Hear air traffic controller's stunned reaction to C-17 flight load as it leaves Afghanistan

[Uncle Joe]

[msongs]

1. that crew was lucky to get off the ground without 700 casualties nt

[James48]

2. Partially.

The C-17 easily has the lifting capacity- it was dangerous, however, to have 640 people in back, and no way to secure them, and the five Air Force crew certainly weren’t about to get them off the plane.

Yea, those folks are all lucky to have made it on the plane and out. Unfortunately, that’s also the plane that several fell off of in the video.

[spudspud]

3. Cargo capacity of a C17 is 170,000+ pounds.

Even at the "800" people overestimate, at 185 pounds a person (generous weight for Afghanis), that's only 148,000 pounds. Well short of usual capacity. The Globemaster has a max gross takeoff weight of 585,000 pounds. It's a beast.