Heavier passengers drive standard weights revision

摘要

The crash of a Beech 1900D at Charlotte's Douglas Airport on January 8 has underlined a serious issue for regional or commuter aircraft. It concerns how much people really weigh these days, compared to the standard weights assumed by airlines in their flight planning; and whether some of the current standards need even farther upgrading above the new rules that are being considered in this country. There is a possibility that the loss of all 19 passengers and the two pilots on the US Airways Express and Air Midwest service was not entirely due to passengers weighing so much that they exceed the design limits of the prop jet; but it seems to have been a significant contributing factor, and has already caused a reappraisal of the dangers of obesitv in civil aviation.