AN MDT COMMUTER CREW WAS GIVEN AN ACFT OVER WT AND WITH A FORWARD CENTER OF GRAVITY OUT OF LIMITS.

Date: 1992-08 · Aircraft: Medium Transport; High Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng · Phase: ground

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AN MDT COMMUTER CREW WAS GIVEN AN ACFT OVER WT AND WITH A FORWARD CENTER OF GRAVITY OUT OF LIMITS.

Narrative

WHILE LOADING THE ACFT FOR FLT JFK-PWM; THE BAGGAGE HANDLER INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD 70 BAGS FOR PWM. I INFORMED HER 65 BAGS IS MAX AUTHORIZED IN ANY CASE AND THAT NUMBER MAY NEED TO BE REDUCED IF WE HAD A FULL LOAD OF ADULTS. WE WOUND UP FULL BUT HAD 4 CHILDREN SO WE WERE ABLE TO CARRY 65 BAGS; 42 FORWARD CARGO AND 23 AFT CARGO. DURING THE TKOF ROLL AFTER V1; I WAS NOT ABLE TO ROTATE. I WAITED A COUPLE MORE SECONDS; BUILT SOME MORE AIRSPD AND WAS ABLE TO GET AIRBORNE. WHILE CLBING OUT THE ACFT FELT EXTREMELY NOSE HVY. AFTER LNDG IN PORTLAND WE ASKED THAT THE BAGS BE COUNTED AS THEY WERE OFF LOADED. THERE WERE 59 BAGS IN FORWARD CARGO AND 25 BAGS AFT CARGO. THIS RESULTED IN THE ACFT TAKING OFF WELL OVER THE MAX TKOF WT; AS WELL AS BEING OUT OF CENTER OF GRAVITY. ALTHOUGH I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PHASES OF THE FLT; I MUST DEPEND ON PERSONNEL PERFORMING THEIR JOB ACCURATELY. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR A CAPT TO OVERSEE EVERYTHING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 216977: AFTER TKOF; THE CAPT INFORMED ME THAT THE ACFT FELT EXTREMELY HVY AND AS THOUGH THERE WAS A FORWARD CENTER OF GRAVITY. UPON ARR IN PWM; I ASKED THE BAGGAGE HANDLERS THERE TO COUNT THE BAGS. AFTER UNLOADING THE ACFT; THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WERE 59 BAGS IN THE FORWARD COMPARTMENT AND 25 BAGS IN THE REAR CARGO COMPARTMENT. THIS RESULTED IN A TKOF WT OF 37402 POUNDS; 577 POUNDS OVER THE MAX ALLOWED TKOF GROSS WT. THIS ALSO RESULTED IN THE CENTER OF GRAVITY BEING PAST THE FORWARD LIMIT; RESULTING IN REDUCED CRUISING SPD AND INCREASED FUEL CONSUMPTION.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.