US flight canceled after pilot's foul language

[janbo1960]

An American airliner canceled a flight set to leave from Las Vegas to Detroit after the captain swore on a mobile phone in a bathroom, then at one of the passengers on the plane.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, Ian Gregor, said the incident happened on a Northwest Airlines Flight on Friday.

"He used what was described to me as rude language," Mr Gregor said.

"At some point during the boarding process, he left the cockpit, went into the front lavatory, locked the door and continued his conversation.

"Passengers who were boarding the aircraft could hear his end of the conversation through the lavatory door."

When the captain emerged from the bathroom, one of the 180 passengers confronted him about his behavior, reportedly prompting more swearing from the pilot.

Local police questioned the captain, whose name was not released, and determined there was no cause to conduct a sobriety test.

But Northwest canceled the flight and flew the pilot back to his base in Detroit.

The airline said it expected to get the last of the delayed passengers to their destinations by Sunday.

"Northwest is conducting a review of the matter and has apologised to its customers for the inconvenience," the company said in a statement.

"Northwest has provided impacted customers with meals and hotels. In recognition of the inconvenience, they will receive compensation from Northwest Airlines."

[faceless]

Unbelievable - these idiots on the plane would rather get the guy pulled off his job than get to where they're going? I hope these ultra-moralistic arseholes appreciated their righteousness as they sat there waiting for another pilot like a bunch of lemon-sucking twats, causing so many others to be delayed also.

Whoever complained about this needs punched in the head.

[IRiSHMaFIA]

How bloody asinine. Everybody's cursed when upset and I'm sure you'd not find 1 out of 180 that haven't. They were just looking for a freebie and would rather see a man pulled from his job to get it. Hope they feel good about themselves as this will probably go on his record and effect the rest of his career.

[faceless]

I don't think it's even as intelligent as getting a free ticket - I' guess it was just one self-imposed moral guardian who will be responsible for this and who is probably sitting there now with the thought "I did do the right thing" going round and round in his head in a vain attempt to ignore the memory of the looks on the faces of all the people he caused to be delayed.

[eefanincan]

I agree with you both on this. I've taken this flight a few times, and can assure you it's a busy one. While I can see that you might not like someones language, he really wasn't doing it in the line of duty (at least with the cell phone cal) and, while not nice, it really doesn't impair his ability to fly the aircraft.

[Skylace]

I have to agree with everyone else. This is just plane stupid.

[Marcella-FL]

SO what was the offense? Swearing? hmmmm .... outrageous

[nekokate]

[Kezza]

Because one person is insulted, that should impact and inconvenience the rest of the passengers? Ridiculous.

I would have loved to have found the complainer's hotel room and yelled expletives outside the window and door -- maybe that would have resulted in shutting down an entire hotel.

[girldorksrule]

Morons.