A320 first officer reports adverse loading procedures causing a potential problem.

Attributes
ACN	690660
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
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 : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	690660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Upon arrival at gate; we shut down engines and began to deplane. Approximately 2 mins into deplaning; 2 ECAM messages displayed. Left/G shock absorbers fault and rudder travel limit fault. Shortly thereafter; a ramp worker came to the cabin door to ask the flight attendants to discontinue deplaning the passenger. A few mins later; both ECAM messages cleared. I subsequently spoke with the ramp lead who advised me that after opening the aft cargo door; he observed the aircraft shift tail down. He then directed one ramp worker to go to 1L to stop deplaning and 2 more to quickly load the 700 pounds of outbound mail in the forward pit. His quick thinking possibly prevented a very bad situation from occurring. He told me that the correct way to load the pits is to put approximately 2/3 of the weight in the aft pit and the remaining 1/3 in the forward pit. This aircraft had been loaded with 14 bags in the forward pit and 168 bags and 2000 pounds of mail in the aft pit. I would like to thank the ramp lead for being on-the-ball and taking quick; effective action. Please review this report and ramp guidelines on cargo loading to ensure that we are safely dispatched. Ramp supervisors were advised and told me that the bags should not have been loaded in the manner that they were.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FO RPTS ADVERSE LOADING PROCS CAUSING A POTENTIAL PROB.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT GATE; WE SHUT DOWN ENGS AND BEGAN TO DEPLANE. APPROX 2 MINS INTO DEPLANING; 2 ECAM MESSAGES DISPLAYED. L/G SHOCK ABSORBERS FAULT AND RUDDER TRAVEL LIMIT FAULT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; A RAMP WORKER CAME TO THE CABIN DOOR TO ASK THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DISCONTINUE DEPLANING THE PAX. A FEW MINS LATER; BOTH ECAM MESSAGES CLRED. I SUBSEQUENTLY SPOKE WITH THE RAMP LEAD WHO ADVISED ME THAT AFTER OPENING THE AFT CARGO DOOR; HE OBSERVED THE ACFT SHIFT TAIL DOWN. HE THEN DIRECTED ONE RAMP WORKER TO GO TO 1L TO STOP DEPLANING AND 2 MORE TO QUICKLY LOAD THE 700 LBS OF OUTBOUND MAIL IN THE FORWARD PIT. HIS QUICK THINKING POSSIBLY PREVENTED A VERY BAD SITUATION FROM OCCURRING. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CORRECT WAY TO LOAD THE PITS IS TO PUT APPROX 2/3 OF THE WT IN THE AFT PIT AND THE REMAINING 1/3 IN THE FORWARD PIT. THIS ACFT HAD BEEN LOADED WITH 14 BAGS IN THE FORWARD PIT AND 168 BAGS AND 2000 LBS OF MAIL IN THE AFT PIT. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE RAMP LEAD FOR BEING ON-THE-BALL AND TAKING QUICK; EFFECTIVE ACTION. PLEASE REVIEW THIS RPT AND RAMP GUIDELINES ON CARGO LOADING TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE SAFELY DISPATCHED. RAMP SUPVRS WERE ADVISED AND TOLD ME THAT THE BAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LOADED IN THE MANNER THAT THEY WERE.

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.