That is what struck me funny for a 757 to have a weight restriction with so many empty seats, those things are a work horse.
With that said the pilot came out of the cockpit with a clipboard or ipad (I wasn't paying that close attention) after the announcement. I didn't see who he went to talk to or where, but that led me to believe the weight issue.
I could see it being a mechanical issue now that you say that, but a mechanic never went through F to the cockpit to do the paperwork or whatever they normally do. Maybe that is why the pilot left, to go talk to the mechanic. I just assumed it was the gate staff.
It all appeared to be a really last minute issue that came up within 5 minutes of the door closing. Especially since they offloaded the family or they wouldn't have put them on in the first place.
I thought there was closer to 15 standbys cleared when I looked but indeed there were only 6 that went out. Maybe they took off more people but in a much more discreet way. I couldn't see, but it is possible.
Originally Posted by
Hammer0425
That sounds much more like an announcement to get the family to deplane without using the real reason for embarrassing or logistical purposes. While gross landing weight is always an issue, for a 757 to face that predicament, you would need an enormous tailwind along with a landing alternate hundreds and hundreds of miles away from Dulles to be in that situation. Only other alternative is a mechanical issue (pack inoperable for example) that would have you at a lower altitude and require a heavier fuel load. Otherwise, the 757 you can pack to the brim with people, cargo, and fuel and still go.
EDIT: Max landing weight is not taken into account for an emergency air return after take off. That would just be considered an overweight landing.