A300-200: dangerously loaded luggage?
Discussion
Arrived at Gatwick this morning on fight VS98. (Named ‘Strawberry Fields’.) We began to disembark as normal, then unexpectedly the head stewardess told us to walk towards the front of the aircraft. She repeated this with increasing urgency in her voice, telling us to hurry, and take any availability seat or standing room. Once we were all huddled together in the section of the aeroplane which I don’t normally get to visit, she explained what was going on.
Apparently all the luggage had been loaded at the rear. As passengers at the front left the aircraft, ground crew noticed it was tipping backwards. Not enough for us to notice, but it was causing concern. So they wanted to balance the weight by using us as ballast (she actually used that word).
After a few minutes we were allowed to leave as normal. Presumably they’d moved the luggage around, or were removing it. I didn’t find out.
She apologised profusely, saying she’d not experienced anything like it in 30 years with Virgin.
It wasn’t a worrying incident, but I thought you guys might be interested.
Just to add a bit of colour, this is us boarding in St. Lucia.
Apparently all the luggage had been loaded at the rear. As passengers at the front left the aircraft, ground crew noticed it was tipping backwards. Not enough for us to notice, but it was causing concern. So they wanted to balance the weight by using us as ballast (she actually used that word).
After a few minutes we were allowed to leave as normal. Presumably they’d moved the luggage around, or were removing it. I didn’t find out.
She apologised profusely, saying she’d not experienced anything like it in 30 years with Virgin.
It wasn’t a worrying incident, but I thought you guys might be interested.
Just to add a bit of colour, this is us boarding in St. Lucia.
Unusual for an A330-200; it's more common on the stretched version of the frame, which would be the -300 for the A330, or B737-900 and ATR72. The latter two routinely use tail stands to guard against tipping, particularly in the case of the ATR which loads from the rear door. Also a problem with 747 combis where the rear is full of cargo, so prone to tip as the self-loading-freight leave the front as you describe.
I asked my ex A320 pilot friend about this.
Apparently there was a whole section in the A320 handbook about this
He reckons it might have been correctly loaded at St Lucia, apparently it's better to have a rearward centre of gravity, so you want more in the rear hold.
However, if the front hold was wrongly being emptied first, then the whole thing could have become unbalanced.
Apparently there was a whole section in the A320 handbook about this
He reckons it might have been correctly loaded at St Lucia, apparently it's better to have a rearward centre of gravity, so you want more in the rear hold.
However, if the front hold was wrongly being emptied first, then the whole thing could have become unbalanced.
Unusual to see an A330 start to tip, especially the 200. Most likely all the bags and cargo was loaded in the aft and on arrival they couldn't strip it fast enough. Passengers leave from the front so eventually you will have a plane full of people behind the wings, with none in front, team that with an almost full rear hold and it has the potential to fall over.
The new A320 neo and ceo are so terrible for tail tipping that we cannot offload the front cargo holds until all the passengers are off. I have seen one start to let go, even with the front hold being left loaded while disembarking. It was a very worrying sight to see the suspension on the nose gear start to slowly extend, thankfully it didn't tip!
Tail stands are used on the 737-900s to prevent this problem.
The new A320 neo and ceo are so terrible for tail tipping that we cannot offload the front cargo holds until all the passengers are off. I have seen one start to let go, even with the front hold being left loaded while disembarking. It was a very worrying sight to see the suspension on the nose gear start to slowly extend, thankfully it didn't tip!
Tail stands are used on the 737-900s to prevent this problem.
DDg said:
MB140 said:
Brigand said:
It can happen; take things out in the wrong order (fuel in this case) and you'll end up with this:
Brize norton vc10. I know people who were involved in that particular incident. GT03ROB said:
Fluid said:
Never trim an aircraft with passengers.
Always load the front hold first.
Always unload the rear hold first.
Three simple rules to stop an aircraft tipping.
Strange if it should never be done, I see it not infrequently, usually on lightly loaded Dash 8s or A321sAlways load the front hold first.
Always unload the rear hold first.
Three simple rules to stop an aircraft tipping.
Made me think at the time.
Me also on the Dash 8's.... until I read this thread, I always thought it was a load of cobblers..... you know it being 2018 at the time and thinking I cannot believe a modern aircraft can be that sensitive on balance....
But I stand completely corrected! I'm on a Dash 8 tomorrow .. so I'll pay a bit more attention this time round!
But I stand completely corrected! I'm on a Dash 8 tomorrow .. so I'll pay a bit more attention this time round!
I remember being on a Thomas Cook flight from Faro to Gatwick about 10 years back and just prior to take off the captain asked all passengers to remain in their allocated seats due to weight and balance. Not something I've heard before or since but wasn't concerned..
A couple of days later this was in the news! Must have been the same plane?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/5616...
Cant quite remember the plane but think it was either a 757 or A321.
A couple of days later this was in the news! Must have been the same plane?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/5616...
Cant quite remember the plane but think it was either a 757 or A321.
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