MD-11
Training / Qualification; Confusion
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; General Maintenance Action
Procedure; Human Factors
After completing the exterior walk around as the RFO; I was observing the Captain receiving IOE in the left seat and the check airman in the right seat performing interior flight deck preflight; the plane was being loaded by the ground crew. I observed a number of alerts being displayed on the EAD that did not make sense; they were being displayed and then would change or go away very rapidly; I exited into the crew area and noticed the crew stairs were notably lower than they should be in relationship to the entrance door. About this time I felt and observed the front of the plane lower significantly as if a tug had picked up the front landing gear and then lowered it back to the ground. At this time; none of these events were making sense to myself or the other crewmembers. I then exited the aircraft and descended the crew stairs to investigate what might have happened. I noticed the tether secured over the nose gear appeared to be way too long. I inquired to one of the ground crew if this was the correct length to secure our aircraft? He stated that the tether was for the 777 aircraft and the correct length for our aircraft was [28] inches shorter (the nose wheel was on the ground at this time). I informed him they needed to get the correct length and secure the nose wheel immediately; which they did quickly. I now realized what had happened; with the wrong; longer length; tether attempting to secure the nose wheel; during the process of loading the aircraft; the aircraft attempted to rock back on the tail due to weight shift and the nose wheel came approximately 1-1 and 1/2 feet off the ground resulting in the ground shift being activated until the weight of the aircraft shifted forward and the nose wheel again rested on the ground. I immediately informed the Captain and the check airman as to what had happened. After the incident; upon inspection of nose wheel landing gear and the rear of the aircraft; no damage was noted. This incident most likely occurred do to a failure to install the correct nose gear tether for our aircraft by the ground crew or a failure to recognize that the wrong tether was installed to secure the nose wheel prior to loading the aircraft.  Also; perhaps contributing was the fact this aircraft was parked in a parking place normally used for the 777 aircraft. These different length tethers need to be much more distinguishable; just having the inches printed on them is not enough; perhaps different bright colors for the exterior of the entire tether depending on length that match a bright color line that is painted on a prominent part of the nose landing gear corresponding to the correct length of tether for that aircraft.  Also information needs to be added and highlighted in the preflight section of the exterior safety check and exterior walk around that describes the correct length of the tether for a certain aircraft and any other distinguishing features that help verify the correct length of tether is installed.
First Officer notes a number of alerts being displayed on the EAD that did not make sense during preflight. Going below it is discovered that the tether used to keep the nose wheel from lifting off the ground during loading is too long. The tether is quickly shortened by ground personnel.