Ivana Trump forcibly removed by Palm Beach Sheriff from NW2377 today
Dec 26, 2009, 7:18 pm
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Ivana Trump forcibly removed by Palm Beach Sheriff from NW2377 today
On today's NW2377, the 1:20pm PBI-LGA A319 service, Ivana Trump was forciably removed by the local Sheriff for disruptive behavior, after initial push back.
The pax was seated in seat 1D. She was flying alone but purchased the entire front row (1ABCD) (suggested by some for additional privacy).
In this 16-seat F cabin, there were 13 people, including two families of four (each with two young kids) traveling. (The other four pax were adults.) While the situation was fairly good for the number of children in the cabin, it was clear that there were four kids 6 years of age or younger in the cabin. One of the families had the entire row 2, and was seated directly behind the pax. Another family was in 3CD/4CD.
While still on the ground at the gate, the pax made a number of, er, loud statements of discontent - focused on the number of kids in the cabin, heard by everyone. She made a number of complaints to the lead FA, who clearly felt the kid situation was under control. Finally, the pax started using obscenities (including the F-bomb) out loud. The FA offered to give her a full row in Coach, not near any kids - but the pax declined.
There was a minor technical delay at the gate (a mystery problem ultimately solved by ground staff using duct tape), and while we waited, the Captain invited any kids on board to visit the cockpit. A nice touch for a family/leisure-dominated flight.
After the we pulled back from the gate and were taxiing out, the situation deteriorated (more general rants from the pax, getting louder and louder) and the pax in question was spoken to by the FA, who threatened to have her removed. After some more back and forth and some more explicatives spoken by the pax to the FA, heard by most in the cabin, the FA notified the Flight Deck via telephone that there was a pax that needed to be removed, and we returned to the gate.
At the gate, the Captain asked the pax to leave, but she refused, and he said he would have the police called to remove her. She then said she did want to continue on the flight, and attempted to withdraw her request to get off the flight. A sizable DL ground agent then came on the plane and also requested that she leave; also for naught. Finally, three Sheriff's deputies boarded the plane and after a loud verbal altercation, they forcibly grabbed the pax by the arms and pulled her out of her seat and escorted her off of the plane.
The flight crew handled what could be a tough situation very well, and was commended by many on the plane.
One other pax (from Y) got up and said she preferred not to go on the flight as well, and left while we were back at the gate.
The pilot commented over the public address that since the flight was 'enroute,' having left the gate, the removal was therefore a Federal matter, and additional forms needed to be completed before we could leave - which took some 30 minutes, including a number of witness statements taken on the jetway. I'm not sure the severity of the offense - curious if anyone knows how situations like these play out.
In a move that would make most FT'ers proud - after the pax was removed from F and while we were still on the ground, a pax from coach came forward with his Medallion card and asked if an upgrade would be available. He was declined.
It's frustrating as a pax when these things happen. All the pax appeared pleased with how the crew handled the difficult situation.
In a final ironic note, as we were taking off on runway 28, off to the left of the plane, Donald Trump's private 727 was parked in the G/A area.
(I was a pax in F on this flight, but I was not involved in any interaction with the pax in question.)
The pax was seated in seat 1D. She was flying alone but purchased the entire front row (1ABCD) (suggested by some for additional privacy).
In this 16-seat F cabin, there were 13 people, including two families of four (each with two young kids) traveling. (The other four pax were adults.) While the situation was fairly good for the number of children in the cabin, it was clear that there were four kids 6 years of age or younger in the cabin. One of the families had the entire row 2, and was seated directly behind the pax. Another family was in 3CD/4CD.
While still on the ground at the gate, the pax made a number of, er, loud statements of discontent - focused on the number of kids in the cabin, heard by everyone. She made a number of complaints to the lead FA, who clearly felt the kid situation was under control. Finally, the pax started using obscenities (including the F-bomb) out loud. The FA offered to give her a full row in Coach, not near any kids - but the pax declined.
There was a minor technical delay at the gate (a mystery problem ultimately solved by ground staff using duct tape), and while we waited, the Captain invited any kids on board to visit the cockpit. A nice touch for a family/leisure-dominated flight.
After the we pulled back from the gate and were taxiing out, the situation deteriorated (more general rants from the pax, getting louder and louder) and the pax in question was spoken to by the FA, who threatened to have her removed. After some more back and forth and some more explicatives spoken by the pax to the FA, heard by most in the cabin, the FA notified the Flight Deck via telephone that there was a pax that needed to be removed, and we returned to the gate.
At the gate, the Captain asked the pax to leave, but she refused, and he said he would have the police called to remove her. She then said she did want to continue on the flight, and attempted to withdraw her request to get off the flight. A sizable DL ground agent then came on the plane and also requested that she leave; also for naught. Finally, three Sheriff's deputies boarded the plane and after a loud verbal altercation, they forcibly grabbed the pax by the arms and pulled her out of her seat and escorted her off of the plane.
The flight crew handled what could be a tough situation very well, and was commended by many on the plane.
One other pax (from Y) got up and said she preferred not to go on the flight as well, and left while we were back at the gate.
The pilot commented over the public address that since the flight was 'enroute,' having left the gate, the removal was therefore a Federal matter, and additional forms needed to be completed before we could leave - which took some 30 minutes, including a number of witness statements taken on the jetway. I'm not sure the severity of the offense - curious if anyone knows how situations like these play out.
In a move that would make most FT'ers proud - after the pax was removed from F and while we were still on the ground, a pax from coach came forward with his Medallion card and asked if an upgrade would be available. He was declined.
It's frustrating as a pax when these things happen. All the pax appeared pleased with how the crew handled the difficult situation.
In a final ironic note, as we were taking off on runway 28, off to the left of the plane, Donald Trump's private 727 was parked in the G/A area.
(I was a pax in F on this flight, but I was not involved in any interaction with the pax in question.)
Last edited by NYBanker; Dec 26, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Dec 26, 2009, 7:21 pm
#2
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^
Great trip report, thanks for the smile.
Great trip report, thanks for the smile.
Dec 26, 2009, 7:26 pm
#3
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Dec 26, 2009, 7:29 pm
#4
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Not a big fan of children in the FC cabin myself (just common courtesy), but it is their right to be there if they have the ticket.
It is true that an aircraft moving for the purpose of flight (even being pushed back from the gate) falls under stringent guidelines for incident reporting.
An aircraft taxiing out to the runway for takeoff that runs over a nail and pops a tire would have to file an incident report. One taxiing over to the maintenance hanger would not.
SR
It is true that an aircraft moving for the purpose of flight (even being pushed back from the gate) falls under stringent guidelines for incident reporting.
An aircraft taxiing out to the runway for takeoff that runs over a nail and pops a tire would have to file an incident report. One taxiing over to the maintenance hanger would not.
SR
Dec 26, 2009, 7:37 pm
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+1^^^^
Great story! Thanks for posting.
Great story! Thanks for posting.
Dec 26, 2009, 7:42 pm
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Dec 26, 2009, 7:46 pm
#8
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The captain had a 'situation' involving children, yet he invited children to march through first class and into the cockpit? With their parents? On the same day that airline security has gotten tighter?
This seems wrong on many levels, beside the fact that his actions could have aggravated an already stupid situation.
Thanks for the report.
This seems wrong on many levels, beside the fact that his actions could have aggravated an already stupid situation.
Thanks for the report.
Dec 26, 2009, 7:46 pm
#9
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The indignation of a Trump having to fly on a commercial plane. Maybe Mr. Trump will start a new TV series, "Rude People on Airplanes".
Dec 26, 2009, 7:48 pm
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That story made my night! Thanks OP!
Dec 26, 2009, 7:49 pm
#11
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As to the children running in the aisles cited in the story, this was (a) the family in row 2 passing their kids (one walking, one not yet walking) back and forth, then (b) several kids going to visit the cockpit, at the captain's invitation.
Dec 26, 2009, 7:49 pm
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Love this story! Thanks for taking the time to write it up for us.
Dec 26, 2009, 7:50 pm
#13
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The captain had a 'situation' involving children, yet he invited children to march through first class and into the cockpit? With their parents? On the same day that airline security has gotten tighter?
This seems wrong on many levels, beside the fact that his actions could have aggravated an already stupid situation.
Thanks for the report.
This seems wrong on many levels, beside the fact that his actions could have aggravated an already stupid situation.
Thanks for the report.
Dec 26, 2009, 8:16 pm
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Interesting. Franny had 1B next to Ivana in 1A a few years ago PBI-EWR and told me that they had a very enjoyable flight-long conversation.
We laughed for quite a while about some of her idiosyncrasies and weird demanding behavior but we also figured that sort of thing goes with the territory occupied by that sort.
We laughed for quite a while about some of her idiosyncrasies and weird demanding behavior but we also figured that sort of thing goes with the territory occupied by that sort.