TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Stranded By Northwest, Passenger Takes Car
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Published: July 22, 2008
On Sunday afternoon, when Detroit-bound passengers stuck in the Dayton, Ohio, airport, learned their plane's repairs would take until 6 p.m., Margaret Hedgepeth rented a car and high-tailed it out of there.
Hedgepeth, 37, of Palm Harbor, had had enough.
The Northwest Airlines Tampa-to-Detroit flight had already been delayed half an hour on takeoff. Then, approaching Dayton, passengers heard over the public address that they had to make an emergency landing. Then they put down in the middle of an air show. Then there were questions on when or whether they would take off again.
"When we landed, we were greeted by a firetruck that just kind of stared at us while they looked at the engine," Hedgepeth said. "No one said anything to us, so we were left to wonder. I was sitting over the wing, so I could see everything."
She decided to drive to Detroit, thinking she could make the three-hour trip quicker than the plane.
She was right. The other passengers later were put on buses for Detroit and arrived nearly two hours after her.
The plane was forced to land when a computer for one of the engines failed, said Northwest spokeswoman Leslie Parker. The crew shut down the engine and landed as a precaution. The problem with the computer has not been explained, Parker said.
The delay in Tampa had nothing to do with the computer problem, she said. Passengers were told it was a hydraulics problem.
Hedgepeth didn't like the sound of that.
"You know it's not good," she said. "I don't even know much about cars, and I know that isn't good."
Once the plane took off, it was smooth flying with no turbulence. That's why Hedgepeth was surprised to hear that the plane was making an emergency landing in Ohio.
Passengers began chit-chatting about what could be wrong. Soon after, another announcement was made saying it was not a major emergency.
Flight attendants made sure all baggage was stored properly and that everyone was buckled in and upright.
Once the plane was on the ground, Hedgepeth said, a man in her row exhaled as if he had been holding his breath the whole time. Then he said, "I've never been so scared in my life."
Passengers weren't informed about anything until 30 minutes later when they were allowed to exit the plane around 1 p.m.
Marcy Wright, spokeswoman for Dayton International Airport, said having firetrucks, firefighters and police officers on scene is protocol for emergency landings.
A Northwest Airlines official was present at the airport to explain the condition of the plane to the passengers and hand out food vouchers and vouchers for $25 off their next Northwest flight.
Some passengers stuck around to watch the air show, others became angry when Northwest Airlines wouldn't release their luggage. Hedgepeth only had one carry-on bag and grabbed it.
There was some confusion in the airport as well, Hedgepeth said. One passenger who didn't speak English left the airport thinking he was in Detroit only to return about an hour later when he figured it out.
After an hour and a half of waiting, she rented the car.
She said she thought Northwest Airlines handled the problem as best it could. Still, she thought passengers should have been told emergency equipment and personnel would be on the tarmac when they arrived. Not knowing beforehand spooked her.
And she noted that Northwest Airlines would not pay for rental cars.
"I was a little surprised they weren't more willing to pay for expenses. I didn't have to worry about it because I'm on business, but a lot of people were traveling on their own money."
Reporter Jessica DaSilva can be reached at (813) 259-7851 or jdasilva@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( Zipnby ) on July 22, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
That's the problem these days. It's not Northwest Airlines fault. Why should they pay?
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Posted by ( Claylisa ) on July 22, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
"One passenger who didn't speak English left the airport thinking he was in Detroit only to return about an hour later when he figured it out."
Why does this remind me of 'The Terminal" with Tom Hanks? He's lucky he didn't end up getting tased or something.
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Posted by ( markyn11 ) on July 22, 2008 at 2:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
You gotta be kidding me a $25 discount voucher, oh thank you very much. I voluntarily gave up my Denver to Tampa non stop seat on Frontier because they over booked in lieu of taking a flight 1 hour later with a stop in Atlanta and was given a $400 voucher for that. The whole thing got me into Tampa 3 1/2 hours later then I would have originally. These poor people thought the plane was going to crash, landed in a different city then their destination, and to make things worse they had to take a bus the rest of the way which took longer then the flight would have. 25 bucks what a joke.
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Posted by ( Quagmire ) on July 22, 2008 at 2:41 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Let that be a lesson to you non english speaking passenger. Learn English!
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Posted by ( MrShrek ) on July 22, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Good one Claylisa...Tazed nd locked down for a week, then turned loose in an airport to fend for himself....Bet he'll go out of his way to learn English pronto, LOL
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Posted by ( kiddingme ) on July 22, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Good one Quagmire!!! LMFAO
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Posted by ( Tampa610 ) on July 22, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Quagmire - Maybe that person who didn't speak English isn't a resident of the US. I had a similar incident happen to me on a train in France because I didn't speak French.
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Posted by ( noodles76 ) on July 22, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Big deal. This is a non-story. It happens every day in America.
If you fly, you deal with things like this. Stop crying like a baby.
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Posted by ( Quagmire ) on July 22, 2008 at 4:22 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yeah 610 maybe. But maybe not.
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Posted by ( Gladiator ) on July 22, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The only thing missing is a train and John Candy.
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Posted by ( solar ) on July 22, 2008 at 4:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I still haven't booked a flight up north to see my father. Everytime I look up flights, I get really stressed out wondering if I'll even get to where I want to go on time. Flying use to be part of the "adventure" now it's just a pain to look forward to.
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Posted by ( YoMommaDabbaDo ) on July 22, 2008 at 6:31 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
yo, gimme so reel dews yo. sup y dat yo
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Posted by ( luvco ) on July 22, 2008 at 6:33 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
There's a reason the travel agents used to call this airline NorthWorst.
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Posted by ( vsop ) on July 22, 2008 at 8:05 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
First thing they did not mention is that the plane they were flying is designed to fly with just one engine so they were never in any danger. Its just basic protocol that when they have an engine problem that they make an emergency landing at the nearest airport in the event that its a problem that could effect the other functioning engine.
Now I fly at least once a week for business and after I had a terrible experiance with NW a few weeks ago I wrote them an email and they gave me a $100 voucher for my trouble. Granted I was a First Class passanger but still I would be looking for either more $$ then $25 or like 10,000 FF miles
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Posted by ( tparich ) on July 22, 2008 at 8:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The thing that bothers me the most is the lack of communications with the passengers. The crew should have advised the passengers that there was no danger and per "protocol", the flight would be met by emergency equipment on the ground.
Not knowing what's going on creates anxiety and frustration.
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Posted by ( nikita0229 ) on July 22, 2008 at 9:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Solar, you are just a loser who is making excuses not to fly to see your father. This stuff when you look at the big picture is fairly incidental. Wish they had told the passengers what was going on....helps. but they are under a lot of stress during the procedure.
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Posted by ( givemeabreak ) on July 22, 2008 at 11:50 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
as my user name states give me a break
sit down and shut up the pilots are flying a heavy jet on 1 engine (which can be done safely) making a emergency landing, and people want a second by second report of what is happening This is what is happening the entire crew is concearened with your safety and are doing what thet are there for to deal with the situation at hand, you need compensation? you got it, the rest of you life.......
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Posted by ( Concerned1963 ) on July 23, 2008 at 9:41 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I didn't know until now that a fire truck was capable of staring at you.
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Posted by ( DarthRandall ) on July 23, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Concerned - Yeah, and they win when you have a staring contest with them..... they NEVER blink!
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Posted by ( BubbasLoveSponge ) on July 23, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
What? After reading the headline, I thought a passenger stole a car. Why in the heck is this in the news?
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Posted by ( iamsassy ) on July 23, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Bubba, I thought that too!!!
Tampa610, You got tased on a train in France? LAMO!
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