Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Human Factors
We were scheduled to take a CRJ 700 on a passenger revenue trip however; due to multiple cancellations and maintenance issues; we wound up taking an empty jet instead. Nevertheless; we requested cargo load report (CLR) from ramp crew and prepared the manifest. Upon running the number -- w/ negative bags -- ACARS returned a solution indicating a need for ballast (in the forward cargo area). The Captain relayed the information to Ramp Personnel -- face to face -- and the Ramp Personnel relayed the information to their Operations office to process and authorize the request. Shortly thereafter; Ramp Personnel returned to the flight deck and advised they'd place 400 pounds of ballast onboard the aircraft -- in the forward cargo area -- and handed us a new CLR which indicated the same. We continued our checklists and tasks and proceeded without incident. Upon our arrival and after shutdown; the Captain advised Ramp Personnel we we'd arrived with 400 pounds of ballast and they were welcome to it. During my prefight walk around; the ramp crew advised there was absolutely NO ballast aboard the aircraft. I returned to flight deck and informed the Captain. A moment later; as we prepared for the return flight; Ramp Personnel came up to the flight deck and reconfirmed what they'd told me earlier -- there was NO ballast aboard when we arrived. The ramp crew [from origin airport] said they'd put it on and never did.The requirement for [company] ramp crews to seek permission and authorization from [company] operations when the need for ballast arises removes ramp crew autonomy and adds an extra layer of oversight to a process that may not need it. Remove [company] operations personnel from the equation...allow ramp crew chief to execute the loading of ballast upon request from the flight crew.
CRJ-700 First Officer reported they were notified at arrival station that their requested ballast was not loaded.