A TUI flight took off more than 1,2oo kilograms heavier than expected after an IT error classified all passengers with the title of 'Miss' as children.
TUI IT glitch causes serious incident on flight leaving the UK. (PA) A TUI flight took off heaver than expected in what was described as a “serious incident” due to an IT glitch, an investigation has found. Thirty-eight female passengers using the title “Miss” were classified as children prior to take off. The departure from Birmingham Airport to the Spanish island of Majorca with 187 passengers on board was described as a “serious incident” by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). An update to the airline’s reservation system while its planes were grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic led to 38 passengers on the flight being allocated a child’s “standard weight” of 35kg as opposed to the correct figure of 69kg.
TUI IT glitch causes serious incident on flight leaving the UK. (PA) A TUI flight took off heaver than expected in what was described as a “serious incident” due to an IT glitch, an investigation has found. Thirty-eight female passengers using the title “Miss” were classified as children prior to take off. The departure from Birmingham Airport to the Spanish island of Majorca with 187 passengers on board was described as a “serious incident” by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). An update to the airline’s reservation system while its planes were grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic led to 38 passengers on the flight being allocated a child’s “standard weight” of 35kg as opposed to the correct figure of 69kg.
A software error that could have ended badly on April 9, 2021, 8:08 9 comments
What just happened? Software errors are a fact of life, but their seriousness can depend on the circumstances. A flight from the UK to Spain took off more than a tonne heavier than expected because female passengers using the title Miss had been mistakenly identified as children.
Described as a serious incident by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the error saw 38 passengers on the flight allocated a child s standard weight of 35kg (77 pounds) instead of the adult figure of 69kg (152 pounds).
The mistake meant the plane s load sheet, used to calculate inputs during take-off, had a discrepancy of 1,244 kg (2,743 pounds). Thankfully, the pilot said the thrust was only marginally less than what was required. This meant the safe operation of the aircraft was not compromised, wrote the AAIB.
| Last updated
1:44 PM, April 09 2021 GMT+1
A Tui plane was involved in a serious incident after every passenger with the title Miss was classified as a child.
An investigation has now confirmed there was an IT glitch which caused the flight to depart from Birmingham Airport at a heavier weight than expected.
The aircraft, which was heading for the Spanish island of Majorca, had 187 passengers on board and the incident was classified as serious by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
Credit: PA
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An update to the airline s reservation system while its planes were grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic led to 38 passengers on the flight being allocated a child s standard weight of 35kg as opposed to the correct figure of 69kg.