AN EMBRAER 120 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE CTR OF GRAVITY AT ITS EXTREME AFT LIMIT AFFECTING FLT CHARACTERISTICS.

Narrative

THIS HAPPENED TO BE THE FIRST LEG OF THE DAY; AND I WAS (AM) THE FO AND PF. ALL PREPARATIONS; INCLUDING MY PREFLT; WERE NORMAL. OUR CTR OF GRAVITY WAS COMPUTED TO BE NEAR ITS AFT LIMIT. ON THE TKOF ROLL; THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE LIFTED NEARLY BY ITSELF AT VR; INDICATING A VERY AFT CTR OF GRAVITY. THE REMAINDER OF CLB AND CRUISE WERE NORMAL. ON APCH; ALTHOUGH VMC; I WAS STILL USING THE AUTOPLT FOR ILS CAPTURE. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN OSCILLATING IN PITCH IN ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW THE GS; ANOTHER AFT CTR OF GRAVITY INDICATION. THE LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NOT MUCH CTL FORCE NECESSARY FOR FLARE. AT THE GATE; THE CAPT AND I WERE ON FLT DECK AS PAX AND CARGO WERE UNLOADED. WHEN ALL WERE OFF AND I DEPLANED; A RAMPER INQUIRED AS TO HOW THE AIRPLANE FELT. I TOLD HIM THE CTR OF GRAVITY SEEMED AFT; AND HE SAID HE WASN'T SURPRISED AS HE HAD UNLOADED QUITE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT WERE EXTREMELY HVY AND IN EXCESS OF THE STANDARD 25 LBS ALLOTTED. ACR; AT SOME CODESHARE PARTNER STATIONS; DOESN'T USE ITS OWN PERSONNEL BUT THAT OF THE CODESHARE PARTNER. ACCUSTOMED TO BIGGER JETS; THEY COULD PERHAPS BE MORE SENSITIVE TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF AN AFT CARGO BAY. ALSO; THOUGH ONLY POSSIBLE TO A LIMITED DEGREE; AN AWARENESS MORE ON MY PART MAYBE MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE PARTICULAR CARGO IF I WAS OUTSIDE WHEN LOADED.