AN ACR ATR72 FLC DEPARTS WITH THE TAILSTAND STILL ATTACHED. THE FLC MADE THE SHORT FLT TO BMI WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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BEFORE LEAVING THE GATE AT PIA I OBSERVED THE TAILSTAND IN THE POSSESSION OF THE RAMP AGENT. OUR 13 MIN FLT TO BMI PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON ARRIVING AT THE BMI GATE I WAS ADVISED BY A RAMP AGENT THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS STILL IN PLACE. I THEN NOTIFIED THE COMPANY MAINT OPS CTL. THE TAILSTAND AND MOUNT WERE INSPECTED AND NO DAMAGE NOTED. MAINT OPS CTL INFORMED ME NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED. I ALSO NOTIFIED MY CHIEF PLT AND SUBMITTED A COMPANY DEBRIEF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ACR ATR72 FLC HAD BEEN REROUTED THROUGH PIA AFTER ANOTHER ACFT WAS DELAYED. THE PIA GND PERSONNEL WERE NOT USED TO HANDLING THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT ALTHOUGH THEY HAD BEEN TRAINED ON IT; THE RPTR SAID. HE SAID THAT WHEN THE RAMP AGENT SHOWED HIM THAT THE TAIL STAND HAD BEEN REMOVED HE THOUGHT THAT THE AGENT WAS GOING TO PUT THE STAND OVER BY SOME OTHER GND EQUIP. LATER; OF COURSE; HE FOUND THAT SOME LAST-MINUTE BAGS HAD ARRIVED AND THE AGENT; FOLLOWING PROC; REINSTALLED THE STAND AND FORGOT IT. THE RPTR SAID THAT THERE WAS NO AERODYNAMIC EFFECT NOTED DURING TKOF; FLT; OR LNDG SINCE THE STAND AND ITS ATTACHMENT IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW IT TO STREAMLINE BEHIND THE ACFT. HE SAID THAT THE STAND WAS SHIPPED BACK TO PIA. THERE WAS NO PUNISHMENT FOR THE FLC AND THE AGENT RECEIVED MINIMAL PUNISHMENT PLUS RETRAINING.