Narrative:

The following is a narrative description of improper loading of an A320 resulting in center of gravity being out of limits and return to gate to redistribute cargo. Background: equipment substitution at station abc from a 2-CLASS B757 to a single class A320 aircraft in an effort to minimize impact on passenger ticketed for economy. First class passenger were transported by bus across town and accommodated on B757 aircraft. While ground personnel at abc were familiar with loading 2-CLASS B757 and 2-CLASS A320 aircraft; they were not accustomed to loading a single class A320 aircraft; and were unaware of the tendency to be near the forward center of gravity limit when fully loaded with passenger. Detailed description of event: our aircraft was planned for a late turn at abc; due to late departure from the up-line station for a passenger with special needs. An additional delay occurred during the turn at abc when that same passenger had difficulty deplaning. All employees at abc felt time pressure with each additional minute of delay; as numerous passenger were trying to make connections; many of them international. Passenger loading was completed very quickly; and an additional delay ensued while waiting for the cargo to be loaded. With edct time looming; the last cargo door was closed and a normal pushback; engine start; and taxi followed. Abc was departing sbound; which meant a long taxi. During taxi; several communications between the flight crew and station operations; as well as central load planning were made via ACARS and radio to ascertain a 'kid count.' the flight crew was led to believe that the aircraft was near its zero fuel weight limit. Upon reaching the departure runway; just as the flight crew was preparing to notify ATC that the flight was still awaiting final weights; an ACARS message was received; instructing the flight to return to the gate; due to the center of gravity being out of limits. A prolonged taxi to return to a hard stand resulted in fuel depletion below cleared fuel.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SINGLE CLASS A 320 WAS FREIGHT LOADED AS IF IT WERE A 2 CLASS A 320 RESULTING IN AN ERRONEOUS CG. ACFT RETURNED TO GATE PRIOR TO TKOF.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS A NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF IMPROPER LOADING OF AN A320 RESULTING IN CTR OF GRAVITY BEING OUT OF LIMITS AND RETURN TO GATE TO REDISTRIBUTE CARGO. BACKGROUND: EQUIP SUBSTITUTION AT STATION ABC FROM A 2-CLASS B757 TO A SINGLE CLASS A320 ACFT IN AN EFFORT TO MINIMIZE IMPACT ON PAX TICKETED FOR ECONOMY. FIRST CLASS PAX WERE TRANSPORTED BY BUS ACROSS TOWN AND ACCOMMODATED ON B757 ACFT. WHILE GND PERSONNEL AT ABC WERE FAMILIAR WITH LOADING 2-CLASS B757 AND 2-CLASS A320 ACFT; THEY WERE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO LOADING A SINGLE CLASS A320 ACFT; AND WERE UNAWARE OF THE TENDENCY TO BE NEAR THE FORWARD CTR OF GRAVITY LIMIT WHEN FULLY LOADED WITH PAX. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EVENT: OUR ACFT WAS PLANNED FOR A LATE TURN AT ABC; DUE TO LATE DEP FROM THE UP-LINE STATION FOR A PAX WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. AN ADDITIONAL DELAY OCCURRED DURING THE TURN AT ABC WHEN THAT SAME PAX HAD DIFFICULTY DEPLANING. ALL EMPLOYEES AT ABC FELT TIME PRESSURE WITH EACH ADDITIONAL MINUTE OF DELAY; AS NUMEROUS PAX WERE TRYING TO MAKE CONNECTIONS; MANY OF THEM INTL. PAX LOADING WAS COMPLETED VERY QUICKLY; AND AN ADDITIONAL DELAY ENSUED WHILE WAITING FOR THE CARGO TO BE LOADED. WITH EDCT TIME LOOMING; THE LAST CARGO DOOR WAS CLOSED AND A NORMAL PUSHBACK; ENG START; AND TAXI FOLLOWED. ABC WAS DEPARTING SBOUND; WHICH MEANT A LONG TAXI. DURING TAXI; SEVERAL COMS BTWN THE FLT CREW AND STATION OPS; AS WELL AS CENTRAL LOAD PLANNING WERE MADE VIA ACARS AND RADIO TO ASCERTAIN A 'KID COUNT.' THE FLT CREW WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE ACFT WAS NEAR ITS ZERO FUEL WT LIMIT. UPON REACHING THE DEP RWY; JUST AS THE FLT CREW WAS PREPARING TO NOTIFY ATC THAT THE FLT WAS STILL AWAITING FINAL WTS; AN ACARS MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED; INSTRUCTING THE FLT TO RETURN TO THE GATE; DUE TO THE CTR OF GRAVITY BEING OUT OF LIMITS. A PROLONGED TAXI TO RETURN TO A HARD STAND RESULTED IN FUEL DEPLETION BELOW CLRED FUEL.

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.