Originally Posted by contrails

Your logic is flawed though.

Take Carl's pay being more than yours for example. Sure, maybe it doesn't make much sense.

But as far as life insurance policies and true spreadsheet "value" of what's on board, Carl's got ~400 people worth and you've got ~250 people worth and both of those are still an extremely steep ratio to a cargo plane with 2, 3, maybe 4 people on board.

400-to-3 is a 133 to 1 ratio.
250-to-3 is a 83 to 1 ratio.

Both are in the neighborhood of 100-to-1.

So, in this method of comparison, which is exactly what the FAA used to justify not making the 117 rules apply to cargo, even you and Carl and even most 717s and RJs are basically in the same league up against an MD-11.

The point: if it's about what's being carried, which you brought up with the diversion example, then the pax planes are carried way, way, way more valuable goods.