NCC.POL.105 Mass and balance, loading

  1. The operator shall establish the mass and the CG of any aircraft by actual weighing prior to initial entry into service. The accumulated effects of modifications and repairs on the mass and balance shall be accounted for and properly documented. Aircraft shall be reweighed if the effect of modifications on the mass and balance is not accurately known.

  2. The weighing shall be accomplished by the manufacturer of the aircraft or by an approved maintenance organisation.

  3. The operator shall determine the mass of all operating items and crew members included in the aircraft dry operating mass by actual weighing, including any crew baggage, or by using standard masses. The influence of their position on the aircraft’s CG shall be determined. When using standard masses the following mass values for crew members shall be used to determine the dry operating mass:

    1. 85 kg, including hand baggage, for flight crew/technical crew members; and

    2. 75 kg for cabin crew members.

  4. The operator shall establish procedures to enable the pilot-in-command to determine the mass of the traffic load, including any ballast, by:

    1. actual weighing;

    2. determining the mass of the traffic load in accordance with standard passenger and baggage masses; or

    3. calculating passenger mass on the basis of a statement by, or on behalf of, each passenger and adding to it a predetermined mass to account for hand baggage and clothing, when the number of passenger seats available on the aircraft is:

      1. less than 10 for aeroplanes; or

      2. less than six for helicopters.

  5. When using standard masses the following mass values shall be used:

    1. for passengers, those in Tables 1 and 2, where hand baggage and the mass of any infant carried by an adult on one passenger seat are included:

      Table 1 Standard masses for passengers — aircraft with a total number of passenger seats of 20 or more

      Passenger seats 20 and more 30 and more
        Male Female All adult
      Adults 88 kg 70 kg 84 kg
      Children 35 kg 35 kg 35 kg

      Table 2 Standard masses for passengers — aircraft with a total number of passenger seats of 19 or less

      Passenger seats 1 – 5 6 – 9 10 – 19
      Male 104 kg 96 kg 92 kg
      Female 86 kg 78 kg 74 kg
      Children 35 kg 35 kg 35 kg

       

    2. for baggage:

      1. for aeroplanes, when the total number of passenger seats available on the aeroplane is 20 or more, standard mass values for checked baggage in Table 3;

      2. for helicopters, when the total number of passenger seats available on the helicopters is 20 or more, the standard mass value for checked baggage of 13 kg.

      Table 3 Standard masses for baggage — aeroplanes with a total number of passenger seats of 20 or more

      Type of flight Baggage standard mass
      Domestic 11 kg
      Within the European region 13 kg
      Intercontinental 15 kg
      All other 13 kg

  6. For aircraft with 19 passenger seats or less, the actual mass of checked baggage shall be determined:

    1. by weighing; or

    2. by calculation on the basis of a statement by, or on behalf of, each passenger. Where this is impractical, a minimum standard mass of 13 kg shall be used.

  7. The operator shall establish procedures to enable the pilot-in-command to determine the mass of the fuel load by using the actual density or, if not known, the density calculated in accordance with a method specified in the operations manual.

  8. The pilot-in-command shall ensure that the loading of:

    1. the aircraft is performed under the supervision of qualified personnel; and

    2. traffic load is consistent with the data used for the calculation of the aircraft mass and balance.

  9. The operator shall establish procedures to enable the pilot-in-command to comply with additional structural limits such as the floor strength limitations, the maximum load per running metre, the maximum mass per cargo compartment and the maximum seating limit.

  10. The operator shall specify, in the operations manual, the principles and methods involved in the loading and in the mass and balance system that meet the requirements contained in (a) to (i). This system shall cover all types of intended operations.