• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  News • United Airlines  >  United Pilot Removed for Odd Onboard Rant
NewsUnited Airlines

United Pilot Removed for Odd Onboard Rant

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 12, 2017February 12, 2017 10 Comments

A pilot was removed from a United Airlines flight from Austin to San Francisco on Saturday after using the plane’s PA system to vent about her recent divorce, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton.

United Pilot Removed
Sylvia N’guessan / youtube.com

The A319 captain boarded United 455 late and out of uniform — she was wearing a green cap, green sweater, blue jeans, and flip-flops. Over the PA system, she apologized for being late and then began rambling. First she asked if passengers cared that she was out of uniform. Next she mentioned she was going through a messy divorce. Then she looked at a interracial couple sitting in first class and said, “Look, I don’t care if you voted for Trump or Clinton, they’re both assholes.”

By this point many passengers began to get nervous. Sensing it, the disgruntled pilot stated, “So I’ll stop, and we’ll fly the plane. Don’t worry. I’m going to let my co-pilot fly it. He’s a man.”

That made passengers even more nervous. She then added, “OK, if you don’t feel safe get off the plane, but otherwise we can go.” One man immediately jumped up and was followed by 20 more.

Sensing something was deeply wrong, the flight was further delayed and a new crew summoned. The captain was escorted off by police. A replacement crew was brought in and the flight departed two hours late:

United Pilot Removed from flight 2

United Pilot Removed from flight 3
A passenger who had already left the flight out of fear for his safety snapped this photo / Randy Reiss / Twitter

A passenger video of the incident was posted but promptly placed in private mode on YouTube.

One Passenger’s Account

One first class passenger, Randy Reiss, witnessed the incident. Live tweeting, he added-

So, y’all. I’m shaking right now. I just left my @united flight 455 ‘cos the captain demonstrated that she was not mentally in a safe space.

She got on in street clothes and asked if we were ok with her flying like that. We all said okay. Cute, right?

So then she says “sorry, I’m going through s divorce.” Ummm uh oh

Then she identified an interracial couple in first class, I think in an effort to say “yay unity” but it was was awkward.

Then she’s like “I don’t care if you voted for Trump or Clinton. They’re both assholes.”

At that point, I was like “YOOO!!!!”

And she looks at me and is like ” Did I offend you, sir? I apologize. You don’t have to fly if you’re not comfortable.”

So I jumped up and was like “peace, out.”

Oh wait, at some juncture she said she was gong to be on Oprah

Anyway… I stormed off. It took a few, but half the flight followed my [lead]

They were going to rebook us. But now they are delaying us 1 1/2 hours till we get a new captain.

I hope she gets the help she needs. That was scary as fuck. Back to the @united lounge for relaxing cheese cubes.

So, she’s off the flight.

WE HUGGED GOOD-BYE Y’ALL

She was crying. She apologized. I wished her well & said I hope she gets the help she needs.

I kid u not, her parting words: “We should be on show together. We should write a book.” OMG.

New captain on board. Apologized. Professional. We’re off. Radio silence. RIP my Twitter mentions. Xxxo to the world!

CONCLUSION

Weiss added, “Being a pilot is a tough & stressful job. This particular pilot did not seem emotionally equipped to do that job today. I hope that she gets the help she probably needs.” He’s right.

A very sad story — the captain sounds like she is deeply troubled. I hope that she gets the help she needs and I wish her the best. I can tell you I would have also stepped off that flight. How about you?

(H/T FlyerTalk)

Previous Article Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: February 11, 2017
Next Article Review: London to Cairo in EgyptAir 777-300 Business Class

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • United Airlines Abortion Dobbs

    United Airlines Strikes A Neutral Tone On Landmark Supreme Court Abortion Decision

    June 24, 2022
  • United Airlines JFK Expansion

    United Airlines Wants To Grow At New York JFK

    June 24, 2022
  • US Airlines Stimulus Bill

    United Airlines Will Cut Newark Flights In July

    June 23, 2022

10 Comments

  1. Marc Reply
    February 12, 2017 at 7:33 am

    Terminate her. Actions have consequences. No excuses. If we let this slide, why not let drunk drivers get behind the wheel.

  2. Iris Wells Reply
    February 12, 2017 at 9:04 am

    Her behavior reflects much more than marital woes, and should never be able to fly, much less pilot a plane, as her behavior is not only scary, but down right dangerous! Extreme vetting should be implemented within all airlines, to assure the public’s safety (and soon) before something very
    bad happens!!!! Perhaps she would best suited for a job at UC Berkeley.

  3. Sexy_Kitten7 Reply
    February 12, 2017 at 11:53 am

    Very sad. I also feel bad for her.

    On a related note, a captain yesterday mentioned that the FO would be doing all the flying (this is before we even left SAN). It struck me as an odd thing to say. We know that they have the same qualifications and switch off regularly but the general public doesn’t. Granted, I used to think captain was just a fancy name for pilot, so maybe the distinction didn’t matter.

  4. Peter Nelson Reply
    February 12, 2017 at 3:41 pm

    ” Extreme vetting should be implemented within all airlines, to assure the public’s safety (and soon) before something very
    bad happens!!!! ”

    We have no idea what’s in her past or whether any sort of “extreme vetting” (whatever that means) would have predicted it. Pilots are human beings with the whole range of human emotional responses that our species possesses. Not everyone who’s in a bad or unstable emotional state acts out as outrageously as that pilot did. As a result we’ve all probably flown plenty of timers with pilots where were just as dangerously unstable as she was but kept it to themselves.

    Over the years there have been several incidents where a mentally unstable pilot deliberately crashed his airplane – in some cases a retrospective revealed things we might have caught, in other cases, not. There’s not much that passengers can do when we place our lives in the hands of a human being so best not to worry about it.

  5. Carl S Reply
    February 12, 2017 at 4:19 pm

    OMG! Saw the video of her ‘speech’. First thought was of the ill-fated GermanWings flight! It was a good thing she made her state of mind known BEFORE the flight took off! OMG! Hope her license is yanked for good. Frightening to even think what could have taken place in that cockpit after they got airborne! OMG!

  6. Carl S Reply
    February 12, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    P.S. Yes, Matthew, I certainly would have quickly done the odds in a nono second and opted to leave the gambling table. Would have alighted that aircraft even without my carry on. What a nightmare, but best to have gotten a heads up!

  7. Steve Reply
    February 13, 2017 at 3:56 pm

    Anyone who got off that plane because the female captain had the meltdown is a coward. YOLO!

  8. Steve Reply
    February 13, 2017 at 3:57 pm

    OK…I was kidding. Glad she was replaced and I also hope she is OK. I am terrified of flying as it is. I would have been the first one off the plane.

  9. Airline pilot Reply
    February 16, 2017 at 6:01 pm

    There is zero chance that the flight attendants and first officer would have allowed that plane to move after that PA announcement. It was a fast moving situation, but the first officer was likely talking to operations while she was on the PA.

    The Captain will never fly a passenger aircraft again. Unfortunate, but there is no room for that in the airline business.

  10. Pingback: United Captain Kicked Off Flight For INSANE Behavior - One Mile at a Time

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Airbnb Gran Canaria
    My Airbnb Casa In Gran Canaria, Spain June 25, 2022
  • World’s Most Powerful Flight Attendant Condemns Supreme Court Abortion Ruling June 25, 2022
  • Alaska Airlines Will Offer Free Abortion Flights To Employees June 25, 2022
  • A Visit To Poema Del Mar Aquarium In Las Palmas, Gran Canaria June 25, 2022

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Delta Korean Air First Class Mistake Fare
    Delta Considers $2,700 A Mistake Fare… June 18, 2022
  • United Airlines Honolulu Diversion
    Update: United Airlines 787-9 Diverts To Honolulu Due To Disruptive Passenger June 16, 2022
  • Delta Pilots Open Letter
    Delta Air Lines Pilots Offer Direct Appeal To Customers June 18, 2022
  • Flaunting Woman Struts Up and Down The Aisle On My Austrian Flight June 9, 2022

Archives

June 2022
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« May    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Posting....