Narrative:

We arrived ZZZ and when I returned to the aircraft after receiving paperwork; we were informed by 2 ramp leads that we had carried 72 bags to ZZZ that were not on the paperwork or figured into weight and balance. I called the company and dispatch had heard the report but thought it to be a different aircraft. They were correct; they had not been figured into weight and balance or put on load sheet. We would now have to carry them to ZZZ1 to get back into the system. The bags were taken to ZZZ1 without the owners on board. The owners of the bags were not on our flight but elsewhere in the system. We need accountability for all bags for weight and balance purposes. This could have a devastating effect on performance if an aircraft is overloaded or out of weight and balance limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW WAS INFORMED AFTER ARRIVAL THAT THEY HAD 72 BAGS IN CARGO PIT THAT HAD NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR IN WT AND BALANCE.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED ZZZ AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ACFT AFTER RECEIVING PAPERWORK; WE WERE INFORMED BY 2 RAMP LEADS THAT WE HAD CARRIED 72 BAGS TO ZZZ THAT WERE NOT ON THE PAPERWORK OR FIGURED INTO WT AND BAL. I CALLED THE COMPANY AND DISPATCH HAD HEARD THE RPT BUT THOUGHT IT TO BE A DIFFERENT ACFT. THEY WERE CORRECT; THEY HAD NOT BEEN FIGURED INTO WT AND BAL OR PUT ON LOAD SHEET. WE WOULD NOW HAVE TO CARRY THEM TO ZZZ1 TO GET BACK INTO THE SYS. THE BAGS WERE TAKEN TO ZZZ1 WITHOUT THE OWNERS ON BOARD. THE OWNERS OF THE BAGS WERE NOT ON OUR FLT BUT ELSEWHERE IN THE SYS. WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL BAGS FOR WT AND BAL PURPOSES. THIS COULD HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE IF AN ACFT IS OVERLOADED OR OUT OF WT AND BAL LIMITS.

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.