Report: SWA refused to let woman use cellphone to talk to suicidal husband
May 14, 2015, 8:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
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Posts: 43
Report: SWA refused to let woman use cellphone to talk to suicidal husband
Horrible story about a woman that received a cryptic message from her husband about suicide right before take off and was prevented from making a call by the FA. After she landed and called the police her husband was found dead.
http://consumerist.com/2015/05/13/so...efore-he-died/
Apparently the cabin crew refused to allow her to make a call after having the situation explained and refused to notify the pilot of the issue to relay a message to the ground.
Could the the cabin crew have handled this differently or was this all that could be done?
http://consumerist.com/2015/05/13/so...efore-he-died/
Apparently the cabin crew refused to allow her to make a call after having the situation explained and refused to notify the pilot of the issue to relay a message to the ground.
Could the the cabin crew have handled this differently or was this all that could be done?
May 14, 2015, 9:36 am
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2013
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Maybe I should have wrote should instead of could.
Obviously something could have been done and common decency tells me something should have been done but I really want to understand where the FA was coming from on this.
Obviously something could have been done and common decency tells me something should have been done but I really want to understand where the FA was coming from on this.
May 14, 2015, 10:09 am
#5
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
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The woman should have stood up and insisted on being taken back to the gate. I can't think of any action short of that which would have persuaded the crew to delay takeoff or violate FAA rules.
May 14, 2015, 10:14 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Wisconsin
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There has to be missing pieces to this story. Yes, it is terribly sad. However, if she really believed that her husband was going to commit suicide, she should have done everything possible. She should have made that call. She should have stood up and screamed. What is the worst that could happen? She gets arrested maybe? What is the best that could happen? Her husband might still be alive! Either way, there has to be some details missing, and yes, the flight attendant should have acted differently.
May 14, 2015, 10:46 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SMF
Posts: 1,251
Wow, that's incredibly tragic. It sounds from the story that the cabin crew doesn't understand the full import of what was going on and maybe she didn't either, or she probably would have insisted on calling regardless. Regardless, my heart goes out to her.
May 14, 2015, 12:33 pm
#8
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Posts: 472
Sounds like they were still at the gate. If so, I would have exited the plane. I write this not in hindsight but the first thought I had after reading about it.
If it were taxing, I would have told them that there is a medical emergency (suicide is a medical emergency) and need to leave. I would not call and discuss on the plane and hold up the flight. Suicide counseling requires you get off the plane unless you want to delay the whole plane for an hour or more. that could mean starting the call on the plane but not expect to finish the call on the plane.
If it were taxing, I would have told them that there is a medical emergency (suicide is a medical emergency) and need to leave. I would not call and discuss on the plane and hold up the flight. Suicide counseling requires you get off the plane unless you want to delay the whole plane for an hour or more. that could mean starting the call on the plane but not expect to finish the call on the plane.
May 14, 2015, 2:21 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,941
Report: SWA refused to let woman use cellphone to talk to suicidal husband
Link
A Wisconsin woman is looking for answers after she said Southwest Airlines refused to let her use her cellphone to make a call that could have saved her husband's life.
May 15, 2015, 12:42 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 297
I see where she wanted to talk to the husband but was she also trying to notify authorities? If they refused to let her do that they have a major legal issue on their hands. It would have been simple for the pilot to radio ground to send the police.
May 15, 2015, 8:12 am
#12
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This is yet another one of those fifth-hand accounts where the OP has nothing more than a link to a local media report of an incident which the reporter did not himself witness.
If anyone has actual facts, that would be helpful. If not, this is another one of those speculative threads based on less than nothing.
Maybe she was offered the opportunity to deplane? Maybe she did not clearly communicate? Who knows.
I've been on several flights where a passenger has refused to get off their phone and explained that they have some form of an emergency. They've been told they can't remain on the aircraft, but that crew will assist in off-loading them. For all anybody here know, that happened to this WN flight.
If anyone has actual facts, that would be helpful. If not, this is another one of those speculative threads based on less than nothing.
Maybe she was offered the opportunity to deplane? Maybe she did not clearly communicate? Who knows.
I've been on several flights where a passenger has refused to get off their phone and explained that they have some form of an emergency. They've been told they can't remain on the aircraft, but that crew will assist in off-loading them. For all anybody here know, that happened to this WN flight.
May 15, 2015, 8:20 am
#13
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May 15, 2015, 8:26 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
It's true that we don't have all the facts. However Southwest isn't exactly illuminating the situation with their official statement (most likely at the advice of their lawyers).
Worth noting that they are not refuting anything the passenger said.
We are unable to share details surrounding this event but are saddened to learn of Mrs. Evers’ loss, and the Southwest Family extends our deepest condolences. Our Flight Attendants are responsible for executing Safety procedures to prepare a flight for departure and arrival, in accordance with FAA regulations, while assisting the up to 100 plus passengers onboard. Southwest Airlines transports more than 100 million Customers a year and it's not uncommon for our Crews to assist passengers with life events. In each situation, our Employees utilize their training to handle a wide variety of situations to the best of their ability. Again, our hearts go out to the Evers' Family during this difficult time.
May 15, 2015, 9:00 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,508
What else do you expect? It's not like Southwest would reveal the flight manifest for corroborative witnesses or offer media interviews with the FAs. Reporting seems fine to me.