CAPT FOR REGIONAL AIRLINE AVERS THAT STANDARD WT ALLOWANCES FOR PAX BAGGAGE IS INADEQUATE. ALLEGES MANY AND MOST BAGS EXCEED ALLOWABLE AND DEFINITION OF 'HVY' BAGS IS BASED ON BAG SHAPE RATHER THAN ACTUAL WT.

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FLT FROM SCE TO ZZZ IN AN SF340. I HELPED LOAD BAGS BECAUSE THE STATION IN SCE WAS SHORT OF HELP. MANY OF THE BAGS (APPROX 10 BAGS OR MORE) WERE HEAVIER THAN STANDARD WT. STANDARD WT IS 28 LBS; HVY BAGS ARE 48 PLUS LBS. I WOULD APPROX THAT AT LEAST 5 OF THE BAGS WERE 75 PLUS LBS. OUR COMPANY POLICY SAYS THAT IF THE BAGS DON'T LOOK LIKE THE BAGS PICTURED ON THE BAG CARD (CLASSIFIED AS HVY); THEN THEY ARE STANDARD WTS. BECAUSE THE HVY BAGS DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THE ONES PICTURED; THE RAMP PERSONNEL ONLY PUT DOWN ONE AS HVY; ON THE BAG CARD. WE ONLY HAD 28 PEOPLE (POSSIBLE 34); AND THE WT AND BAL WAS WITHIN LIMITS; SO WE DEPARTED. ON MANY OCCASIONS WHEN WE ARE FULL OF PEOPLE AND BAGS; I KNOW WE ARE OVERWT BECAUSE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS I HAVE ONLY SEEN A BAG LISTED AS HVY; 48 PLUS LBS; ONLY TWICE. I HAVE LEFT MESSAGES WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF SAFETY ABOUT THIS A FEW TIMES AND HAVE TALKED TO OUR CHIEF PLT A COUPLE TIMES ABOUT THE SAME ISSUES. HE HAS TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A FUDGE FACTOR WITH THE AIRPLANE AND THE STANDARD WTS; WHICH WILL COMPENSATE FOR THE HVY BAGS; AND THAT THE PROGRAM IS APPROVED BY THE FAA; SO THAT I SHOULD JUST ACCEPT IT. I JUST WONDER HOW LONG BEFORE WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT WITH THE CURRENT POLICY. HOW COULD THE FAA APPROVE SUCH A LAX PROGRAM IN SUCH A SAFETY CRITICAL AREA. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO SAY A BAG ISN'T HVY WHEN IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME SHAPE AS ONE IN THE PICTURES ON THE BAG CARD. I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THIS; BUT MAYBE IF YOU CAN'T; YOU COULD GIVE ME THE NAME OF SOMEONE WHO CAN. I JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER ACCIDENT LIKE THE BE1900 IN N CAROLINA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST'S DISCUSSION WITH THIS RPTR ELICITED NO NEW INFO ON THE INCIDENT. HE REITERATED HIS CONCERNS AND SAID HE WAS CONTEMPLATING CONTACTING THE FAA HOTLINE.