When flight attendant wants to check your camera bag below plane?

I just arrived back in town from a quick business trip and had a flight attendant want to place my camera bag below the plane because there was no overhead bin space.  It took a bit of back and forth for them to finally understand that this bag was going to go down there and that I had sensitive camera gear.  But what a pain!  You would think common sense would kick in when they learned what was in the bag.  But no.  

They can't make you place your camera bag below the plane can they?

Small commuter size planes have critical weight/balance calculations that must be adhered to for safe take-off and flight. Sometimes they will even ask certain large individuals to trade seats with lighter weight individuals to get these calculations correct. The storage of any cargo has to be positioned this way too, but for carry-on in a commuter plane it is usually "who arrives first". When there is no more space for it, these items need to be stored where it will fit or left behind. If this storage place is unacceptable to you, you and your carry-on can always take the next flight.

An airplane isn't like a car, where the excess can be put anywhere or tied on the roof. Smaller private size airplanes have even more delicate weight/balance requirements. Larger pilots, when flying small two passenger airplanes with one seat behind the other, frequently need to fly the plane from the rear seat when they are flying alone. Proper weight/balance is the reason for this.

My oldest son and I once owned a Piper Cherokee Arrow, a 4 seat single engine airplane with a small cargo space behind the rear seat. If the four seats were occupied, the cargo space frequently could not be used. If it was used and the cargo was significant in weight, the calculated weight/balance of the plane made it unsafe to fly. It was that critical. We flew much of the Eastern States of the USA with that plane. 

Charley 

If it fits under the seat in front of you, you can carry it on.

Did it?

Thank you all, and yes, the bag would have fit under the seat.  It wasn't a commuter plane, it was a 737. 

The few times I've been asked to check my bag, as soon as I let them know I have camera gear in the bag, they have been very understanding. 

More reasons to make sure you underpack what you bring on board the plane

Professionally resist as long as I can explaining the delicate electronics and value in the bag. 

I plan ahead and make sure I'm not put into that position

TCav wrote:

LOL I remember that incident, $3000 vs millions in losses.  

"It wasn't a commuter plane, it was a 737."

This made me assume that you were talking about a commuter plane. Many have add-on belly compartments for additional luggage, and are what I would call "below the plane". You were talking about "below the passenger deck", not below the plane.

Ask for the right thing and you will get a better answer to your question.

Charley

Carry on Bag never is that big to pull attention from flight crew.