Narrative:

We requested 100 pounds of ballast in cargo 4 to ensure compliance with center of gravity limitations. The manager on duty was very uncooperative and would not try to find any ballast until directed to by higher authority/authorized. Ballast was found and a load sheet was provided to the flight crew which stated 190 pounds was loaded in C4. The station's delay comments later stated: '2 printers and 2 monitors loaded on aircraft.' this would not have been close to 190 pounds or even the 100 pounds that we requested. I believe the station loaded a token ballast of approximately 50 pounds but then told us they had loaded 190 pounds so that we would depart. If this conclusion is correct; the station deliberately compromised safety in two ways. First; allowed the aircraft to depart without compliance with weight and balance requirements. Second; it caused the flight crew to believe the aircraft was in a certain weight and balance configuration when it was actually in another. Although the crew did not experience any controllability problems; the possibility that an operational man falsify a load sheet to trick a flight crew operating an aircraft in a configuration that the PIC felt was not within limits is cause for very serious concern.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR FLT CREW BELIEVES GND PERSONNEL FALSIFIED DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE BOARDING OF BALLAST WT REQUIRED TO MEET WT AND BALANCE CONSIDERATIONS.

Narrative: WE REQUESTED 100 LBS OF BALLAST IN CARGO 4 TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITATIONS. THE MGR ON DUTY WAS VERY UNCOOPERATIVE AND WOULD NOT TRY TO FIND ANY BALLAST UNTIL DIRECTED TO BY HIGHER AUTH. BALLAST WAS FOUND AND A LOAD SHEET WAS PROVIDED TO THE FLT CREW WHICH STATED 190 LBS WAS LOADED IN C4. THE STATION'S DELAY COMMENTS LATER STATED: '2 PRINTERS AND 2 MONITORS LOADED ON ACFT.' THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO 190 LBS OR EVEN THE 100 LBS THAT WE REQUESTED. I BELIEVE THE STATION LOADED A TOKEN BALLAST OF APPROX 50 LBS BUT THEN TOLD US THEY HAD LOADED 190 LBS SO THAT WE WOULD DEPART. IF THIS CONCLUSION IS CORRECT; THE STATION DELIBERATELY COMPROMISED SAFETY IN TWO WAYS. FIRST; ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DEPART WITHOUT COMPLIANCE WITH WT AND BALANCE REQUIREMENTS. SECOND; IT CAUSED THE FLT CREW TO BELIEVE THE ACFT WAS IN A CERTAIN WT AND BAL CONFIGURATION WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY IN ANOTHER. ALTHOUGH THE CREW DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY CONTROLLABILITY PROBS; THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN OPERATIONAL MAN FALSIFY A LOAD SHEET TO TRICK A FLT CREW OPERATING AN ACFT IN A CONFIGURATION THAT THE PIC FELT WAS NOT WITHIN LIMITS IS CAUSE FOR VERY SERIOUS CONCERN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.