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Pilot Pleaded to Evacuate Passengers

Transportation Secretary Blames Mesaba Airlines for Ordeal

By JOAN LOWY
,
AP
posted: 1 HOUR 4 MINUTES AGO
comments: 269
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WASHINGTON (Aug. 21) -- The pilot of an airliner stranded overnight on an airport tarmac in Minnesota pleaded unsuccessfully for her 47 passengers to be allowed to get off and go inside a terminal. "We just need to work out some way to get them off ... We can't keep them here any longer," she said.
The Transportation Department on Friday released recordings of the repeated appeals by the pilot and her airline's dispatchers earlier this month while passengers were kept waiting for about six hours in the cramped plane amid crying babies and a smelly toilet before they were allowed to deplane.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said an investigation by his department found that u 22816 for Continental Airlines, wasn't at fault in the tarmac stranding.
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Continental Express jets
Pat Sullivan, AP

The U.S. Department of Transportation cleared ExpressJet, a regional carrier, of any wrongdoing for a Continental Express flight that became an ordeal for passengers who were stranded overnight on the plane. The blame, the department said, rested with Mesaba Airlines, which wouldn't let the passengers deplane.

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Instead, blame for the incident, which has revived calls for greater consumer protections for airline passengers, belongs with Mesaba Airlines, whose representative declined to let the ExpressJet passengers deplane, LaHood said in a statement.
A Mesaba representative incorrectly told ExpressJet that the passengers couldn't be allowed inside the terminal because Transportation Security Administration personnel had left for the day, LaHood said.
Actually, security regulations allow for deplaning passengers to be kept in a separate "sterile" area until they are ready to board, he said.
"We have determined that the Express Jet crew was not at fault. In fact, the flight crew repeatedly tried to get permission to deplane the passengers at the airport or obtain a bus for them," LaHood said.
"There was a complete lack of common sense here," the secretary added. "It's no wonder the flying public is so angry and frustrated."
Mesaba was the only airline with staff still at the airport that Friday night.
The plane left Houston at 9:23 p.m. local time on Aug. 7, but was diverted by thunderstorms to Rochester. Passengers were kept waiting on the tarmac only 50 yards from a terminal. In the morning, they were allowed to deplane. They spent about 2 1/2 hours inside the terminal before reboarding the same plane. They arrived in Minneapolis, their destination, after 11 a.m. CDT.
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Embedded video from CNN Video
Mesaba is a subsidiary of Northwest Airlines, which is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. A Delta spokeswoman didn't immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
Continental Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner said in a statement that he was gratified the Transportation Department recognized the ExpressJet crew's efforts to resolve the situation.
The department released audio tapes of the captain explaining the situation to an ExpressJet dispatcher, and dispatchers trying to persuade Mesaba officials to allow passengers inside. Passengers from an earlier flight diverted to Rochester had been allowed to deplane and were taken by bus to Minneapolis, about 85 miles away.
However, Mesaba officials said there were no more buses available.
"I can't get her a bus, I can't do anything," said a Mesaba representative.
"You can't do anything for her? OK," asked the ExpressJet dispatcher.
"No."
"Because she was saying nobody was letting her off the airplane, letting the people off the airplane and all that," the dispatcher continued.
"We can't — I mean we were just able to let these guys off. We can't get them a bus. If I can't secure them a bus, I can't have them in a closed airport," the Mesaba representative replied.
Link Christin, who was on the flight, said the incident was a clear example of why more safeguards are necessary for passengers.
"To me, the critical issue is not who's to blame, but to figure out what happened and how it could be prevented in the future," said Christin, a lecturer at William Mitchell College of Law.
More than a week afterward, Christin said he's started to think about "the fact that so many variables were at play with 47, 48 people, two babies, and the variety of potential catastrophes that could have happened."
"In reflection, I think it's even a more serious matter than I perceived it to be when I was going through it," he said.
Associated Press Writers Nomaan Merchant in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-08-21 13:50:37
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Brachm5

09:39 PMAug 22 2009

GROW SOME BALLS PEOPLE...47 against 3 !!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUH !!!!!!!!!!!!

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WallyPiper41

09:39 PMAug 22 2009

In the state of Minn. I believe the Governor apoints a commission to over see the operation of the local airports. These "commissioners " report to the Mayor. The Mayor"s reports to some one on the Govoners staff. Looks like the "Stranded Passengers/Airlines" and press reporters need to ask the State Governor a few good questions since the "Buck Stops with the Governor".

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aiveschenpp

09:37 PMAug 22 2009

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LTMAC313

09:37 PMAug 22 2009

Like I needed another reason to continue boycotting all air transportation. EXCELLENT!

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(1)

Mgommel

09:36 PMAug 22 2009

I had a wonderful experience on a regional carrier of Delta's. Flying south out of Cincinnati, and only one flight attendant, she stood up front and said all we have to drink is bottled water and my personal favorite, lemonade. I paid good money for this flight and all that is offered is bottled water and lemonade???? I do not drink alcohol or mixed drinks but surely we could have had a better choice.

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PINKREINCARNATE

09:35 PMAug 22 2009

Ijlcap...that's because feminism has brought up boys in single family and two parent working family homes and the boys grew up to be sissys. Men now are so weak that they push baby strollers and wear pink shirts...

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Trold123

09:33 PMAug 22 2009

What I Don't understand is if I want off that airplane how are they going to stop me? I realize staying on the plane was probably the best move since everything off the plane was closed but I'm not in jail. If I want off they better bring lots of help to stop me.

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opentuning123

09:33 PMAug 22 2009

HEY IJLCAPMAN!!!!!!! I fought in the first Gulf War and I'm a Democrat. **** you, you *******.This is a story about an AIRLINE, and you have to somehow make it about politics.I will seriously kick your ******* ass - you *****.

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Isabel7830

09:31 PMAug 22 2009

I would have paid someone $1,000. to start a fight with an attendant. I bet they would have let everyone off the plane then.

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(2)

FFFFFFFEAR

09:29 PMAug 22 2009

RPOM 41144 09:21 PMAug 22 2009 Must be the Bush administration's fault because of the war on terror, right?===============yes if you are a freaking idiot.

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The pilot of an airliner stranded overnight on an airport tarmac in Minnesota pleaded unsuccessfully for her 47 passengers to be allowed to get off and go inside a terminal. We just need to work out some way to get them off ... We can\'t keep them here any longer, she said.