Had Been Complaining And Asking For A Bigger Seat

An American Eagle flight from Pensacola, FL to Miami returned to its airport of origin about an hour after takeoff when a female passenger faked an illness, apparently in an effort to get a better seat.

CNN reports that the passenger, who was not named, began complaining about her seat shortly after takeoff. When the cabin crew said they were not able to move her to a different seat, she said she was becoming ill, according to  Pensacola Police Department Public Information Officer Mike Wood.

Rather than continue on to Miami, the pilot turned the plane around and returned to Pensacola after having been in flight for about an hour. On landing, the crew realized that she was faking the illness.

Police were called when the woman refused to get off the plane. The other passengers exited normally, and the flight captain and police eventually got her off the aircraft. The other passengers were then re-boarded, and the plane departed again for Miami at about 7:41 a.m.

The woman was taken into custody under the Baker Act, a Florida law which allows people to be detained who may be suffering from a mental illness. She was not identified due to her status under the Baker Act.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report