AN MD80 FLT CREW NOTICED RAMPERS WERE LOADING CARGO TO THE CEILING IN THEIR CARGO BAYS.

Narrative

UPON COMPLETION OF BEFORE START CHKLIST FO RPTED TO ME THAT ON WALKAROUND OF ACFT HE OBSERVED THE RAMP LOAD SEVERAL BOXES OF FREIGHT CLR TO THE CEILING OF THE MID CARGO COMPARTMENT AND THAT THEY WERE JUST STARTING TO LOAD THE FORWARD COMPARTMENT WITH MORE OF THE SAME TYPE OF FREIGHT. HE INSTRUCTED THEM TO REMOVE THE BOXES THAT WERE TOUCHING THE CEILING. THE RAMP SAID THEY WOULD COMPLY. ON PUSHBACK WE RECEIVED OUR NUMBERS AND THE ACTUAL WT WAS VERY CLOSE TO OUR RELEASE WT WHICH PROMPTED US TO ASK OPS IF ANY OF THE FREIGHT HAD BEEN REMOVED TO WHICH THEY REPLIED NEGATIVE. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND FOUND BOTH THE FORWARD AND MID COMPARTMENTS FULL TO THE CEILING-JAMMED IN THERE; WITH THE FREIGHT THAT THE RAMP SAID THEY WOULD REMOVE. IT IS A GOOD THING THAT 2 FAA FSDO INSPECTORS SHOWED UP TO HELP DOCUMENT THE SITUATION. MORE RAMP TRAINING WITH EMPHASIS ON WHAT THAT BIG RED PLACARD IN THE CARGO HOLDS MEAN AND WHY THE PLACARDS ARE THERE. PLACING A PLACARD ON THE CEILING OF THE CARGO COMPARTMENTS MAY HELP.