Narrative:

Juneau FSDO was notified of an alleged over gross and aft loaded condition on flight from hoonah to juneau. Loaded aircraft was observed resting on its tail skid at the hoonah airport as the engine was started. As aircraft taxied downwind for takeoff nosewheel was observed to lift off the ground slightly for short periods, takeoff and climb out were normal. This aircraft was under gross by over 100 pounds and within acceptable cg range. Copies of load manifest and weight and balance profile are offered as proof of this statement. While an aircraft of this type looks unsafe in a tail down attitude, it is possible for it to assume this position at a legal weight and an acceptable center of gravity. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter says only error he made was parking aircraft with tail into wind. Aircraft loaded and pilot last to get in. As he did tail settled when gust of wind, 10-15 KTS, hit elevators which were in the down position. Agent held tail up until pilot started engine at which time act assumed 3 point position. On taxi downwind gusts again caused tail to descend and rise as gusts continued. Upon landing director of operations told reporter that FSDO had called with comments of observer at airport. Immediately did computer print of weight and balance and relayed figures to FSDO rep who said, 'no problem, it's a dead issue.' reporter states many places where they pick up have no agent so pilot does estimate of load. He does carry a small scale in case he has to convince a pas that something must be left behind. Feels report made to FSDO by a competitor at airport.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALLEGED OVER GROSS, AFT LOAD TKOF.

Narrative: JUNEAU FSDO WAS NOTIFIED OF AN ALLEGED OVER GROSS AND AFT LOADED CONDITION ON FLT FROM HOONAH TO JUNEAU. LOADED ACFT WAS OBSERVED RESTING ON ITS TAIL SKID AT THE HOONAH ARPT AS THE ENG WAS STARTED. AS ACFT TAXIED DOWNWIND FOR TKOF NOSEWHEEL WAS OBSERVED TO LIFT OFF THE GND SLIGHTLY FOR SHORT PERIODS, TKOF AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. THIS ACFT WAS UNDER GROSS BY OVER 100 LBS AND WITHIN ACCEPTABLE CG RANGE. COPIES OF LOAD MANIFEST AND WT AND BAL PROFILE ARE OFFERED AS PROOF OF THIS STATEMENT. WHILE AN ACFT OF THIS TYPE LOOKS UNSAFE IN A TAIL DOWN ATTITUDE, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR IT TO ASSUME THIS POS AT A LEGAL WT AND AN ACCEPTABLE CENTER OF GRAVITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAYS ONLY ERROR HE MADE WAS PARKING ACFT WITH TAIL INTO WIND. ACFT LOADED AND PLT LAST TO GET IN. AS HE DID TAIL SETTLED WHEN GUST OF WIND, 10-15 KTS, HIT ELEVATORS WHICH WERE IN THE DOWN POS. AGENT HELD TAIL UP UNTIL PLT STARTED ENG AT WHICH TIME ACT ASSUMED 3 POINT POS. ON TAXI DOWNWIND GUSTS AGAIN CAUSED TAIL TO DSND AND RISE AS GUSTS CONTINUED. UPON LNDG DIRECTOR OF OPS TOLD RPTR THAT FSDO HAD CALLED WITH COMMENTS OF OBSERVER AT ARPT. IMMEDIATELY DID COMPUTER PRINT OF WT AND BAL AND RELAYED FIGURES TO FSDO REP WHO SAID, 'NO PROB, IT'S A DEAD ISSUE.' RPTR STATES MANY PLACES WHERE THEY PICK UP HAVE NO AGENT SO PLT DOES ESTIMATE OF LOAD. HE DOES CARRY A SMALL SCALE IN CASE HE HAS TO CONVINCE A PAS THAT SOMETHING MUST BE LEFT BEHIND. FEELS RPT MADE TO FSDO BY A COMPETITOR AT ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.