW DANGEROUS THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN. HE RESPONDED WITH A PROMISE TO CORRECT THE PROB. I'M CONCERNED SOMEONE COULD GET HURT, WE COULD SEVERELY DAMAGE AN ACFT AS WELL AS OUR REPUTATION WITH AN AIRBUS SITTING AT THE GATE WITH IT ON ITS TAIL.

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.

An A320 parked on gate with passenger deplaning was tail low and was lowering on to a lavatory truck. Several procedures were violated in this incident.