Baggage loading error endangered Aer Lingus flight

Passenger baggage loaded into the incorrect hold of an Aer Lingus plane travelling between Dublin and France could have resulted in serious loss of control, air accident investigators have warned.

Despite the potentially catastrophic outcome of the loading error on July 23, 2015, Aer Lingus Regional/Stobart Air reported 16 more instances over the next two years where luggage was placed in the wrong hold during loading.

The errors occurred at a number of bases and, in almost all cases, were identified by the pilot before take-off, resulting in loads being repositioned.

In five cases, the error occurred more than once and, at one destination, it occurred on four occasions.

Where cargo is positioned in a plane affects the calculation of its centre of gravity.

To fly an aircraft safely, a pilot operates within prescribed centre of gravity boundaries. Aircraft operators must reposition cargo if necessary to stay within the limits.

In the case of the Aer Lingus Dublin-Rennes flight, operated by Stobart Air, the aircraft took off with the centre of gravity outside approved loading limits.

Investigators said operation of an aircraft outside its loading limits can “seriously affect its handling during flight and could lead to loss of control”.

There were 57 passengers and four crew on board.

Neither Aer Lingus/Stobart Air nor the 40-year-old pilot was at fault. He was given a loadsheet by the baggage handling company which indicated the baggage was in the forward hold. In fact, it was to the rear of the plane.

He told investigators from the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) that the aircraft felt “tail-heavy” on take off from Dublin Airport.

He said that, during the descent into Rennes, he told his co-pilot the landing would be somewhat flat due to the “tail-heavy” condition. He managed to land the plane safely.

It emerged during the investigation that the loading crew had been under time pressure to meet a scheduled mid-morning departure. Investigators described that as a “contributing factor”.

In addition, there was a breakdown in communication between those responsible for communicating the loading plan.

The pilot was given documentation indicating that the plane was correctly loaded when it was not.

The Load Instruction Report indicated that 32 pieces of baggage were loaded in the forward hold; the computer-generated loadsheet, which was presented to the commander, recorded this loading.

The error was not discovered until the aircraft was being unloaded in Rennes.

Following the “serious incident”, the airline took a number of safety actions including mandatory loadsheet checks and visual checks of holds after loading.

Investigators said they acknowledged the continuing initiatives by the operator to prevent similar events occurring and, accordingly, did not identify any issues that would support the making of a safety recommendation.