Northwest Airlines makes emergency landing, keeps passengers on 10 hours

[Bluebear]

I would think smoke in the cabin would call for an evacuation, but that's just me.

====

Northwest Airlines can't explain why it kept passengers and crew on board a plane for ten hours after an emergency landing.

The plane was headed from Minneapolis to London but it landed in Duluth after a report of smoke in the cabin.

Northwest insists there was no way to get the 255 passengers off the plane.

Our sister station WDIO, in Duluth, shot video 20 minutes after the plane landed Saturday night. It shows stairs to the plane and the door open.

When pushed on the issue, Northwest wouldn't comment further.

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S18577.html?cat=1

[annabanana]

1. The minute our rights as individuals becomes "inconvenient"

to some company or another. OUT THEY GO...

(rescind corporate personhood!)

[ClintonTyree]

2. Ridiculous.........

I would have freaked out and been arrested. There's no way I would calmly remain in my seat through something like that. I never fly Northwestern anyway. Since they laid off so many of their mechanics during their "cost cutting" measures a few years ago you couldn't pay me to fly Northwestern. I don't see aircraft maintenance as an option subject to cost cutting measures.

[malaise]

5. Ditto

There is no way I was staying on that aircraft for 10 hours.

[izzie]

3. That was crazy. I have been in planes enough and

I would have been happy to sit on the steps if there was smoke in the cabin. I really am glad I am never going to fly. I started in the late 40's and last trip was in 1998 and to tell the truth it was easier in the 40's.

[acmejack]

6. I agree with you here.

I first flew in 56 & I last flew in 96 and I will not fly again since they have made it such a pain in the ass. I was actually quite turned off by the "Did you pack your own bags?" bs on my last flight at BWI. I guess I was accustomed to actually being treated like a guest on overseas airlines.

I don't feel the need to go anywhere that badly & if I suddenly do, I really like trains.

[Sherman A1]

4. Oh, I think they have much more explaining to do.

NW needs to be pushed hard on this one. IF there was smoke in the cabin, the FIRST thing you do is get the people off the aircraft. Perhaps our esteemed media will follow up on this, but more likely it will be another buried story as we go to the next alert of a terror cell in "One Tree, Nowhere" that just bought a cell phone and speaks with an accent.

[mtnester]

9. Look over there! A woman with a gel insert in her bra! Stop her!

And BTW, while bra shopping this past weekend, the bras with these inserts have been redesigned for "easier removal."

AT least at VS they have....and the discussions that were going on among women in the dressing rooms about gel bras and the ridiculousness of having to put lip gloss in the trash...the whole RIDICULOUSNESS about airline passenger safety.

FWIW

[Sherman A1]

12. LOL!

Yes, we must frisk all those women because they might be hiding something in their bras! Come on Boys, somebody has to do it!

[Bluebear]

16. ...

:spray:

[frylock]

7. northworst airlines..

some of my worst flying experiences have been with Northwest.

[warrens]

8. Northworst pulled this on me once

Landed in Rochester and stayed on the tarmac for hours. I said,let me the fuck off, I'll rent a car. They lied and said they had no staircases. There was one right near a gate. I pointed it out and they said, we'll call the FBI on you.

[Sherman A1]

11. I would have told them

Let me make the phone call and by the way I will need your name, skippy. I think that would amount to illegal imprisonment if you are held against your will upon their aircraft.

[verse18]

10. WTF-The goal of an emergency landing

Is to get people of the damn plane. That's the flight staffs job.

"Northwest insists there was no way to get the 255 passengers off the plane."

Hello??? Emergency exits anyone?

[WinkyDink]

17. NO WAY to ESCAPE? Well, THERE'S a fine advertisement for you!

Their competitors are making the commercials as we write!

[SeattleGirl]

13. I had to sit on a plane for an hour once while they fixed something

and almost lost it. The air is stale and heavy, and sitting in that little seat for that long was horrible. Having to do that for TEN HOURS? No way. What in the hell is the matter with these people running the airlines?

[ProfessorGAC]

14. I Think They Lie!

The didn't take those passengers off, because a big plane in a small airport has one problem: They couldn't get the people BACK ON THE PLANE! The emergency chutes could easily have been used to get people OFF the plane. But, without a large loader step, or a big enough jetway, they couldn't get them back on.

So, they left people on the plane for 10 hours because it would have been inconvenient to take them off! Customer service at its zenith.

The Professor

[longship]

15. Northwest has a history of this -- Detroit, Jan 3, 1999

On January 3, 1999 NWA's major hub in Detroit was hit by a large snow storm. This stranded upwards of 7,000 passengers in the planes on the taxiways for up to 11 hours. NWA refused to return planes to gates to disembark passengers who had to endure conditions that nobody should have to endure. Food and water ran out, toilets backed up, people were getting sick, and NWA refused to listen to passengers. Why? They didn't want to lose their place in line for take-off; take-offs that were never to happen.

Sounds like NWA needs to lose another class action lawsuit.
Sounds like Congress needs to adopt a airline passenger's bill of rights.

www.globalethics.org/newsline/Members/issue.tmpl?articleid=01140112463163
www.fansoffieger.com/nwairsetl.htm

[pitohui]

18. yeah i was just gonna say

i often fly them so i hate to diss 'em but they have a history of this crap and now they have a strike coming up and they're just real good at screwing up under pressure

[McCamy Taylor]

19. I would want off a plane that caught on fire. I might change airlines.

Couldnt you call this kidnapping?