Sat, Aug 22, 2009
ExpressJet Crew Not Responsible For Keeping Passengers Onboard
Overnight
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood announced Friday that his department has concluded the
preliminary phase of its investigation into the Aug. 8 tarmac delay
by Continental Airlines on a flight operated by ExpressJet
Airlines. Passengers were stranded in a plane on the ground in
Rochester, MN from 12:28 a.m. to about 6:00 a.m. with only pretzels
provided by the carrier to eat.
"We have determined that the ExpressJet 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," Secretary
LaHood said. "The local representative of Mesaba Airlines
improperly refused the requests of the captain to let her
passengers off the plane. The representative incorrectly said that
the airport was closed to passengers for security reasons, which
led to this nightmare for those stuck on the plane," he said.
Mesaba is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines, which is
a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.
The representative of Mesaba - the only carrier able to assist
Continental at the airport - said that the airport was closed to
passengers, apparently because there was no one from the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) available to screen
passengers. In fact, TSA procedures allow passengers to get off the
plane, enter the terminal and re-board without being screened again
as long as they remain in a sterile area.
Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood
"There was a complete lack of common sense here," Secretary
LaHood said. "It's no wonder the flying public is so angry and
frustrated."
Members of the Department's Aviation Enforcement Office interviewed
passengers, the flight crew, airport personnel and others with
knowledge of the situation. They also listened to audio recordings
from the aircraft and the dispatcher. In addition, Continental's
customer service commitment, contingency plan for flight delays and
contract of carriage were reviewed.
"This is one of the most thorough investigations ever conducted by
the Department's Aviation Enforcement Office," LaHood
said.
The Aviation Enforcement Office is
considering the appropriate action to take against Mesaba as it
completes the investigation, which it expects to conclude within a
few weeks. The Department has proposed regulations requiring
airlines to adopt contingency plans for lengthy tarmac delays and
to incorporate these plans in their contract of carriage, and asked
for comment on whether it should set a uniform standard of time
after which carriers would be required to allow passengers to
deplane. The findings from this investigation will be used to help
formulate a final rule that will provide better protection for
airline passengers.
Finally, the preliminary investigation showed that while the crew
of the ExpressJet flight did all it could to assist the passengers,
more senior personnel within Continental or ExpressJet should have
become involved in an effort to obtain permission to take the
passengers off the plane.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Delta CEO Richard Anderson
said in a statement Friday that he has contacted Contentental
Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner to "ensure we fully understand the
facts of this unfortunate incident. Delta is working with Mesaba to
conduct an internal investigation, continue our full cooperation
with the DOT and share all the facts with Continental."
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