I flew perhaps 4 times a week on this plane from Indy to Chicago. I found the planes stability in high winds to be very
uncomfortable. Consequently I always checked the weather and when wind was a factor, I chose other equipment or other times.
On Monday October 31 I checked the conditions which were high wind. I called my office outside Indy and they informed me that wind was treacherous as
trees were being blown down. I was in Nashville that weekend set to fly back through indy to Chicago to Newark.

I called American and spoke to veronica lopes asking for a reroute through dallas. not possible even with my platinum status. I suggested to her that the weather was excessive and dangerous. She reconfirmed with their resources that all was ok. I told her that in my opinion that this was very bad.

I recall that the indy paper had wind speeds over 70 mph, which may have been over the limit of the atr takeoff limit.

Had northwest not given me status I would be dead. But to thank them, since the date was trick or treat I sent 50 to 100 lbs of ghiradelli to thank the staff
for my great fortune. I became over the years known as the chocolate guy where they read the story of the experience at their Christmas parties.

I was very well known and some staff with delta originally from NWA knew me or of me. I was written up in the nwa paper when one year the executives stole the bars of choc. It was nicknamed the great chocolate caper.


Had veronica listened to me, things might be different. Don Carty chose after meeting with me on a flight from Calgary to dallas to move the atr's down
south where storms were less severe (I do not believe that the real cause was just icing).

They eventually sold them. Note that the crashes listed seemed all to be under high wind conditions. There is more detail but I think you have the message.

Perhaps more of you should listen to this crazy old man.

I called northwest and they granted me gold status over the phone and I then cancelled the aa flight and took my wife back to the grand ol for the afternoon.