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Passengers stranded 9 hours on plane
Who doesn't remember that disastrous run of JetBlue flights during which more than a 1,00 people flying the airline sat hostage on the tarmac for hours -- one flight for more than 11 hours -- during a New York snow storm in early 2007?Since then, such tales have become less common in the airline industry, even as a passenger bill of rights continues to get shot down by the government.
But such delays still happen, as anyone flying TACA recently from El Salvador to LAX knows. Two-hundred passengers were stuck on the plane for nearly 9 hours last Sunday after the flight was diverted to a regional airport 45 miles to the east of LA due to heavy fog in the city.
Problem was, it seems that either TACA didn't request that its passengers be allowed to disembark and clear immigration at this small airport, or local customs officials didn't allow it. The result: Passengers were stuck on the plane most of the night, receiving only water and crackers from firefighters and airport personnel toward the end of the ordeal.
In all, the passengers' trip to LA took more than 15 hours.
Tripso has the complete story here.
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Filed under: Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
E.L. Kuwanoe Dec 13th 2008 8:15PM
I will never understand people....it was not anyones fault..well I guess it was the fault of Mother Nature in that it was fog, nothing man made, it happens this time of year. What would havae been better...try to land at LAX, crash and everyone killed or land at an alternate ariport, sorry that they were not ready for a plane of people that needed to clear customs. I have also read a report that INS and customs would have been there and allowed them to deplane until the flight could be continued. As far as no food, well it was the end of the flight and it just was not there. I also wonder how rude some of the passengers were, how abusive were they to the flight crew who were not at fault for the delay. Ahh forget it, some just would prefer to *itch and moan and complain....should be glad that they were safe and sound and alive, I well remember other flights with TACA that did not end with live passengers or whole planes.
Eileen Dec 13th 2008 10:43PM
Light a cigarette, a sure way of getting off the plane, sure you might get arrested but atleast the police will feed you..lol
Bob Dec 13th 2008 10:45PM
Haaaaah!! Hoooooooo! Heeeeeeee!! OhhHaaaaa!
LMAO, Oh so funny!! I gotta go now and calm down from laughing so hard! Lol, Lol, Lol. It's Chicken Little time! The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling! I am stranded on a stale aircraft with smelly people, self important idiots, bratty kids, Very important Business men!! I just love it when stories like this are posted. You'd think the worst thing in the world just happened. Ohhh! It could!! They could have crashed!!
Jamar Dec 14th 2008 9:50AM
Or someone could've died. It'd be so "classical US bureaucracy" to have people die because US Immigration wouldn't let them into a hospital because they haven't cleared Customs.
Kent Dec 15th 2008 12:47PM
Last week, I was on AA 1763 from Miami to O'Hare. We left the gate 5 minutes early and taxied out. Than we sat near the end of the runway for about 20 minutes. I assumed that with bad weather moving into Chicago, we were simply waiting for a slot. Then the captain announced that we had a mechanical problem, and that he was waiting for a gate assignment. We were back in the gate about 45 minutes after leaving.
The problem was that it took another 45 minutes for the mechanic to arrive from the maintenance hanger. After about 30 minutes, he figured out that the repair was going to take 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete, and Dispatch couldn't find a spare airplane. The plane had been swapped from a 757 to a 767-300, and finding a 757 meant finding seats for an extra 35 passengers.
People starting getting off the plane. The purser had tried to get gate agents to handle the crowd, but he had no luck. I called on got on a later flight, although the gate agent didn't seem happy that Reservations had been protecting people on a flight that was already overbooked.
As it turns out, the 4:30 flight got into ORD 5 minutes early, at 7pm. The 2:30 flight was delayed and got in at 7:50 pm. The flight that I had been on, scheduled to arrive at 3:15, was 5 hours late.
Ray Dec 15th 2008 11:49AM
It takes less than 2 hours to truck a couple of immigration agents from LAX to Ontario Airport via our freeways. Did anybody in the immigration chain of commands even think of that?
Autrice Dec 15th 2008 11:52AM
Is the average American too spoiled and demanding to appreciate that the crew of the airplane were also just as "trapped" and had to deal with passengers' hostility towards them. Had they allowed people to disembark, they would need to set up some sort of containment area (as the regional airport does not have the ability to process international documentation.) How sad for us, as a nation, that we are a collection of "me, myself and I" attention-demanders who can't see beyond our own personal sphere. Calling 911 to get off the plane is asinine. Let someone else die just because you're in "discomfort". Take a clue from the UK: chin up, we'll get through it. (And yes, I have been trapped on a plane for more than 10 hours, overseas, and I lived.)
Autrice Dec 15th 2008 11:57AM
A follow-up for those who "would have died", "would have had a heart attack" or "would have been sick." If you are that unhealthy, why are you on a flight? I am not healthy, and I prepare by packing a candy bar as a means of sugar, and some gum. Rather than say, "Oh crap!" for ten hours, tell yourself that it will be over soon and then occupy your time by reading, sleeping, or ignoring the stupid people around you who lose their heads.
Terry Dec 15th 2008 12:03PM
To LK about diabetics bringing insulin supplies aboard, that is not the issue. Insulin is used to bring high sugar down. The issue is diabetics blood sugar takes a nose dive and sends them into a diabetic episode when they are not allowed to take nourishment. This can even lead to death.
GidPool Dec 15th 2008 12:05PM
There had to be a McDonalds near by. Can you imagine what it would be like if someone from the airport had gone to the drive-through: "I'd like 186 Un-Happy Meals" please..."
Kandy McNasty Dec 15th 2008 12:28PM
We get it. The passengers sat on a plane for 9 hours. They did not starve to death. Problems were reported beforehand with unprocessed visas for the El Salvadoran passengers. They were not allowed off the plane as a result. Yes, it's an inconvenience. But is it really worth rehashing this same old story for the third time since it first happened two weeks ago? Isn't there any new News to report right now?
Stephanie042182 Dec 15th 2008 1:33PM
I don't think anyone is suggesting that the plane should have taken off in severe weather, or that people should have been allowed to wander off considering there were no immigration officals there.... BUT if you are going to be grounded for any ammount of time the airline should be able to provide sanitation and food, even as one person suggested, they have to order pizza or have food brought out from the terminal. They were only provided crackers and water towards the very end of the wait.
E.L. Kuwanoe Dec 15th 2008 1:48PM
OMG some of you make it seem as if they were stranded for days and on the verge of starvation......
There was a lot that could have and should have been done, starting with the airport. WE do not know if they asked the plane if anything was needed. I do wonder if the situation was explained to the passengers and for that matter the crew dealing with them as well. No one was in danger of starving to death. I havae a health condition and need to eat small meals on a regualr basis and I always carry extra food for myself, even when flying in case there is a situation like this crop up. Get this...it was a weather condition, not man made, not planned. I have also flown into LAX in fog and it is not something that I like or wnat to do ever again.
E.L. Kuwanoe Dec 15th 2008 1:53PM
to Terry #46
I am a diaabetic and I carry my supplies as well as enough food for two small meals for just this reason. Anyone with the condition needs to atk responsibility for their own condition and deal with any unforsene emergencies that come up. It is not the duty of the airlines or government to provide for me and I am well aware of it.
Vickie Dec 15th 2008 2:16PM
Please hasn't anyone fasted for blood work overnight.
Be glad they took safety measures first. If they would of tried to land in the fog & then crashed where would you be now? Don't you guys have anything else to complain about. Think about our Soldiers! I am sure they would be glad to be sitting on a safe plane instead of where they are.
Chris Paradiso Dec 15th 2008 8:00PM
I agree, I would wait two hours and THAT IS IT! I would call 911 and report I was being held hostage. Or I would open the damn door and go down the slide myself (the instructions are printed right on the door). Or I would tell the flight attendent I was having severe chest pains, they would have to let you off, they could not rish you dying, they would be charged with murder, then after I got into the terminal I would say I feel much better now. What could they do? Nothing.. Two hours, thats it.