An MD80 flight crew noticed rampers were loading cargo to the ceiling in their cargo bays.

Attributes
ACN	715722
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	715722
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Upon completion of before start checklist first officer reported to me that on walkaround of aircraft he observed the ramp load several boxes of freight clear 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 weight was very close to our release weight which prompted us to ask operations 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.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 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.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.