Hey fat boy!

[CCTAU 3,369]

I can see the ACLU having a fit over this one now. I'm sure they'll find a way to say it discriminates against fat black people somehow. That is their bread and butter.(slight against ACLU, not black people)

NTSB: Airlines should weigh passengers, bags 

Fri Feb 27, 6:13 AM ET  Add Top Stories - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo!

By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

The National Transportation Safety Board (news - web sites) recommended Thursday that federal regulators and the airlines develop ways to weigh passengers and their bags so that airplanes aren't overloaded when they take off. The recommendation came as the safety board concluded that the crash of Air Midwest Flight 5481 on Jan. 8, 2003, was caused by the combination of too much weight in the rear of the commuter aircraft and a maintenance mistake.

Flight 5481 crashed seconds after taking off from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. All 21 people on board the commuter flight were killed. (Related item: NTSB (news - web sites) presentations from today's hearing)

Following the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) decided that the guidelines airlines used to estimate the weight of passengers and luggage had not kept up with growing size of passengers.

The FAA, which regulates airlines, subsequently added 10 pounds to the estimated weight of each adult passenger and five pounds to each checked bag.

The NTSB's investigators found, however, that the FAA estimates didn't go far enough to guarantee some flights were not overloaded.

Weight limits are more critical on smaller planes, such as the one that crashed in Charlotte, than on larger commercial aircraft. If a flight has several unusually heavy passengers or bags on board, it is possible to create a dangerous situation, the NTSB concluded.

All aircraft have generous margins that allow them to fly safely if they are overweight or the weight is out of balance. But if an engine should die or another emergency occurs, even a slightly overweight plane could become too difficult for pilots to control.

In unusually stern language, NTSB board members also criticized the airline, the firms that performed the maintenance on the flight and the FAA for the crash.

The crash of Flight 5481 was the deadliest commercial accident in the past two years.

"Each of us was personally disturbed" at the numerous mistakes and instances of poor oversight in the airline's maintenance program, NTSB Chairman Ellen Engleman-Connors said.

"There were a lot of mistakes made here," NTSB Vice Chairman Mark Rosenker said. "I don't mind calling it sloppy."

The NTSB, which can make recommendations but not aviation regulations, issued 21 safety recommendations, including:

The FAA and airlines need to make sweeping changes to ensure that mechanics do not improvise when they repair planes. The mechanics who made the mistake in repairing the Air Midwest plane ignored at least nine steps in the maintenance manual. They told investigators that was how they had always done such repairs.

The FAA should require that mechanics check to see that critical work has been done correctly. In the Air Midwest accident and two other cases on the same type of plane, mechanics said they hadn't bothered to check their work after it was done. A simple check would have prevented the accident, the NTSB said.

If it takes weighing everybody on the plane to be safe, I don't care whose feelings it hurts. Any of you who fly a lot out there that would have a problem with this.

FATBOY

[BamaGrad03 0]

Wouldn't bother me. There's a lot of people who aren't fat but could also contribute to the "weight" of the passengers.

Like im 6'4". But Im 220 pounds. Not fat...but still weigh more than most because of my height. Wouldn't offend me at all...put me on the scale.

[Guest AuNuma1]

There's a show on A&E I think called "Airline" where they follow people around in an airport. The episode I saw showed them following a large black man and all they did was make him buy another seat just based off of a guess of his weight. I mean, he was fat and all but they didn't use any scales or anything, just told him straight up while he was at the counter. No wonder flights are overweight if this is the kind of system they use. "Hey, you're fat, buy another seat."

[rexbo 104]

It should the the health insurance companies weighing people, and hiring PIs to follow them around to check their eating habits. Why should my health insurance go up because so many American's stuff themselves like pigs at the buffet line?

I have a problem with insurance companies discriminating against people due to medical conditions beyond their control, but that 300 lb fat lady that gets 16 cinnamon rolls at the buffet (which I personally witnessed last week), should be paying for her high risk behavior, not me.

[CarolinaTiger 0]

ok...thread hijack:

TELL THE TRUTH:

for those of you who didn't know BS's specs

Like im 6'4". But Im 220 pounds.

who envisioned him being this bigly?

i envisioned exactly the opposite, btw...5'7", 145 soaking wet...pimply w/ greasy/oily hair.

no offense, of course, BS.... :unsure:

ct

[Tiger Al 0]

I can see the ACLU having a fit over this one now. I'm sure they'll find a way to say it discriminates against fat black people somehow. That is their bread and butter.(slight against ACLU, not black people)

NTSB: Airlines should weigh passengers, bags  

Fri Feb 27, 6:13 AM ET  Add Top Stories - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo!

By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

The National Transportation Safety Board (news - web sites) recommended Thursday that federal regulators and the airlines develop ways to weigh passengers and their bags so that airplanes aren't overloaded when they take off. The recommendation came as the safety board concluded that the crash of Air Midwest Flight 5481 on Jan. 8, 2003, was caused by the combination of too much weight in the rear of the commuter aircraft and a maintenance mistake.

Flight 5481 crashed seconds after taking off from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. All 21 people on board the commuter flight were killed. (Related item: NTSB (news - web sites) presentations from today's hearing)

Following the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) decided that the guidelines airlines used to estimate the weight of passengers and luggage had not kept up with growing size of passengers.

The FAA, which regulates airlines, subsequently added 10 pounds to the estimated weight of each adult passenger and five pounds to each checked bag.

The NTSB's investigators found, however, that the FAA estimates didn't go far enough to guarantee some flights were not overloaded.

Weight limits are more critical on smaller planes, such as the one that crashed in Charlotte, than on larger commercial aircraft. If a flight has several unusually heavy passengers or bags on board, it is possible to create a dangerous situation, the NTSB concluded.

All aircraft have generous margins that allow them to fly safely if they are overweight or the weight is out of balance. But if an engine should die or another emergency occurs, even a slightly overweight plane could become too difficult for pilots to control.

In unusually stern language, NTSB board members also criticized the airline, the firms that performed the maintenance on the flight and the FAA for the crash.

The crash of Flight 5481 was the deadliest commercial accident in the past two years.

"Each of us was personally disturbed" at the numerous mistakes and instances of poor oversight in the airline's maintenance program, NTSB Chairman Ellen Engleman-Connors said.

"There were a lot of mistakes made here," NTSB Vice Chairman Mark Rosenker said. "I don't mind calling it sloppy."

The NTSB, which can make recommendations but not aviation regulations, issued 21 safety recommendations, including:

The FAA and airlines need to make sweeping changes to ensure that mechanics do not improvise when they repair planes. The mechanics who made the mistake in repairing the Air Midwest plane ignored at least nine steps in the maintenance manual. They told investigators that was how they had always done such repairs.

The FAA should require that mechanics check to see that critical work has been done correctly. In the Air Midwest accident and two other cases on the same type of plane, mechanics said they hadn't bothered to check their work after it was done. A simple check would have prevented the accident, the NTSB said.

If it takes weighing everybody on the plane to be safe, I don't care whose feelings it hurts. Any of you who fly a lot out there that would have a problem with this.

FATBOY

I saw no mention of ACLU or black people in the article. Are you sure you linked to the right one? If so, you really had to reach for that tangent, didn't you?

[Guest AuNuma1]

i envisioned exactly the opposite, btw...5'7", 145 soaking wet...pimply w/ greasy/oily hair.

no offense, of course, BS.... :unsure:

ct

LMAO

[BamaGrad03 0]

ok...thread hijack:

TELL THE TRUTH:

for those of you who didn't know BS's specs

Like im 6'4". But Im 220 pounds.

who envisioned him being this bigly?

i envisioned exactly the opposite, btw...5'7", 145 soaking wet...pimply w/ greasy/oily hair.

no offense, of course, BS.... :unsure:

ct

Man didn't you ever see the link somebody posted over here of my girlfriend when she won miss ua last year?

You didn't think we dated for a year and a half because i had a "good personality" did ya?

[Tigermike 3,425]

You didn't think we dated for a year and a half because i had a "good personality" did ya?

No we knew better than that!

Sorry BG, I could not help it. You left the door wide open!

[CarolinaTiger 0]

well no, of course we didn't think it was the personality!

we all admitted to being flummoxed over the incongruity of it all!

we just figured she was incredibly near-sighted....

ct

[WarTim 3,463]

I have heard that love is blind. I never knew that it was deaf and dumb too!

[CCTAU 3,369]

I saw no mention of ACLU or black people in the article. Are you sure you linked to the right one? If so, you really had to reach for that tangent, didn't you?

Anytime anything is done for the safety of the whole, the ACLU steps in and sues so that the safety of the whole is compromised because of the feelings of the few. And 99% of the time the ACLU jumps in due to racial issues. So the stretch really wasn't that far. Because just coming to the rescue of fat people would not be enough for them, they would have to interject race into also. So don't get on your high and mighty. I even stipulated that it was the ACLU I was jabbing at, not black people. OH yeah, I was kinda jabbing at the fat people too.

[Donutboy 0]

I saw no mention of ACLU or black people in the article. Are you sure you linked to the right one? If so, you really had to reach for that tangent, didn't you?

Anytime anything is done for the safety of the whole, the ACLU steps in and sues so that the safety of the whole is compromised because of the feelings of the few. And 99% of the time the ACLU jumps in due to racial issues. So the stretch really wasn't that far. Because just coming to the rescue of fat people would not be enough for them, they would have to interject race into also. So don't get on your high and mighty. I even stipulated that it was the ACLU I was jabbing at, not black people. OH yeah, I was kinda jabbing at the fat people too.

CCTAU, I hate to break it to you, but I think your assertion that 99% of the ACLU's cases are race related is simply totally false. In fact, their most recent legal case was an attempt to protect a self-admitted drug addict's medical records from public view. Perhaps you've heard of the guy they were attempting to defend, Rush Limbaugh.

On the weight issue, I don't see a problem with the airlines selling tickets by the pound. That would take all prejudice out of it. Let's say a ticket to Paducah was $1.00 a pound. Every passenger would simply step on the scale and multiply their weight by $1.00. Each seat could be limited to x-amount of pounds. If you exceeded that amount, you are assigned two seats. Not only would the overweight pay their fair share but the thin would also benefit.

[Tigermike 3,425]

CCTAU, I hate to break it to you, but I think your assertion that 99% of the ACLU's cases are race related is simply totally false. In fact, their most recent legal case was an attempt to protect a self-admitted drug addict's medical records from public view. Perhaps you've heard of the guy they were attempting to defend, Rush Limbaugh.

Donut, I hate to break it to you, but your statement is totally false! See below. Your welcome, I am just glad to help.

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the United States Court of Appeals in Atlanta to reconsider its recent ruling upholding a Florida law that excludes gay people from adopting.

Therefore them getting in on the Rush Limbaugh case could not be their latest!

http://63.135.96.161/news_events/archive/2...ring_021804.cfm