Narrative:

While doing a postflt walkaround; my first officer saw bags being unloaded from the aft cargo bin. We were told that there were no aft bags and the load manifest showed no bags. In the constant rush to get flts out on time; these forms are too often filled out in advance; they do not include carry-on's or any information on last min bags. In addition; my company has no last min baggage policy. I am not concerned about safety due to weight of these bags; but I am concerned about 2 things; 1) that our paperwork; the load manifest; is inaccurate. 2) we often move passenger forward for balance purposes. This would be aggravated even more if we have aft bags that we do not know about. We would never know that we were out of balance until we were airborne. Once again; the flight crews are being asked to monitor the situation and pick up the slack that has been left by incomplete or inadequate company procedures. The solution to this is to put new company procedures in effect. If any bags are added after the load manifest is filled out; then the ramper must make contact with the flight crew with the new information; either on the interphone or via face-to-face contact. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had discussed this with his air carrier. He is still concerned but holds little hope that anything will change beyond the mechanical wheel used to calculate weight and balance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ERJ PLT COMMENTS THAT HIS ACR RAMP PERSONNEL DO NOT NOTIFY FLT CREWS OF LATE LOADED BAGGAGE AND PAX MOVE FOR LOADING CONSIDERATIONS. THEREFORE; WT AND BAL FIGURES MAY NOT BE ACCURATE.

Narrative: WHILE DOING A POSTFLT WALKAROUND; MY FO SAW BAGS BEING UNLOADED FROM THE AFT CARGO BIN. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO AFT BAGS AND THE LOAD MANIFEST SHOWED NO BAGS. IN THE CONSTANT RUSH TO GET FLTS OUT ON TIME; THESE FORMS ARE TOO OFTEN FILLED OUT IN ADVANCE; THEY DO NOT INCLUDE CARRY-ON'S OR ANY INFO ON LAST MIN BAGS. IN ADDITION; MY COMPANY HAS NO LAST MIN BAGGAGE POLICY. I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY DUE TO WT OF THESE BAGS; BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT 2 THINGS; 1) THAT OUR PAPERWORK; THE LOAD MANIFEST; IS INACCURATE. 2) WE OFTEN MOVE PAX FORWARD FOR BAL PURPOSES. THIS WOULD BE AGGRAVATED EVEN MORE IF WE HAVE AFT BAGS THAT WE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT. WE WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT WE WERE OUT OF BAL UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE. ONCE AGAIN; THE FLT CREWS ARE BEING ASKED TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND PICK UP THE SLACK THAT HAS BEEN LEFT BY INCOMPLETE OR INADEQUATE COMPANY PROCS. THE SOLUTION TO THIS IS TO PUT NEW COMPANY PROCS IN EFFECT. IF ANY BAGS ARE ADDED AFTER THE LOAD MANIFEST IS FILLED OUT; THEN THE RAMPER MUST MAKE CONTACT WITH THE FLT CREW WITH THE NEW INFO; EITHER ON THE INTERPHONE OR VIA FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD DISCUSSED THIS WITH HIS ACR. HE IS STILL CONCERNED BUT HOLDS LITTLE HOPE THAT ANYTHING WILL CHANGE BEYOND THE MECHANICAL WHEEL USED TO CALCULATE WT AND BAL.

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.