FAA Considers Crackdown on American Eagle for Flying Overloaded Planes

Flying outside the specified weight and balance guidelines can have disastrous consequences, experts say. The 2003 crash of a US Airways Express commuter plane in Charlotte, NC that killed 21 people was partly blamed by the National Transportation Safety Board on "inaccurate weight and balance calculations."

American Eagle's repeated weight and balance violations have put its participation in the FAA's Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) at risk, aviation sources say. Under ASAP, airlines can voluntarily report violations to the FAA without penalty, as long as they act quickly to fix the problem. If removed from the ASAP program, American Eagle would be subject to much stricter FAA safety enforcement procedures.

At a recent meeting, the FAA official in charge of ASAP, Tom Longridge, agreed with the recommendation of two FAA investigators that American Eagle's participation in the program be discontinued, according to sources within the aviation community. When contacted by ABCNews.com, Longridge refused to comment on American Eagle's status.

So far, the FAA has not announced any action regarding American Eagle's participation in ASAP.

American Eagle said it was unaware of any change in its status, saying in a statement: "The FAA has told American Eagle that its ASAP programs are not in jeopardy." The airline said it is currently working with the FAA on new procedures to make its weight and balance systems "more accurate, consistent and user-friendly."

Eric Longabardi is a freelance journalist who is a frequent contributor to the Blotter, ABCNews.com's investigative page.

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