Also from the NYT story (which includes the first sentence from the Sacramento Bee report):
It was unclear at what point the children boarded the flight. Tom Hagler, a mechanic at the Oroville airport, said he let about a dozen children from the plane use the airport bathroom. They were about 6 to 10 years old, Mr. Hagler said, “a lot of really cute kids.”
6 to 10 years olds don't weigh much. They cram young children together on school buses.
Dletabravowhiskey or others, could you belt two six-year-olds in one seat? Could you have a six-year-old belted in on an adults lap? Is there enough room?
The Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville was a tourist attraction for decades. It was fun for children because it has a toy (small) train ride and other amusements. However, the "Family Park" area closed on January 14th, 2009, because attendance levels dropped along with the economy. It still has a shopping mall.
Did the pilot know the amusement park closed two months ago?
Did they make two stops to pick up or discharge passengers, to give the children a break, or because there was a problem?