Unsecured Cargo

One of the things primary students learn early during their ground-school training-perhaps before they ever get into an airplane-is that the items loaded into it can weigh no more than a certain amount, and have to go in certain places. Overloading the aircraft, and/or placing heavy items far from its nominal center of gravity, is bad, theyre told. Somewhere along the way, it might also be explained that those items need to be secured. But the common way we load airplanes-especially those in which the passenger cabin and the cockpit are the same space-is to throw some soft-sided luggage in the baggage compartment, maybe throw some heavy things in the back seats or the floorboard behind the front seats, and light the fires. Little thought usually is given to whether those items should be secured, or how. Thats in sharp contrast to how we treat the passengers.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Thursday, June 16, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Airlines around the world have activated mitigation strategies in a constantly changing environment brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic. Pixabay

Key Takeaways:

The article emphasizes that pilots frequently neglect to secure items in aircraft, despite ground-school training on weight, balance, and the necessity of securing cargo.
A fatal accident involving a Piper Saratoga II TC occurred because unsecured and overloaded porcelain tiles shifted during a go-around attempt.
The shifting cargo caused the aircraft's center of gravity to exceed its aft limit, leading to an aerodynamic stall and crash, highlighting the severe consequences of improper cargo management and preflight inspection.

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One of the things primary students learn early during their ground-school training—perhaps before they ever get into an airplane—is that the items loaded into it can weigh no more than a certain amount, and have to go in certain places. Overloading the aircraft, and/or placing heavy items far from its nominal center of gravity, is bad, they’re told. Somewhere along the way, it might also be explained that those items need to be secured.

But the common way we load airplanes—especially those in which the passenger cabin and the cockpit are the same space—is to throw some soft-sided luggage in the baggage compartment, maybe throw some heavy things in the back seats or the floorboard behind the front seats, and light the fires. Little thought usually is given to whether those items should be secured, or how. That’s in sharp contrast to how we treat the passengers.