Last Friday, an American Airlines flight attendant on a Dallas / Fort Worth to Chicago flight kind of “lost it” prior to actual departure.  This flight attendant, seated in the rear of the flight,  used the PA to insist the aircraft wasn’t safe and did so for several minutes.  Flight attendants in the front first tried to use the PA to assure passengers and then went to the rear to address the flight attendant with the help of passengers.  Ultimately, it was determined that this was medical issue, not a security one.

Was the flight at risk?  No.  Passengers were at risk of being inconvenience as a result of the aircraft returning to the gate but there is actually little to nothing that a flight attendant could do to put an aircraft at risk either on the ground or in the air. 

There is no secret button to open doors, for instance.  If they won’t open for passengers, they won’t open for flight attendants. 

It’s unfortunate for this woman to have suffered this break and no doubt she’s likely feeling mortified by today over what happened.  But it isn’t a reflection on American Airlines or the woman that this happened. 

And for those of you on the flight running off to the media and claiming you were in fear for your lives:  grow up and act like an adult.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax