Narrative:

The flight in question was a return flight to the original point of departure, using the same aircraft. The flight down seemed normal in all respects. Upon preflting the aircraft for the return flight, it was noted that the nose strut was somewhat extended, but not alarmingly so. This observation took place before fueling and loading took place and was accordingly discounted somewhat. When final loading was finished, the aircraft weight and balance form was examined and trim was found to be within normal limits. At this point, any lingering concerns about the nose strut extension were put to rest, as it seemed that the aircraft was loaded normally and, therefore, assumed that the center of gravity was correct. The flight was normal and control responses and feel were within normal ranges. Absolutely nothing outside of the ordinary was noticed by the flight crew. After all passenger were deplaned and I was inside the terminal, the first officer, who stayed behind, mentioned to me that he noticed several indications that the nose had left the ground. I immediately ran back to the aircraft, called maintenance and summoned a mechanic. The mechanic who showed up said that the nose was indeed off the ground and that he had noticed it on taxi in and had, of his own volition, called the load desk for a load audit! None of this information had been passed on to me! The potential for disaster in this particular event is obvious.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT CREW NOTES AN EXCESSIVE NOSE GEAR EXTENSION ON PREFLT BUT DISCOUNTS ANY SUSPICIONS THAT THE ACFT WAS TOO TAIL HVY PRIOR TO LOADING. NOSE GEAR LEFT THE SURFACE OF RWY AND TXWY DURING FLT'S RETURN TO ATL.

Narrative: THE FLT IN QUESTION WAS A RETURN FLT TO THE ORIGINAL POINT OF DEP, USING THE SAME ACFT. THE FLT DOWN SEEMED NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS. UPON PREFLTING THE ACFT FOR THE RETURN FLT, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NOSE STRUT WAS SOMEWHAT EXTENDED, BUT NOT ALARMINGLY SO. THIS OBSERVATION TOOK PLACE BEFORE FUELING AND LOADING TOOK PLACE AND WAS ACCORDINGLY DISCOUNTED SOMEWHAT. WHEN FINAL LOADING WAS FINISHED, THE ACFT WT AND BAL FORM WAS EXAMINED AND TRIM WAS FOUND TO BE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS. AT THIS POINT, ANY LINGERING CONCERNS ABOUT THE NOSE STRUT EXTENSION WERE PUT TO REST, AS IT SEEMED THAT THE ACFT WAS LOADED NORMALLY AND, THEREFORE, ASSUMED THAT THE CTR OF GRAVITY WAS CORRECT. THE FLT WAS NORMAL AND CTL RESPONSES AND FEEL WERE WITHIN NORMAL RANGES. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OUTSIDE OF THE ORDINARY WAS NOTICED BY THE FLT CREW. AFTER ALL PAX WERE DEPLANED AND I WAS INSIDE THE TERMINAL, THE FO, WHO STAYED BEHIND, MENTIONED TO ME THAT HE NOTICED SEVERAL INDICATIONS THAT THE NOSE HAD LEFT THE GND. I IMMEDIATELY RAN BACK TO THE ACFT, CALLED MAINT AND SUMMONED A MECH. THE MECH WHO SHOWED UP SAID THAT THE NOSE WAS INDEED OFF THE GND AND THAT HE HAD NOTICED IT ON TAXI IN AND HAD, OF HIS OWN VOLITION, CALLED THE LOAD DESK FOR A LOAD AUDIT! NONE OF THIS INFO HAD BEEN PASSED ON TO ME! THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IN THIS PARTICULAR EVENT IS OBVIOUS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.