What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted, Revealed in passenger interviews,gate agents did not weigh any bags or luggage and did not ask for passenger weights. While calculating weight and balance, passengers were placed in the five rear most seats leaving the front 4 passenger seats empty. Passengers were loaded according to passenger manifest/weight and balance worksheet. Ground crew started push back, aircraft moved approx 3 feet and the nose rose out of the pushback device and continued to rise until the tail contacted the ground. The aircraft stayed in this attitude until the fire department deployed an airbag under the empennage to right the aircraft. The tail section sustained minor damage from impact with the ground. Further investigation revealed the passenger seats were not located at the arms indicated on the weight and balance worksheet.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REVEALED IN PASSENGER INTERVIEWS,GATE AGENTS DID NOT WEIGH ANY BAGS OR LUGGAGE AND DID NOT ASK FOR PASSENGER WEIGHTS. WHILE CALCULATING WEIGHT AND BALANCE, PASSENGERS WERE PLACED IN THE FIVE REAR MOST SEATS LEAVING THE FRONT 4 PASSENGER SEATS EMPTY. PASSENGERS WERE LOADED ACCORDING TO PASSENGER MANIFEST/WEIGHT AND BALANCE WORKSHEET. GROUND CREW STARTED PUSH BACK, AIRCRAFT MOVED APPROX 3 FEET AND THE NOSE ROSE OUT OF THE PUSHBACK DEVICE AND CONTINUED TO RISE UNTIL THE TAIL CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT STAYED IN THIS ATTITUDE UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DEPLOYED AN AIRBAG UNDER THE EMPENNAGE TO RIGHT THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL SECTION SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE FROM IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PASSENGER SEATS WERE NOT LOCATED AT THE ARMS INDICATED ON THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE WORKSHEET.