Flight delays are an inevitable component of business travel. Sometimes bad weather is unavoidable. Other times a malfunctioning airplane is the culprit. A computer crash can wreak havoc on flight schedules. The overburdened air traffic control system is often responsible for tardy departures. And runway gridlock may snarl traffic on the ground. But my recent US Airways flight was delayed for a most unexpected and unusual reason: The pilot forgot to show up.
Having dodged the recent snowstorms in Colorado and the Northeast, the tornadoes in the Midwest, the jetBlue meltdown, and the US Airways computer glitch that stranded thousands of passengers, I was feeling quite smug. But my traveler's karma came to a screeching halt that evening in Phoenix.
Boarding time came and went while 90 passengers sat anxiously at the gate. Departure time came and went and we were still sitting there with no explanation. It was one of those annoying, creeping delays where the airline tells you nothing. Babies cried, children whined, and adults grew restless and irritable. And yet the skies were clear. The airplane was parked at the end of the jetway. So why weren't we on board winging our way back to Oakland?
Finally the gate agent addressed the hostile crowd. "For all those passengers waiting to board US Airways flight 2790 to Oakland, we are waiting for our pilot to arrive," she said sheepishly.
Waiting for the pilot to arrive? Of all the bonehead reasons for a flight delay, this one topped them all. OK, now what do we do? "Is there a pilot in the house?" I wanted to shout.
The delay continued. Tensions were rising and mutiny was in the air. Sensing the escalating agitation, the gate agent grabbed the microphone again. "Paging the captain of US Airways flight 2790 to Oakland. Please come to gate 21. Your flight is ready to leave." Her message reverberated through every corner of the airport.
Could paging really solve this problem? Could it magically bring the pilot to his airplane? Perhaps he was stuck in traffic or having car troubles. Perhaps there was a family emergency. Maybe he was lost, or developed amnesia and was wandering from gate to gate trying to recall his own identity and locate his next flight. Or perhaps he was sitting someplace quietly engrossed in a book and he simply lost track of the time.
Then my mind led to more disturbing thoughts: What if the pilot was sitting in the bar on Concourse B, having one more for the road? It would not be the first time a pilot showed up drunk for a flight — just a few years ago two America West pilots were convicted of operating a Phoenix-bound airplane while under the influence (thankfully they didn't get further than the taxiway before police called them back to the gate after being tipped off by an alert security screener who detected alcohol on their breath).
By now I am wondering if I want this pilot to show up after all. I thought about defecting and finding another airline to take me home, but this was the last flight of the day, so I was stranded in Phoenix still not knowing if I was going to get home that evening or not.
Eventually a man dressed like a pilot came dashing up to the gate and was escorted onto the airplane. A few minutes later we were boarding and the worst part of the trip was over...well not quite.
Once in our seats Captain Bryan apologized to the passengers saying that everyone knew what time to arrive for the flight except him and that he had just received the call. Then Bryan promised he would try to make up some of time en route. But after taxiing for another 15 or 20 minutes around the Phoenix runways, Bryan came back on the PA to tell us we were returning to the gate because someone outside the airplane said that it looked like one of our cargo doors might be open.
Now we had crossed the line from annoying inconvenience to scary situation. Don't they check these things before a flight leaves the gate? An unlatched cargo door is no joking matter. Cargo doors blowing open in flight have caused numerous lethal disasters over the years including one of the worst crashes in aviation history when a Turkish Airlines DC10 cargo door blew open after takeoff in Paris killing all 346 people.
So we taxied back to the gate so someone could check the cargo door, and after another lengthy delay we were finally on our way again as I wondered what else could go wrong on an uneventful trip turned nightmare.
We eventually arrived in Oakland a couple of hours late, and now after decades of air travel I know what happens when the pilot doesn't show up for a flight.
What's the strangest reason you've ever heard for a flight delay? Share your stories below.
David Grossman is a veteran business traveler and former airline industry executive. He writes a column every other week on topics of interest and concern to business travelers. E-mail him at
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