Recent police body cam footage offers more insight on an American Airlines diversion in January that forced a London-bound flight to return to Miami due to a disruptive passenger onboard. The passenger’s apology is really a bit much, though.
Woman Offers Excuses For American Airlines London Diversion
On January 19, 2022 American Airlines AA38 traveling from Miami (MIA) to London (LHR) retuned to Miami roughly 90 minutes after takeoff due a disruptive passenger onboard. American Airlines blamed the diversion on a passenger who refused to wear a mask but refused to provide further details. A police report indicated the passenger was “verbally aggressive” toward flight attendants. The delay on a Boeing 777-300ER full of passengers, must have cost an exorbitant amount of money.
NBC 6 Miami has now obtained police body cam footage of what happened after the plane returned to the gate in Miami.
The problem passenger, Elizabeth Morgan, was brought off first and questioned by a number of law enforcement personnel. She admitted to drinking too much alcohol, adding:
“If I was horrible to somebody on the plane, Oh my God. The thought of the plane turning around because of my behavior. It would break my heart wouldn’t it yeah.
“I lost both my parents the last two years. It’s the first time we have been away and I spent two years in lockdown, started drinking too much, yes so I tend to be a bit of a [Expletive] in complete fairness.”
No charges were filed, either by prosecutors or American Airlines, although a civil penalty has been proposed for her action. She has also been banned for life from American Airlines.
Morgan refused an interview with NBC 6, but did offer the following apology:
“This was only the second flight I have been on for a number of years due to COVID restrictions. I have a condition that affects my sinuses and find it difficult wear a mask for long periods of time. I became overwhelmed by the situation and behaved in a way that is very much out of character. I have apologized for the inconvenience and upset that I caused to the airline crew and other passengers.”
I find her apology very disappointing and not at all moving. It makes me much less likely to wish mercy than had she simply confessed to having too many drinks and taking full responsibility for her actions. Can you really blame your inability to wear a mask on a sinus condition when you admitted to police you had a few too many to drink?
CONCLUSION
I believe a bad apology is worse than no apology at all. I’m not at all moved by Morgan’s excuse and find her contrition to police after AA38 diverted to Miami much more convincing.
I think you underestimate the toll the past two years have taken on many individual’s mental health. It is without a doubt that many abused substances throughout the pandemic for one reason or another. For some, this has carried over into the world we presently find ourselves living.
This isn’t an excuse for her, but an acknowledgment that many had it difficult time with mental health and some have more trouble than you or I in handling that. We need to be cognizant of this when reflecting on such situations.
@Courtney. Completely agree. While everyone has suffered to an extent, and I do believe Matthew understands this first hand, we are just seeing now how devastating the past two years has been on mental health. I’m not giving this woman a free pass. but to dismiss her apology is not appropriate. She didn’t attack or bite anyone. There appears to be nothing related to aggressive physical actions.
I will spare you details but I can assure you personally of the severe effect Covid has had, especially on our youth. As an example Anorexia cases have absolutely gone off the charts. A disease that I have come to learn about all too well.
I am not defending this person, as an adult she must learn better control. But we also need to understand that many people are truly at their wits end, suffering, and often just hanging on.
Dave, let’s not get personal about other commenters.
While I understand the toll that covid may have had on folks I just find these behaviors unacceptable. We all have to acknowledge the mask requirement when you purchase a ticket, you hear it at the airport, you hear it while boarding at the gate and on the plane during the safety announcements. To think that you can go through all of that and then it just doesn’t apply to you isn’t how it works no matter how bad the last few years have been (theres protocols for medical conditions and she should have followed that and accepted whatever the outcome was and made decisions based on that if the trip was worth it if it was a no.
On top of that if you drink this much to cause an international flight to divert because your behavior is this bad maybe instead of going on a vacation they should be looking into rehab facilities.
^^^Courtney- you are 100% correct. The social isolation, isolation akin to a virtue, a lack of normal life events, and contact angst pushed onto the population has take a toll the likes of which is barely known. 25% of young people have contemplated suicide or self-harm in the past year. Alcohol, weed, and prescriptions flowed freely (in MA- weed delivery was even an ‘essential’ service while my favorite local restaurant is now gone forever). The US life expectancy is down 2.5 years compared to 2019, and that is not the result of elder deaths due to covid but the immense number of young people dying of diseases of addiction and despair. You may not like her excuse Matthew- but perhaps the problems behind this are a bit more complex than at first glance.
I have a basic take on masking given being out there in the trenches day in and day out. First, show respect and wear it when appropriate, required and demanded. However, with that said, no flight attendant ever questioned me when it dropped, when sleeping as an example. I have never had an issue on long haul flights especially…often where it becomes less demanded. I spent 8 hours on an SQ flight recently unmasked the entire time while watching movies etc. No one approached me. Few were wearing them. Same on EK where I barely wore it for 13 hours, EY for 10 hours, and others.
And I am actually someone who follows science. Though I do believe that the mask mandate on planes has reached its limit.
The bottom line is, learn to pick your fights. If she was dropping her mask and an over zealous drama AA flight attendant decided to make an issue (which we all know is more than likely), just abide and be done with it. It’s not worth the fight.
Perhaps “Maudlin Misguided Maiden is Merely a Misunderstood Misleading Misanthrope”?
Sorry, that’s still being an idiot and BLAMING OTHERS and that I’M SO SPECIAL, you must bend over backwards because I’M SPECIAL. Get over yourself. YOU KNOW EXACTLY what you’re saying when you’er drunk – you are just pretending you can’t “remember” or gasp that you started using racial epithets (Oh, my! I’ve only heard that word before … I swear!) … so yes, YOU BANNED and if you need mental health repairs, drinking a bunch of alcohol is a solution? Or then blame society for your own issues?? If you cannot function in society, DO NOT go into society. Go see a psychiatrist, or GO TO JAIL. YOU function i society, NOT society functions for you. Idiot. I have been drinking for 20+ years and yes, I’ve gone over the limit but I do not get in a car and drive nor have I NEVER gotten into a fight or punched anyone (or jailed by being drunk) – IT’S VERY SIMPLE.
I blame stupid useless mask requirements and airline employees who think they are the FBI. Just stop with the mask foolishness.
TBH there have been a lot less mask-nazi FA’s since the Omicron era, domestically. International flights have been even more lax.
YMMV.
But yes, mask rules need to go away forever.
No one wants a drunk disease spreading zombie onboard. Does you doc wear a mask when they operate? Yes.
I have asthma. Active asthma. I hate masks.
Flew multiple times since covid started including two transatlantic flights. And I like drinking alcohol in airport lounges pre-flights.
Still I comply with all rules and wear a *bleep*ing mask. This person thinks she’s special.
Right on! people are so happy to book a trip book hotels buy new clothes and spend hundreds on a flight to just act a fool in the plane! top over doing the drinking and sit down and enjoy the flight. Have did 4 trips and not one person was misbehaving on the international flight.
This lady ruined the day for 120 or so other passengers because of her being drunk. This business of letting these people off with a fine or a slap on the wrist. She should be held responsible for the airline’s expenses as well as those of the other passengers who were inconvenienced. This is a typical “Karen” whose excuses of drinking too much and sinus conditions don’t fly. If you can’t wear the mask, if you can’t go without smoking, or if you are drunk, don’t fly!
Toss her in the pokey and hit her with one of those $80K fines. Enough of this BS, it’s been two years already and everyone knows you wear a f’ing mask when you fly. You can spew all your “follow the science!” and “masks don’t work!” bulls*** all you want, but they’re STILL REQUIRED, so WEAR IT YOU F’ING MORONS!
You have to wonder whether such an excuse would be accepted if she had been a black male.
My point ? Either people commit a felony or inconvenience others or they don’t.
Ask me how I know you will not be lucky like that
Thank you for bringing light on an important issue. This mask mandate has been terrible. A lot of rapists and murderers would never have committed these crimes if not losing their minds over the mandate. They are all mentally ill. Let’s us show some compassion.
If wearing a mask is so terrible, can you imagine having to wear a mask and having to wear a towel on the head? That is doubly terrible. I am off course talking about the islamist terrorists from the middle east. They are still mentally ill and should be shown leniency and compassion. How can you no see that someone fighting over 72 virgins is not mentally ill? 72 virgins would be terrible in bed.
Time to release everyone from prison.
I had TB as a kid, and I still have encapsulated tuberculosis bacteria in my right lung. COVID would kill me, even after my second booster and with current treatments.
As a mid-70s boomer who had lived all my life in the same small town, I’m dismayed at the growth of rudeness and incivility over the past 30 years. Politeness and concern for others, which were virtues when I was growing up, have been discarded, and shaming simply doesn’t work. This behavior comes from all ages, sexes, incomes, and races.
I remember when folks behaved as expected because they didn’t want to not only lose their friends but be shunned by the community. Not any longer.
Passengers like this one should be banned from all airlines.
the ground personnel as well as the flight crew should have identified her as someone that should not have boarded the flight if she was truly inebriated, nor should they have served her alcohol if they did—–the airline as well as the crew should be dealt with as this is a violation of the far’s
My wife has cancer. Give her COVID, and she’s in a world of hurt. We would wear masks on planes long before COVID turned it into a “political” issue for some. It’s just simple common sense. Nobody ever gave us grief about it before 2020 — yet now, we can’t go anywhere without some blowhard self-proclaimed “expert” lecturing us on their favorite conspiracy theory, and inferring all kinds of bizarre motives behind our personal choice to wear masks.
Whether mandated or not, masks during a pandemic are first and foremost about basic consideration for the more vulnerable people around you. Those who call the flight attendant a “mask nazi” for enforcing the rules should pause to put themselves in the shoes of an immunosuppressed or elderly person in the next seat.
That being said…. This particular kerfuffle probably had far more to do with drunkenness, and less to do with mask-wearing.
One consequence of mask rules is that every airborne belligerent-drunk incident ultimately ends up being framed in a mask-related context. In most cases, had masks were not been part of the picture, the same drunken individual would probably have found some other way to annoy, offend, or endanger their fellow passengers.
There is no excuse for this behavior. Period. End of discussion.
Please stop excusing inexcusable behavior.
I was targeted and heckled by DAL flight attendants as instructed by the ground manager and supervisor. The harassed me during the flight from Baltimore MD to Salt Lake UT and had my connection ticket canceled. I spent the night and had to fly Alaska Airlines which cost me 4 times the portion of my connection
In almost every case of airline disturbances alcohol was involved. Hint, quit serving the actual root cause of airline passengers liquid courage to act out in an unacceptable manner. Second step would be to remove the bars at the airport. Now you have a plane load of mostly sane individuals that have a clear head and will make sound decisions.