virgo, I learned about flying from that!
Several years ago, as PF and PIC of a DH8-300 I checked the manual load & trim sheet as prepared by the F/O. I think it was the F/O's first flight post check to line and there was pressure, both self imposed and from despatch staff to get going.
On rotate the aircraft fairly lept into the air. I hate to think how close we came to striking the tail.
Once 'safely' under way I rechecked the trim sheet. The F/O had un-knowingly allocated all the freight to the forward part of the baggage compartment, when in fact is was loaded in the aft part of the compartment. Our C of G was aft of the aft limit.
As PIC the responsibility was mine. I checked the trim sheet, but did so too hurredly to note the error.
On a slightly different tangent, it still surprises me how often manual trim sheets are filled out on the assumption that pax will spread themselves evenly through the cabin,
Just recently I insisted to an F/O that we get actual zone seating numbers to complete the trim. When we did so, the aircraft C of G was found to be forward of the forward limit and we had to move about 30% of the pax aft to trim the aircraft.
To my mind this was a great example of why one should not make assumptions.