More Than A Dozen Refused To Fly After Message Was Discovered On The Airplane

Thirteen flight attendants dismissed by United Airlines after they refused to fly on a flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong have filed a federal complaint asking for reinstatement.

The FAs were scheduled to work United Flight 869 on July 14th. But before the airliner departed, crewmembers found the words "Bye Bye" along with two faces traced in oily residue on the plane's tail. One of the faces was reportedly "devilish," according to a report from USA Today.

The words and pictures were on a section of the plane that was about 30 feet off the ground, meaning some kind of equipment was needed to reach that spot.

The flight attendants demanded that the more than 300 passengers on the plane be removed and re-screened before departure. A supervisor ordered them to fly,and they refused, which  led to the flight being cancelled for lack of a flight crew. The 13 were subsequently fired for insubordination.

The complaint, filed with OSHA, says the FAs should be protected under the same rules that cover whistleblowers in the workplace. They seek reinstatement, back pay, and damages.

(Image from filing documents)

FMI: www.osha.gov