Flashermac Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 A frazzled flight attendant freaked out at passengers who were furious about a five-hour flight delay at LaGuardia, The Post has learned. American Eagle attendant Jose Serrano got so agitated at one point that the six-year veteran dared terrified passengers get off the plane if they “had the balls†to do it, witnesses said. “I’ve been in five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan,†said 47-year-old Army veteran Scott Custer. “I’ve been in combat and I’ve never felt anxiety like I did sitting on that plane.†The plane pandemonium on Monday — which comes on the heels of several high-profile air-rage incidents — was set in motion when passengers on a scheduled 1:25 p.m. flight to Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina were prevented from boarding until nearly 4 p.m. because of rain. Then, as flight 4607 headed toward takeoff, the aircraft got stuck behind 20 other planes lined up on the runway. After 40 minutes, the pilot turned the plane around to refuel — igniting the ire of passengers, who were forced to get off at the gate. It was nearly 6 p.m. by the time the plan was fueled up and passengers were allowed to re-board. But still, the flight wouldn’t leave. “People were getting really amped up at this point,†said passenger Jon Wurster, drummer at the indie rock band Superchunk. “It took forever to get back on the plane. The fuses were getting pretty low.†That’s when the flight attendant Serrano began confronting grumbling passengers, making them anxious, according to witnesses. Several of them told The Post they had smelled booze on his breath. Then Serrano exploded, shouting over the intercom: “If anyone has the balls to want to get off, I’ll let you get off! Get off!†according to witnesses. “I’m not responsible for the weather!†“I don’t care anymore. This is probably my last flight,†Serrano sputtered, according to several passengers. Wurster, the drummer, said, “I think other people might have taken that to mean, ‘Who knows what he’s going to do when we get in the air.’ †“It reminded me of that incident when the flight attendant took some beers and parachuted down the†emergency exit chute, Wurster said. David Abels, 52, who was flying with his 9-year-old daughter, Hannah, said Serrano was “rude to everybody.†“He’s being abusive verbally, my daughter was crying,†Abels said. Several passengers refused to take off with Serrano on board — and at least three families left the plane with their kids, sources said. Port Authority cops were called to investigate and questioned several witnesses, including Serrano. Federal Aviation Administration officials also were notified and started investigating the incident yesterday, a source said. No arrests were made. The flight finally was canceled after 8 p.m. A law-enforcement source told The Post that the flight was canceled because the plane did not have the required number of flight attendants, after Serrano was removed for questioning. But American Eagle claimed the cancellation was due to strong rain. The airline, as a matter of policy, refuses to reimburse passengers for hotel expenses if their flight is rescheduled or canceled due to weather. Airline spokesman Ed Martelle said American Eagle — the regional arm of American Airlines — is investigating the incident. Martelle also said officials have determined that Serrano was not drinking. However, he conceded that the flight attendant was not given a breathalyzer test. “From what we can determine, this is just kind of a group dynamic that got out of control because of weather delays and things like that,†Martelle said. “He has been with the company for six years and has an exemplary record. And basically, it appears that the situation with the passengers became so intense that he actually began to cry.†Serrano could not be reached for comment. Video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Where was the air marshall to take this bozo into custody? ohhhh, that's for passengers only!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horneytorney Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 "a kind of group dynamic...." the speaker should be fired too! domestic US flights are among the worst in the world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Amateurs - QANTAS could show those Yanks a thing or two - this was prior to the infamous terminal closures that saw many declare they will never fly with the big red Kangaroo again. Passengers forced to sleep on floor QANTAS passengers, including 30 from Adelaide, had to spend the night on the floor in Hong Kong airport. The airline said it could not find accommodation anywhere in the city for the stranded passengers. They endured a 12-hour wait after flight QF30 from London to Melbourne was grounded on Thursday night due to a mechanical issue with the plane, a Qantas spokeswoman said. A passenger onboard the flight told The Advertiser last night that the plane was delayed in Hong Kong for 15 hours on Thursday night after making a scheduled stopover. The man from Adelaide, who did not want to be named, said passengers were told they could not complete their journey to Australia due to an unspecified mechanical fault. He said passengers were told accommodation could not be found and that people had to sleep on the ground or across chairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 That's actually are rather comfy looking floor. I slept on bare concrete floors in airports a few times in the Army, but I was a bit younger then. Also, I wasn't paying for the flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 I'm kinds glad I wasnt on any of the flights you were subjected to - even if they were 'free'. The RAAF flew me to NZ on a Herc in the early 90s and that made the worst commercial flight I've ever been on seem like First Class on Singapore Airlines. We were given a charming briefing by the aircraft handler on board advising us that if the cargo shifted in flight we could all die - reassuring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baa99 Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 “I’ve been in five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan,†said 47-year-old Army veteran Scott Custer. “I’ve been in combat and I’ve never felt anxiety like I did sitting on that plane.†Wow! IEDs and snipers are no problem for that vet, but a 5 hour delay has him agitated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamui Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 “I’ve been in five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan,†said 47-year-old Army veteran Scott Custer. “I’ve been in combat and I’ve never felt anxiety like I did sitting on that plane.†Wow! IEDs and snipers are no problem for that vet, but a 5 hour delay has him agitated. That's airline PTSD. Seems to be a new illness, mostly affecting US airline crews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 That's airline PTSD. Seems to be a new illness, mostly affecting US airline crews. The comment was made by Scott Custer a passenger not Jose Serrano the flight attendant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Good point Mekong. I also suspect that said passenger might have dealt with that delay a whole lot better BEFORE he had been subjected to life in 2 warzones. Personally, I'll take 5 hours stuck in a terminal over even one hour of being forced to remain on the plane as it sits on the tarmac. Claustrophobic and bloody annoying when you can see the terminal building from your seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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