Jeff767

United is responsible for making sure the aircraft is correctly loaded and has a correct weight and balance. They flew a revenue flight with incorrect weights. That certainly will attract the FAA’s attention. They are required to verify where and what every luggage can weighs. Clearly that was not done.

clubord

Cannot disagree that someone made a error.

The flight that had the stowaway bags was a ferry flight not revenue, an empty PVD/EWR with only 2 pilots on board.

I can imagine there may be some procedural changes internally but I’d be hard pressed to think the FAA is going to even blink and eye at this.

A Part 91, 35 minute ferry flight with 2 souls on board on an aircraft hundreds of thousands of pounds below max landing weight. Right now FAA has bigger fish to fry...

Imstevek

You must be new here to FT. Welcome!!

Mr.Nuke

United more often than not doesn't leave NFL/College Football charters on the ground for the duration of the charter. Often they'll rotate back into the regular system. In this instance, 24 hours on the ground in EWR may have allowed for minor maintenance/ spare plane to cover for mechanical issues. You also save on ramp overnight fees, potentially crew hotels, etc. Regardless of the reason, United more than likely factored the positioning ferry legs into their bid to the Chiefs.
How did you reach that conclusion? A minimal amount of cargo wasn't offloaded from a charter flight and subsequently flew on an empty non-revenue ferry flight back to EWR. The only people on that plane would've been the pilots and potentially flight attendants. W&B for some football pads and helments on an empty 764 for a 200 mile flight is essentially negligible.

AceReport

doubtful a pilot on a empty leg 764 with only one container of pads and uniforms in the hold would have any idea there was an ext few hundred pounds. As Clubord stated it's so massively light that it wouldn't have affected the flight characteristics any more than an extra loaded service cart would.

Are the crew on these flights UA or does UA only provide the plane and contract out the pilots and cabin attendants to a 3rd party?

riphamilton

they’re UA crews. the unions would never, ever, ever allow a third party to fly mainline birds.