Narrative:

During a flaps 10 degree takeoff; full length; at vr; the aircraft rotated rapidly with almost no back pressure input from me. The aircraft rotated almost immediately to approximately 5 degrees and I applied an abnormal amount of forward pressure to retard rotation until airborne. Once airborne; a significant amount of forward pressure and nose-down trimming was necessary to prevent the aircraft from over-pitching. Once I had applied enough nose-down trim; the aircraft climbed normally. Elevator trim was in the center of the takeoff range during takeoff. Elevator trim indications were about 2 bar widths forward of the takeoff range during the subsequent 5 degree climb at 230 KTS. The captain and I suspected that the cargo was loaded predominantly aft instead of spread evenly between the 2 aft cargo zones. Another possibility was that a significant portion of the normal bags were in fact heavy. After landing; I quickly deplaned to examine the cargo pit prior to bag download. It appeared that virtually all of the normal bags were loaded in the aft zone (upper shelf) of the cargo pit; though it appeared that some had fallen off the stack and landed on top of the carry-outs in the forward zone. I base this assumption on the fact that the bags did not appear stacked -- they were arranged at odd angles with large voids underneath. It appeared that most of the 'other' cargo (cardboard boxes; it appeared) was in the forward zone; along with 2 labeled heavy bags I could see; along with most of the carry-outs. From this examination of the cargo pit; I was satisfied that the takeoff rotation/pitch characteristics of the aircraft was due to the way the cargo was loaded and did not indicated a problem with the aircraft. It is common to see rampers load all or most checked bags on the aft shelf; leaving the front zone of the cargo pit for quick and easy last min loading of carry-out bags. I suspect that is what happened in this case; although I believe our procedures require that the load be equalized between the 2 zones so that the top of the load is level. I'm confident from my observation of the cargo pit after landing that the load in our case was not equally distributed between the 2 zones.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Q400 DEPARTED WITH THE CARGO AND BAGGAGE LOADED AFT SO THAT IMMEDIATE FORWARD TRIM WAS REQUIRED AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: DURING A FLAPS 10 DEG TKOF; FULL LENGTH; AT VR; THE ACFT ROTATED RAPIDLY WITH ALMOST NO BACK PRESSURE INPUT FROM ME. THE ACFT ROTATED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TO APPROX 5 DEGS AND I APPLIED AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF FORWARD PRESSURE TO RETARD ROTATION UNTIL AIRBORNE. ONCE AIRBORNE; A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FORWARD PRESSURE AND NOSE-DOWN TRIMMING WAS NECESSARY TO PREVENT THE ACFT FROM OVER-PITCHING. ONCE I HAD APPLIED ENOUGH NOSE-DOWN TRIM; THE ACFT CLBED NORMALLY. ELEVATOR TRIM WAS IN THE CTR OF THE TKOF RANGE DURING TKOF. ELEVATOR TRIM INDICATIONS WERE ABOUT 2 BAR WIDTHS FORWARD OF THE TKOF RANGE DURING THE SUBSEQUENT 5 DEG CLB AT 230 KTS. THE CAPT AND I SUSPECTED THAT THE CARGO WAS LOADED PREDOMINANTLY AFT INSTEAD OF SPREAD EVENLY BTWN THE 2 AFT CARGO ZONES. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY WAS THAT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE NORMAL BAGS WERE IN FACT HVY. AFTER LNDG; I QUICKLY DEPLANED TO EXAMINE THE CARGO PIT PRIOR TO BAG DOWNLOAD. IT APPEARED THAT VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE NORMAL BAGS WERE LOADED IN THE AFT ZONE (UPPER SHELF) OF THE CARGO PIT; THOUGH IT APPEARED THAT SOME HAD FALLEN OFF THE STACK AND LANDED ON TOP OF THE CARRY-OUTS IN THE FORWARD ZONE. I BASE THIS ASSUMPTION ON THE FACT THAT THE BAGS DID NOT APPEAR STACKED -- THEY WERE ARRANGED AT ODD ANGLES WITH LARGE VOIDS UNDERNEATH. IT APPEARED THAT MOST OF THE 'OTHER' CARGO (CARDBOARD BOXES; IT APPEARED) WAS IN THE FORWARD ZONE; ALONG WITH 2 LABELED HVY BAGS I COULD SEE; ALONG WITH MOST OF THE CARRY-OUTS. FROM THIS EXAM OF THE CARGO PIT; I WAS SATISFIED THAT THE TKOF ROTATION/PITCH CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACFT WAS DUE TO THE WAY THE CARGO WAS LOADED AND DID NOT INDICATED A PROB WITH THE ACFT. IT IS COMMON TO SEE RAMPERS LOAD ALL OR MOST CHKED BAGS ON THE AFT SHELF; LEAVING THE FRONT ZONE OF THE CARGO PIT FOR QUICK AND EASY LAST MIN LOADING OF CARRY-OUT BAGS. I SUSPECT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE; ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE OUR PROCS REQUIRE THAT THE LOAD BE EQUALIZED BTWN THE 2 ZONES SO THAT THE TOP OF THE LOAD IS LEVEL. I'M CONFIDENT FROM MY OBSERVATION OF THE CARGO PIT AFTER LNDG THAT THE LOAD IN OUR CASE WAS NOT EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED BTWN THE 2 ZONES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.