Narrative:

Departure delay due to containers improperly loaded in aft cargo. Station operations did not take any initiative to notify the cockpit as this delay developed. When the scheduled departure time elapsed; captain contacted operations and received an abbreviated explanation to the effect; '...unable to latch a container into place.' this immediately raised red flags regarding the possibility of payload shifting during rotation. Captain queried operations if maintenance had been notified. Operations then expanded explanation to include that a pallet was extending into the position of the adjacent container which prevented the container from being latched into place. Eventually all or some of the 4 containers and the pallet were off-loaded and re-loaded in the necessary order. Apparently there was never a mechanical problem with the cargo system according to the re-stated explanation from operations. Flight departed 27 mins late and aircraft handling and performance during rotation and climb out were normal. Here are my concerns: 1) safety -- what assurance is there that these containers will not shift in-flight? According to dispatch there are 19 position in the aft cargo. According to kona station operations two of those position; 27 and 28; were empty. This implies to me that there is room for these containers/pallets to shift in-flight. What procedures or mechanisms are in place to prevent a potentially catastrophic cargo shift if cargo container(south) were not latched in place properly or the latching mechanism failed?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 PLT DURING PREFLT IS NOTIFIED THAT THE CARGO CONTAINERS ARE NOT LATCHED PROPERLY AND HE IS CONCERNED THAT THEY MAY SHIFT INFLT.

Narrative: DEP DELAY DUE TO CONTAINERS IMPROPERLY LOADED IN AFT CARGO. STATION OPS DID NOT TAKE ANY INITIATIVE TO NOTIFY THE COCKPIT AS THIS DELAY DEVELOPED. WHEN THE SCHEDULED DEP TIME ELAPSED; CAPT CONTACTED OPS AND RECEIVED AN ABBREVIATED EXPLANATION TO THE EFFECT; '...UNABLE TO LATCH A CONTAINER INTO PLACE.' THIS IMMEDIATELY RAISED RED FLAGS REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF PAYLOAD SHIFTING DURING ROTATION. CAPT QUERIED OPS IF MAINT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. OPS THEN EXPANDED EXPLANATION TO INCLUDE THAT A PALLET WAS EXTENDING INTO THE POS OF THE ADJACENT CONTAINER WHICH PREVENTED THE CONTAINER FROM BEING LATCHED INTO PLACE. EVENTUALLY ALL OR SOME OF THE 4 CONTAINERS AND THE PALLET WERE OFF-LOADED AND RE-LOADED IN THE NECESSARY ORDER. APPARENTLY THERE WAS NEVER A MECHANICAL PROB WITH THE CARGO SYS ACCORDING TO THE RE-STATED EXPLANATION FROM OPS. FLT DEPARTED 27 MINS LATE AND ACFT HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE DURING ROTATION AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. HERE ARE MY CONCERNS: 1) SAFETY -- WHAT ASSURANCE IS THERE THAT THESE CONTAINERS WILL NOT SHIFT INFLT? ACCORDING TO DISPATCH THERE ARE 19 POS IN THE AFT CARGO. ACCORDING TO KONA STATION OPS TWO OF THOSE POS; 27 AND 28; WERE EMPTY. THIS IMPLIES TO ME THAT THERE IS ROOM FOR THESE CONTAINERS/PALLETS TO SHIFT INFLT. WHAT PROCS OR MECHANISMS ARE IN PLACE TO PREVENT A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CARGO SHIFT IF CARGO CONTAINER(S) WERE NOT LATCHED IN PLACE PROPERLY OR THE LATCHING MECHANISM FAILED?

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.