Flight canceled after pilot drops F-bombs

[William33 110]

Nice demeanor....

ROMULUS, Mich. - A Northwest Airlines flight was canceled because the pilot was yelling obscenities during a cell phone conversation while people were boarding, and cursed at one passenger, a federal official said Saturday.

The pilot of the Las Vegas-to-Detroit flight was apparently in a heated cell phone conversation in the cockpit, then went into a lavatory, locked the door and continued the conversation, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said Saturday.

“Passengers who were boarding the aircraft could hear his end of it,” Gregor said. Las Vegas police were sent Friday to McCarran International Airport to investigate, Gregor said. Authorities were told that the pilot cursed one passenger who confronted him, Gregor said.

"He was having a fit, swearing up a storm," a passenger on the flight told CNN. "He was saying 'F this' and 'F that.'"

When confronted about it by passengers, the pilot became "obscene" and began cursing at the customers, she said. "He made a big disturbance."

There were 180 passengers and five crew on the flight to Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Northwest Airlines Corp. said in a statement.

The name of the captain, who Gregor described as a veteran pilot, wasn’t released.

Gregor said Northwest removed the pilot from the aircraft and returned him to his home base in Detroit for an investigation. He said it was up to Northwest to determine what would happen to the pilot.

Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest issued an apology to passengers and said the incident was under review.

Passengers were accommodated on other flights to their destinations, the airline said. They also were given meals and hotels during any additional time in Las Vegas.

The FAA plans to follow up with Northwest about the outburst, Gregor said.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17999127/?GT1=9246

[Otto 83]

divorce will do that to ya.....

(educated guess )

[Mirorgate 0]

I didn't know pilots weren;t human and apt to make mistakes at times

[MichelleandCraig 1]

I didn't know pilots weren;t human and apt to make mistakes at times

Very true...BUT...I'm already a nervous flyer. Maybe you'd be ok with it, but I wouldn't want to get on a flight where one of the pilots, of all people, was acting like *that*! NO way! M.

[LuzyC 0]

At least North West did the right thing. I wouldn't want to fly with a pilot that out of it.

ETA Opps. This is Gary, Luz didn't change the log in back.

Edited April 8, 2007 by LuzyC

[Nagishkaw 510]

I live very close to Romulus. I was wondering what all the racket and cursing was all about when I stepped outside . I think I heard him all the way to my house!

[babybunny 2]

I think he was on the phone with the department of state and one of them cows on the phone told him he was on admin. processing again! oh well he is human F kin get over it ,,,,lol

[Fuzzness 2]

what else would you expect from an american pilot

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

the fact that this happened on Northwest does not not surprise me

[Ladylethal 12]

Maybe he was on the misinformation line.

I wouldn't want to fly with a pissed off pilot either.

[Otto 83]

what else would you expect from an american pilot

?

[ChristinaM 0]

I would say it's a good thing he didn't get to fly that plane - who knows what the circumstances were? I know I tend to get a lot more irritable (and my language a LOT more salty!) when I'm tired....

[eric&gen 0]

That kind of behavior is unacceptable especially when your responsible for other peoples lives. He should leave his problems outside the job.

[meauxna 15]

the fact that this happened on Northwest does not not surprise me

ha ha, that was exactly my first thought!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

yeah -- as an airlines, they certainly know how to tell passengers to #### off -- maybe not always in so many words but this guy may have been the exception. Worst airline EVER!