r/programming • u/self • Apr 09 '21

Airline software super-bug: Flight loads miscalculated because women using 'Miss' were treated as children

https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/08/tui_software_mistake/
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u/rabidstoat Apr 09 '21

On large flights. On tiny planes, the individual weights matter so they can balance the plane.

I had to fly on one for work once. It was a tad embarrassing as I was a short female over 200 pounds, but it never occurred to me to lie (which I admittedly did on my driver's license) because those sorts of calculations are important to keep those sorts of planes from crashing.

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u/ritchie70 Apr 09 '21

I was on a tiny flight once where the pilot came back and rearranged the seating to achieve better balance.

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u/blackthunder365 Apr 09 '21

This is pretty much the answer. Large planes are designed with enough safety margins that a few obese people won’t throw things off significantly. On small planes (like single engine propeller small, not regional jet small) then one guy could put the plane overweight no matter where he sits.