Narrative:

Upon beginning pushback; tug driver informed me that they had added 14 bags to the aircraft. These added bags; amounting to 450 pounds were not in the weight and balance or in our ACARS requested takeoff performance data. I stopped the push and requested that an accurate weight and balance with accurate bag count be provided. Pushed at XA48Z; 13 mins late. Accurate ACARS data was obtained before takeoff. It was apparent from the ramp personnel's attitude that they just expected me to accept the addition of 14 bags -- 450 pounds of weight and press on. This happens all too often. We get additional bags added by ramp just before or after pushback. I have no idea if these bags are included in our weight and balance; and the flight crew is usually left in the dark. If these late bags are not in our paperwork; our weight and balance and takeoff performance data are invalid. We do not have the same leeway with ACARS that existed with manual/paper weight and balance. Ramp personnel need to be reminded of the necessity of providing accurate bag data in a timely fashion. Flight crew cause/narrative: time pressure induced ramp personnel to just add bags without telling me or amending required weight and balance. The only reason I even knew about the 14 extra bags was the tow driver let it slip during pushback that they had added the bags. 'On time; on time; on time' is the most important thing. Well guess what -- no it's not when my aircraft performance is involved. We must have better communication between flight deck and ramp personnel regarding bag loading. I shudder to think how many of our aircraft are departing with added weight that our flight crews know nothing about and have not been accounted for in weight and balance; center of gravity; and takeoff performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPTAIN REPORTS GND PERSONNEL ARE ADDING BAGS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK AND FLT CREW IS UNAWARE WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN COMPUTED IN THEIR WEIGHT AND BALANCE NUMBERS FOR TKOF PERFORMANCE.

Narrative: UPON BEGINNING PUSHBACK; TUG DRIVER INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD ADDED 14 BAGS TO THE ACFT. THESE ADDED BAGS; AMOUNTING TO 450 LBS WERE NOT IN THE WT AND BAL OR IN OUR ACARS REQUESTED TKOF PERFORMANCE DATA. I STOPPED THE PUSH AND REQUESTED THAT AN ACCURATE WT AND BAL WITH ACCURATE BAG COUNT BE PROVIDED. PUSHED AT XA48Z; 13 MINS LATE. ACCURATE ACARS DATA WAS OBTAINED BEFORE TKOF. IT WAS APPARENT FROM THE RAMP PERSONNEL'S ATTITUDE THAT THEY JUST EXPECTED ME TO ACCEPT THE ADDITION OF 14 BAGS -- 450 LBS OF WT AND PRESS ON. THIS HAPPENS ALL TOO OFTEN. WE GET ADDITIONAL BAGS ADDED BY RAMP JUST BEFORE OR AFTER PUSHBACK. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THESE BAGS ARE INCLUDED IN OUR WT AND BAL; AND THE FLT CREW IS USUALLY LEFT IN THE DARK. IF THESE LATE BAGS ARE NOT IN OUR PAPERWORK; OUR WT AND BAL AND TKOF PERFORMANCE DATA ARE INVALID. WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME LEEWAY WITH ACARS THAT EXISTED WITH MANUAL/PAPER WT AND BAL. RAMP PERSONNEL NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE NECESSITY OF PROVIDING ACCURATE BAG DATA IN A TIMELY FASHION. FLT CREW CAUSE/NARRATIVE: TIME PRESSURE INDUCED RAMP PERSONNEL TO JUST ADD BAGS WITHOUT TELLING ME OR AMENDING REQUIRED WT AND BAL. THE ONLY REASON I EVEN KNEW ABOUT THE 14 EXTRA BAGS WAS THE TOW DRIVER LET IT SLIP DURING PUSHBACK THAT THEY HAD ADDED THE BAGS. 'ON TIME; ON TIME; ON TIME' IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. WELL GUESS WHAT -- NO IT'S NOT WHEN MY ACFT PERFORMANCE IS INVOLVED. WE MUST HAVE BETTER COM BTWN FLT DECK AND RAMP PERSONNEL REGARDING BAG LOADING. I SHUDDER TO THINK HOW MANY OF OUR ACFT ARE DEPARTING WITH ADDED WT THAT OUR FLT CREWS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT AND HAVE NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR IN WT AND BAL; CTR OF GRAVITY; AND TKOF PERFORMANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.