Fistfight on United Airlines Flight to Ghana Leads to F-16 Escort

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Comments

[BannedInBoston]

12:07 PM on 06/01/2011

On board fight? Scramble the F-16s! You know, the airlines could solve this chronic problem by doing two things: 1) Limiting the amount of reclining possible in passenger seats to about half what it currently is. 2) Making an announcement at the start of a flight not just to be considerate of fellow passengers, but specifically to use care when reclining seats. This problem has only been around for, like, 50 years....

[CO777CAPT]

03:12 PM on 06/18/2011

OR, they could increase the seat pitch to a reasonable distance.... but then you'd have to pay more money for your seat, because there would be less seats..... hmmmmmm can't have that... ok, then whats the answer?

[rich3324]

12:10 PM on 06/01/2011

Don't Tread on Me. But you can tread on that guy in 13E, he looks, gay.

[CO777CAPT]

03:14 PM on 06/18/2011

it's the 'teabaggers' who have the money and fly, but i guess you jealous socialist just want to complain today..... barry's trickle up poverty is getting the libs a bit uncomfortable now that they're out of work.

[TXfemmom]

11:38 AM on 06/01/2011

The small area between coach seats is a problem. Not so long ago, I was on a flight and the fellow in front of me reclined his seat. It went back really far, as the fellow as rather stout, and then he took his toddler into his arms and started playing let's hold the baby up and tesit and turn and bounce. His bouncing came within an inch of me...no kidding. I was pinned against my seat by this behavior. The person across the aisle from me spoke up to the guy and said, heh, fellow, all the bouncing and putting your seat back has the poor lady behind you pinned...why don't you stop the bouncing and give her a break? I hadn't said anything at that point. The back of this man's head was virtually in my face when he bounced. Finally, I did stop a flight attendant, motioned for her to stoop down and quietly asked her if this was acceptable, as in the bouncing and jostling and I couldn't even hold a beverage in my hand because of his behavior and forget putting down the tray. She shrugged her shoulders, said she couldn't ask him to stop, so I smiled sweetly at her and aske for a black cup of coffee, and she winced. How could she deny me a cup of coffee and say I couldn't have it because Mr. Jerk was taking up all my space? She sent another flight attendant back to sweetly ask the fellow to at least stop the boucing and pounding stuff and could he please put the seat up a little? He refused, so then the fellow in front of the offender put his seat back all the way and began to bounce in his seat and the guy got a taste of his own medicine. It was a group effort to get this guy to behave. Since then, I purchased a gadget which slips onto the seat back in front of you which prevents the seat from reclining all the way and the FAA and the airlines, so far do not have a policy against using them. It does permit the seat to recline a little, but not enough to eat into someone else's space.

[barts]

11:38 AM on 06/01/2011

test

[CO777CAPT]

03:14 PM on 06/18/2011

test fail.... go to FOX for truth!

[Meggie]

11:28 AM on 06/01/2011

Sometimes I feel like such a pushover. I apparently did not react aggressively enough when that large person wanted to put the armrest up and use some of my space. And I absolutely did not respond aggressively enough when that guy who would remind you of Charlie Brown's Pigpen was dropping dander all over in a great big circle around him. YOu start the day thinking the black slacks will be easiest to travel in, and then you get stuck sitting next to this guy...

[BannedInBoston]

11:56 AM on 06/01/2011

Then there are the crying babies....

[Meggie]

11:53 AM on 06/02/2011

LOL clear that we all gave up on that one when we were willing to spend hundreds on big bulky "noise cancelling" headphones.

[beauwulff]

11:20 AM on 06/01/2011

Airlines should just stuff in additional rows of seats so no seat can recline. Problem solved! More revenue!! Win-win!!!

[Meggie]

11:29 AM on 06/01/2011

I actually read once that one of the airlines was considering standup space. Strap you onto a board and you stay there for the flight. It might have been Ryan Air.

[beauwulff]

11:48 AM on 06/01/2011

lol. I think Ryan Air would strap people to the wings if they could get away with it.

[otop016]

12:19 PM on 06/01/2011

Interestingly enough, Ryan Air is ordering their new planes with non-reclining seats...they weigh less which equates to fuel savings over time and, as an added benefit, prevents the type of occurrence being described here.

[CO777CAPT]

03:15 PM on 06/18/2011

excellent idea,... i'll forward that for you

[ge971]

10:46 AM on 06/01/2011

How much more comfortable can you get by reclining that lousy seat another inch or maybe two?
It's rude to recline on a crowded flight with a full row behind you.
I take all of the junk out of the seat back pocket to get more room for my knees.

[GravitonX]

10:12 AM on 06/01/2011

American security = Keystone cops

[CO777CAPT]

03:17 PM on 06/18/2011

yeah, did you hear about the guy who stole someone elses ID, got a job at American Eagle as a flight attendent, and the only reason he got caught was because when he applied for food stamps he was rejected because 'he had a job as a flight attendent'.
You see? barry's security is working..... soon, we'll be very secure

[HankyJoe]

09:52 AM on 06/01/2011

Those two knuckleheads should be forced to pay for the cost of the fuel and both should be forced to take anger management classes together.

[CO777CAPT]

03:18 PM on 06/18/2011

they should be banned for life from any airline

[sixyfivepercentwater]

09:43 AM on 06/01/2011

Fuel dump? Fighter jets? How do you spell "over-react?"

[CO777CAPT]

03:21 PM on 06/18/2011

obviously you've never been in a position of responsibility.... the Captain 'signed' for that airplane. he has the airplane, employees and passengers.... let's see, airplane, $225,000,000, 300 passengers, 14 flight attendents, 1 to 5 other pilots.... yeah, it all rests on his shoulders. now, what was it that you do?

[anothervoice]

09:28 AM on 06/01/2011

AOL link. False alarm.

[dtairtime]

09:23 AM on 06/01/2011

Nobody fly's who doesn't know we have reclining seats.

You should expect the person in front of you to recline if they want to.

Nobody should expect that person to not do so, just because the person behind may not like it.

Both parties paid for things just the way they are now - if you want seats to not recline then get the airlines to stop making them that way. Until then you have no choice but to tolerate it or buy first class.

It's really no different then sitting down on a plane and expecting a steak and wine instead of peanuts. You know you aren't getting them unless YOU shell out lots more for that privilege AND the airline tells you they will give them to you. Just as you know you aren't getting the person in front of you wanting to sit straight up all the time. Your choice fly or drive.

[avon96734]

05:09 PM on 06/01/2011

I agree with you. I don't like it when the person in front of me puts their seat down, but then I thought about it and realized it's selfish of me to expect them not to. The seats are made to recline, and really, the 2 inch recline isn't much anyway. How can I expect them not to? The flight across the Atlantic to Africa is miserable. I decided that I'll recline my own seat only if I notice the person in back of me also reclined their seat. I think that's fair.

[KidShalleen]

09:23 AM on 06/01/2011

How about making the dunces pay for the lost fuel,
wasted time, and the cost of scrambling those F-16's.
That would teach'em a lesson, doncha tink!?!?.

[sixyfivepercentwater]

09:44 AM on 06/01/2011

Sure. Whoever ordered those things should pay for them. But the passengers didn't order them.

[BannedInBoston]

12:12 PM on 06/01/2011

Say, stew, can I have a brace of F-16s with those peanuts? Oh yeah, and dump some fuel while you're at it?...

[djfick]

09:05 AM on 06/01/2011

Links to links! Gotta love the gripping journalism.

[The Dude67]

08:59 AM on 06/01/2011

"They were just following typical procedures when you have disturbances. It's pretty commonplace whenever there's an airspace violation." --- This was SOP prior to 9/11 as well. Sort of makes one wonder why NORAD was Johnny on the spot over a fist fight but took 88 minutes to scrabble the first F-16 after receiving a report from the FAA confirming a probable full hijacking. ☮

[Sad But True]

09:00 AM on 06/01/2011

Comparing a post-9/11 world to a pre-9/11 world is ridiculous. There was never a realistic chance that F16s could have blown all of the hijacked flights out of the air. Let it go.

[The Dude67]

09:46 AM on 06/01/2011

It's not ridiculous for one sliver of protocol - which is there are ALWAYS fighter jets on alert ready to scrabble. There were 20 F-16s (6 in Canada) on full alert at all times. The official story as to why they didn't respond was the alert fighters were sent on 4 separate training exercises that day. Between sept 2000 and june 2001 jets were scrambled to intercept 67 times. Additionally, there was a very interesting change in protocol for 'interceptions' put in place in June of 2001 - specifically that permission for intercepts (for suspected hijacked aircraft only) must come directly from the Sect of Defense - at the time - Donald Rumsfeld. Educate yourself.

[CO777CAPT]

03:23 PM on 06/18/2011

wrong

[frank day]

09:06 AM on 06/01/2011

Lots of questions still unanswered.