ABC News:
Exclusive: American Eagle Investigated for 'Weight and Balance' Violations, Sources Say
FAA Said to Find Numerous Violations, Posing Possible Safety Risks
By ERIC LONGABARDI and JOSEPH RHEE
October 1, 2008

An investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has found that American Eagle, the commuter airline, has repeatedly flown passsenger planes that have been overloaded or improperly balanced, posing a potential safety hazard, people in the aviation industry have told ABC News.

The FAA has uncovered at least 19 cases over the past five months where American Eagle planes flew in violation of federal "weight and balance" guidelines, the aviation industry sources said.

If a plane is overloaded or out of balance it can have major safety implications, especially if it is in combination with another flight problem such as an engine failure. Commuter planes, in particular, have to be carefully loaded to make sure the plane's center of gravity falls within accepted limits. [Full Article]