Caracas Flight Returns To Mia-fighter Jet Escort

[WingNaPrayer]

AA Flight To Caracas Returns To Miami After Altercation
AA: Passenger Attacked Flight Attendant

MIAMI -- An American Airlines flight headed to Caracas, Venezuela, returned to Miami on Tuesday night under escort by two fighter jets after an altercation between a 69-year-old passenger and a flight attendant, officials said.

American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner said the flight attendant was attacked by the passenger and was punched twice, causing the pilot to turn around about 20 minutes into the flight and return to Miami. But the FBI and Miami-Dade County police didn't charge the woman and let her catch a different flight to Caracas.

The FBI characterized the airborne incident as a "misunderstanding," FBI spokeswoman Beverly Esselbach said.

"It was a 69-year-old hitting someone," Esselbach said. "It was more like a pat. Apparently the flight attendant is fine and everything is fine."

When the pilot declared an emergency, two fighter jets were dispatched by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, as a precaution until the plane landed safely in Miami.

The flight to Caracas was to refuel and depart again later Tuesday, Wagner said.

Local News Link

 

[WingNaPrayer]

This misunderstanding cost the taxpayers a hefty quarter-million for the dispatch of those fighter jets.

Passengers should never lay their hands on a flight attendant for any reason, misunderstanding or not. This pax should get stuck with the bill!

 

[operaations]

deleted

 

[LiveInAHotel]

This misunderstanding cost the taxpayers a hefty quarter-million for the dispatch of those fighter jets.

Passengers should never lay their hands on a flight attendant for any reason, misunderstanding or not. This pax should get stuck with the bill!

I couldn't agree with you more WNP. The only question is will AA/AMR press charges against granny?

 

[Garfield1966]

The article does not give all the facts. Suffice to say that the out come was appropriate for what transpired on the aircraft. I am not going into details due to confidentiality (if AA want to divulge what happened it’s up to them) but I have no reason to doubt my sources and again, Wing is talking out of the side of his/her mouth about something that they do not have all the facts on. Then again, why let facts get in the way.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

So, you think the passenger had every right to touch the flight attendant? Or, do you think the flight attendant overeacted with an old woman and caused the dispatch of two fighter jets at an approximate cost of $242,000.00 based on military estimates for the cost of putting the jets in the air?

Which is it? This is the second time you've screamed "jumping the gun" when a news story is posted. Why not try your smart-assed attitude with the media? Tell them they're jumping the gun.

In all fairness, any flight attendant who would cause the dispatch of two fighter jets against a 69 year old woman, is NOT a flight attendant who should be on an aircraft and responsible for the safety of all on board.

AA flight attendants continue to cry wolf in order to show passengers, and AA who's the boss. This brings us closer to the day when one of them will cry wolf for real and no one will listen. In the meantime, the military continues it's consideration of levying costs associated with blatant false alarms, so now that money may be involved, AA may have to create some type of new policy regarding flight attendants who are afraid of little old ladies.

Your "confidentiality" claim is a load of crap. The local media disected the hell out of this. The flight attendant jumped the gun. What the FA called an assault was an old lady "tapping" the flight attendant to get her attention, and the flight attendant charges assault and goes running to the captain? What a bltch! That is the misunderstanding as reported by the FBI who interviewed the woman extensively after the incident, it wasn't confidential, and they released their findings, and then old woman was booked on another AA flight and taken to her destination. There's no confidentiality here, and your assertion doesn't fool anyone into thinking you are more important than what you really are inside your own little mind!

Your attempts at grandstanding are pathetic!

 

[FWAAA]

Given that the old hag was not charged, and continued to her destination on a different flight (presumably on a different airline), it is readily apparent that the PIC overreacted. He declared an emergency, either based on his own faulty judgment or because he received faulty information from the FAs. Either way, the PIC set up 130+ souls for the distinct possibility of being shot down for absolutely no reason. She wasn't even arrested. No arrest = didn't violate any laws or do anything wrong. In my book, that is conclusive proof that at least the PIC overreacted.

Problem is, my pilot friends tell me that the industry-wide assumption is that every time an old lady does something like this it is a diversionary tactic to divert the crew's attention from the real hijackers who are on board. So every problem pax, even old ladies, are in concert with OBL and the "wolf cry" must go out.

Enough with the "better safe than sorry" crap. Time for the FA and the PIC to get therapy and to learn how to effectively communicate with each other.

 

[Garfield1966]

1. Won’t even address the stupidity of your first question.
2. Why point out the obvious. As you have so eloquently done for me, it should be apparent to all that the general media is incompetent. My beef with you and other like you is that my reposting such drivel you are perpetuating the false information. Others who are not as intelligent as your self (LiveInAHotel for instance) will read the article and imply that AA does not have the back bone to prosecute an elderly woman for doing nothing wrong.
3. Believe it or not, I was addressing Hotel and not you for spouting off with engaging his/her brain.
4. Anyone who pts on this board with any regularity knows that I am employed by AA as a FA crew scheduler. If someone wishes to attach any additional importance to that position, that is their problem not mine. I was merely trying to protect my self from divulging anything which I may or may not have been supposed to know. Given the unreliability of the general media, I have no idea what they are speculating about. Like the FBI has never lied to the American People?
5. As painful as this is for me to admit, I do agree with you about the apparent incompetence of the FA and that if this behavior continues, people may suffer as a result.
6. I guess they are pathetic as I have made no such attempt. Like I said, I work as a crew scheduler 8 hours a day 5 days a week. I am just trying to do my part in making sure that what information does get out, is at least somewhat accurate and if you cared one bit about your fellow employees and the future of your employer you would do well to do the same. Try fixing the problem instead of perpetuating it.

 

[Mach85ER]

"it is readily apparent that the PIC overreacted"

FWAAA,

From my perspective as a AA pilot who has flown as a Captain, your last post is one of the most retarded I have ever read on these boards. If you do work at AA, I truly hope you are in a cubicle somewhere buying styrofoam cups for AA and not in any position to do any harm to this company.

I wouldn't be suprised if you did work for AA though. Your post reminds me of a flight I had where we called the company to request the paramedics to meet us a gate arrival for a flight attendant who was having heart problems. she was literally blue in color and near fainting. We got landing priority, rushed to the gate where we were met only by a FA supervisor. He said it costs AA over $200 to call out the airport paramedics.

You don't have a clue about the job of commanding a jet, especially now.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

And your post reminds me of the AA pilot who delayed a departure by 47 minutes because his first class meal hadn't been catered.

We all missed our connections, and AA had to overnight 87 of the 116 passengers on board. I'm trying to weigh the cost of the pilot getting to feed his face vs. the cost of hotels, transportation, communications and meals for 87 people because obviously the pilot didn't give a rat's ass.

Prioritize man!

 

[Mach85ER]

"And your post reminds me of the AA pilot who delayed a departure by 47 minutes because his first class meal hadn't been catered."


Another AA rocket scientist.

Tell me, did you know the last time this guy ate? Was the leg from DFW-AUS or was it a 5 hour transcon? Another typical AA answer. Attack the guy requesting something very necessary for the safety of flight without asking why nobody at the gate or the station has the brains or initiative to solve the problem of no food. I've been in the same situation enough times where you realize that all your OF-25's and calls about missing food gets you nowhere, and the only way to fix the problem is to tell the station you won't leave without meals. I've told a station we needed crew meals, they look around and say "we'll try". I tell them we aren't leaving without crewmeals, they usually get found pretty quickly. 47 minutes is a rarity.It sucks for the passenger caught in the middle but AA has been operation an airline with meals for about 70 years, don't you think it would have figured out the problem by now?

"I'm trying to weigh the cost of the pilot getting to feed his face vs. the cost of hotels, transportation, communications and meals for 87 people because obviously the pilot didn't give a rat's ass."

And I am sure he was weighing the safety risks of flying without food. He was the Captain wasn't he? You weren't, right?


It is a safety of flight item. Decison making capability is impaired when a lack of food is coupled with fatigue.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

BULL! If it was that important, he could have gotten something from any one of the dozen or so snack bars in the gate area and be gone on time.

He was just another union lackey flexing his grip on the airline.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

"JEEZ",

All you guys/gals are in "CODE RED" attack mode, on this topic.

So for fear of gettin' my ass "kicked" by any one of you(Garfield EXCLUDED!!! ), I'm sittin' on the side lines and just watchin' :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

NH/BB's

 

[Garfield1966]

I saw my name, did someone call? What did I miss?

My understanding is that the pilot was unable to contact the cabin crew for an unspecified period of time and at that point declared an emergency. I am guessing that once an emergency is declared, you are not able to say “oops, my badâ€￾ and continue on. One can argue about judgment till blue in the face but in the final analysis, it was a judgment call. If I am driving and hear about an “assaultâ€￾ and am unable to contact the crew afterward, I might get a bit worried. From all I have heard, it would appear that the correct decision was made (at least by the pilot) to overt a possible catastrophe. Good lord, first I agree with FAmikey (where is he anyway?), then I agree with part of a post from Wing, now I am standing up for pilots. What’s next … Bear and I will agree on something ….. shudder?

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Garfield1966,

In another life, (IMHO), you would have been a successful TV personality, on the ANDY GRIFFITH show.

As "Barney Fife" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NH/BB's

(Before you go ballistic, Don Knotts was a succsessful, respected entertainer)