82 people are dead in W. African crash

Phoenix Arizona Republic ^ | 12/26/03 | Virgile Ahissou

[Holly_P]

COTONOU, Benin - A jetliner clipped a building during takeoff and crashed into the sea off the West African nation of Benin on Thursday, killing at least 82 people, mostly Lebanese on their way home for the holidays, the transport minister said.

[Moose4]

If the charter company rep is correct, and there were 253 people on that airplane, then they had them stuffed in the aisles, in the bathrooms, in the overhead compartments, in the wheel wells, in the cargo holds, and probably had a few hanging onto the wings! A Boeing 727-200, I think, was never designed to carry more than about 150-180 people depending on seating configuration. But 253?

156 passengers + crew is a more reasonable figure, but still means the plane was probably packed to the gills and right at maximum take-off weight. If they really did, somehow, pack 253 people onto a 727, then the airline is criminally negligent.

}:-)4