Passengers asked to balance plane

[woodyear99]

Hmm interesting to see how people react, common sense would tell you if an aircraft is too heavy on one side it would obviously be unbalanced...


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8115216.stm

Dozens of holidaymakers returning to Newcastle refused to fly after they were asked to act as human ballast.

A jammed hold door meant luggage could only be loaded into the front of the Thomas Cook plane at Mallorca airport.

Passengers were asked to move seats to distribute the weight, but 71 left the plane, fearing for their safety.

Thomas Cook said it was standard procedure for airlines to ensure cargo and passengers were evenly distributed, and there was no safety risk.

[Spazosaurus]

But who could blame them? What they go say if the plane crash now? That they should have not flown th eplane in that condition and tell the families of the deceased..."ah sorry"?

[W1nTry]

Balancing weight is critical to airplanes (saw it on NGC once), so asking them to distribute the weight is small thing, what's more troubling is WHY were the cargo doors malfunctioning. THAT to me is the worry.

[Nephilim]

hydraulics i bet

[W1nTry]

Yeah and when the hydraulics failed due to overheating because of obstuction of some exhaust valve which runs along the same path as a fuel line that has a breach in the tank... you get where i'm going with this...

[Nephilim]

yeah

boom

[PikachuManZzZ]

The daily-mail article is a bit juicier with the details. No idea if this is accurate, but eh.

The captain insisted the plane was safe, but some of those waiting to board claim that in-coming passengers, disembarking from the same plane, told them not to get on as it was the worst flight they had ever had.

Dave Charlton, from Blyth, Northumberland, who was due to travel on Sunday's flight with his wife Susan and son Adam, six, was terrified by the look on the faces of tourists getting off the plane.

'People were kissing the ground and putting their hands together like they were praying,' he said. 'There were girls sobbing and children crying.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194937/Terrified-tourists-boycott-Thomas-Cook-flight-home-told-sit-help-balance-jet.html

That aside, these people shouldn't have been freaking out about the weight balancing. I've been on flights where they've done that (usually on Dash-8's, a la Tobago Express or LIAT), and usually the flight is as smooth as ever.

[woodyear99]

I thought common sense would prevail....you wouldn't overload a boat on one side now would you.

[Redfish]

Yeah and when the hydraulics failed due to overheating because of obstuction of some exhaust valve which runs along the same path as a fuel line that has a breach in the tank... you get where i'm going with this...

I would so not want to sit next to you on a flight XD

[W1nTry]

I would so not want to sit next to you on a flight XD

My name is NOT disciple XD

[Nephilim]

lol

/ot

for some reason i am reminded of ben stiller i think it is...

Bomb b-b-bomb b-bomb bomb bomb

/end ot

[disciple]

I would so not want to sit next to you on a flight XD

My name is NOT disciple XD

aye aye...   what dah supposed to mean??     
nah but seriously i think i mighta bail too

[suzieboy]

That reminds me of ah time i was on a domestic flight in the US a good while back....
The plane was on the runway charging up to take off but it cud bearly leave the ground after a few attempts...
Apparently the cargo doors wasnt closing and sealing properly...malfunctioning...imaging if this had happen midair?

[woodyear99]

Ok this is totally random but I am sure people in a plane that's about to crash would appreciate having a pair of these lol