Thu, Feb 11, 2010
Pilots Were Stuck In Traffic Caused By Super Bowl Victory
Parade
United Airlines Flight 263 was
scheduled to depart New Orleans for Los Angeles at 2118 Tuesday
night, but after passengers spent three hours on the plane at
the gate ... the flight was cancelled.
The pilots were reportedly stuck in traffic caused by a victory
parade for the New Orleans Saints, who (in case you hadn't heard)
won the Super Bowl Sunday night.
Television station WWL in New Orleans reports that passengers
were allowed to move around in the plane, and even get off to go
back into the gate area, but the flight was not rescheduled until
Wednesday afternoon. Passenger Dwight Webster told the station "So
all in all, it will be 24 hours before I get home."
United spokesperson Megan McCarthy said "The van that was
supposed to pick up the pilots of the plane was accidentally
misdirected and then caught up in the huge amount of traffic due to
the Super Bowl celebration in New Orleans. The pilots eventually
had to make their own way to the airport, which took a very long
time and delayed them severely.”
McCarthy said that by the time the pilots arrived at the
airport, they were past their duty time and no longer able to fly.
Some passengers said the pilots appeared to be under the influence
of alcohol, but no breathalyzer test was administered. McCarthy
said the accusations of the pilots being drunk were simply "not
true."
The passengers were eventually allowed to reclaim their luggage,
but a promised shuttle to a nearby motel for which they were given
overnight vouchers never arrived. The passengers eventually had to
pay for their own cabs to get to the motel. Said Webster "I'm a
little annoyed right now."
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