Most ridiculous reason for flight cancellation
Sep 16, 2014, 11:20 pm
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2007
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Most ridiculous reason for flight cancellation
Coming into understanding that thanks DoT and its European counterpart, airlines in US/EU can't pull the thing which is quite common occurrence for budget airlines in SEA region.
Example: JetStar canceled flight because... it was not enough tickets (less than 3/4 of seats) sold and gave $20 vouchers to pax, even if they paid more. On all questions passengers were told to get lost and deal with their travel insurance.
Taking above into consideration, what was the most ridiculous reason for flight cancellation you've personally encountered?
Example: JetStar canceled flight because... it was not enough tickets (less than 3/4 of seats) sold and gave $20 vouchers to pax, even if they paid more. On all questions passengers were told to get lost and deal with their travel insurance.
Taking above into consideration, what was the most ridiculous reason for flight cancellation you've personally encountered?
Sep 17, 2014, 1:31 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,919
Rodent infestation means the aircraft in question may not arrive at any other airport for obviously reasons like spread of diseases or bringing in foreign species that can endanger local fauna and flora. Therefore a completely acceptable reason for cancellation.
Sep 17, 2014, 4:22 am
#6
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It just seems amazing that one tiny little animal can wreak havoc on the plans of everyone.
Sep 17, 2014, 7:14 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 616
A few years ago, I had an Airtran flight cancelled because of a missing exit sign. At least that is what the airline employee told us when they were handing out flight vouchers. I looked for the exit signs on planes for a few flights after that.
Sep 17, 2014, 8:37 am
#8
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
An Air Asia flight from Macao to KL was cancelled* due to heavy fog at MFM (Macao).
Though, other flights continued to land and take-off. My flight, after landing first in HKG and then flying to Macao, finally left 17 hours later. This is one reason why I'm not a fan of MFM...
Though, other flights continued to land and take-off. My flight, after landing first in HKG and then flying to Macao, finally left 17 hours later. This is one reason why I'm not a fan of MFM...
Sep 17, 2014, 9:22 am
#9
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Years ago I was flying UTA from Paris to Luanda Angola. It was 23 December. I was watching the map showing the flight progress when over Morocco I noticed the plane was moving backwards. Several of us were laughing that the map computer was lost. Turns out we didn't feel it turning around. We went back to Paris.
UTA said it was because they had forgotten to load oxygen for the pilots. The next day there was an ATC strike (Christmas eve). Had the flight continued to Luanda the crew would have been stuck in Angola for Christmas because of the strike. That was the real reason, IMO.
UTA said it was because they had forgotten to load oxygen for the pilots. The next day there was an ATC strike (Christmas eve). Had the flight continued to Luanda the crew would have been stuck in Angola for Christmas because of the strike. That was the real reason, IMO.
Sep 17, 2014, 10:24 am
#11
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4
Most ridiculous reason for flight cancellation
Lufthansa from Boston to Frankfurt in the mid 90s. I was happy to get on standby. Settled in my seat. A guy in orange mechanic uniform strode down the aisle. Announcement informed us that the toilets weren't flushing. The mechanic left and announcements told us that the mechanics couldn't fix it and they were going to attempt to reboot the plane in case it was an electronics thing and we all had to deplane. First class pax were shunted into the last flights out to Europe. The rest if us got off , hung out and watched the plane being rebooted. Of Course it didn't work and the flight was cancelled. The pilot flew it to Frankfurt anyway, sans passengers.
Sep 17, 2014, 10:40 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2014
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You are correct.
Sep 17, 2014, 10:57 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHX
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I had a US flight come in CLT-PHX late evening when I was on the red eye return PHX-CLT. The inbound pilots said that about one hour into the flight one of the engines overheated. Considering that's worthy of diverting to the nearest airport, and you still flew the rest of the way across the country??? This was when the "east" and "west" pilots were having all their problems merging after the US/HP merger. 
Sep 17, 2014, 10:58 am
#14
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Those of us who lived through the United "summer from hell" when angry crew worked "to the rules" will have a million stories to tell. I remember a canceled flight because a single individual overhead light was burned out.
Sep 17, 2014, 12:02 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Okay, it's reasonable to cancel a flight because a baggage train hit the plane's wing and they need to locate the on-call mechanic to sign off that there was no damage to the aircraft.
But even an RJ is a pretty big target, and you'd think you'd notice that, yeah, plane wing right there so I'd better be careful and come to a safe stop on my mark with the baggage train rather than Crunch....Oops?
But even an RJ is a pretty big target, and you'd think you'd notice that, yeah, plane wing right there so I'd better be careful and come to a safe stop on my mark with the baggage train rather than Crunch....Oops?
