Strangest reasons for delays
Feb 3, 2015, 8:04 am
#46
Join Date: Apr 2007
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A few years back, on another airline, we were delayed almost three hours DTW to LAX because an exist sign was loose. The first mechanic that showed up did not have the correct screwdriver. A second mechanic showed up and also had the wrong screwdriver. Number three had the correct one and it actually took all three of them to screw in the danged thing.
How many Northwest mechanics does it take to turn a screw? [INSERT PUNCH LINE HERE]
I took a picture, but have since lost the pic.
How many Northwest mechanics does it take to turn a screw? [INSERT PUNCH LINE HERE]
I took a picture, but have since lost the pic.
Feb 3, 2015, 9:34 am
#47
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Was delayed back in the '80s (or early 90s?) from STL to SDF for 1 hour flying TWA. Waiting for Millie Vanillie entourage to arrive. Remember Millie Vanillie?
Feb 3, 2015, 9:44 am
#48
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Feb 3, 2015, 10:39 am
#49
Join Date: Jan 2010
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plane struck by a de-icing truck lifted up the wing. pulled back to the gate after a 45min investigation.
Feb 3, 2015, 10:53 am
#50
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AA 289 (ORD-PVG) in 2006. Delayed in ORD for an hour because it was so cold the fuel was freezing up as it was being uploaded into the 777.
Early 1990s leaving DCA for LGA when the USAir Shuttle was operated by 727s, we were delayed an hour due to having to switch planes because the plane pushed off stand with the rear stairs still down. Heard several lound bangs before a sudden stop. How the push out crew (or the flight crew -- there must have been some type of indicator in the flight deck) missed that the stairs were down is beyond me.
Earlier this month, delayed an hour on QR PHL-DOH because the potable water truck's hose froze and no replacement was handy. It wasn't even that cold out.
Early 1990s leaving DCA for LGA when the USAir Shuttle was operated by 727s, we were delayed an hour due to having to switch planes because the plane pushed off stand with the rear stairs still down. Heard several lound bangs before a sudden stop. How the push out crew (or the flight crew -- there must have been some type of indicator in the flight deck) missed that the stairs were down is beyond me.
Earlier this month, delayed an hour on QR PHL-DOH because the potable water truck's hose froze and no replacement was handy. It wasn't even that cold out.
Feb 3, 2015, 11:18 am
#51
Join Date: Apr 2010
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Several years ago flying DFW to SAT on AA with a co-worker we had a 45 minute delay waiting for a backup captain because our captain was bitten by a cat in the terminal and had to go to the hospital. That led to jokes about avoiding the packs of feral cats roaming DFW for several years.
Feb 3, 2015, 1:04 pm
#52
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Several years ago flying DFW to SAT on AA with a co-worker we had a 45 minute delay waiting for a backup captain because our captain was bitten by a cat in the terminal and had to go to the hospital. That led to jokes about avoiding the packs of feral cats roaming DFW for several years.
Feb 3, 2015, 2:01 pm
#53
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Several years ago flying DFW to SAT on AA with a co-worker we had a 45 minute delay waiting for a backup captain because our captain was bitten by a cat in the terminal and had to go to the hospital. That led to jokes about avoiding the packs of feral cats roaming DFW for several years.
Feb 3, 2015, 2:17 pm
#54
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Early 1990s leaving DCA for LGA when the USAir Shuttle was operated by 727s, we were delayed an hour due to having to switch planes because the plane pushed off stand with the rear stairs still down. Heard several lound bangs before a sudden stop. How the push out crew (or the flight crew -- there must have been some type of indicator in the flight deck) missed that the stairs were down is beyond me.
Feb 3, 2015, 2:29 pm
#55
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,222
A week or two ago, departing EWR for DFW on a morning with a short but messy snowstorm. The previous night's inbound for my flight had been cancelled, and the tugs were trying to swap around planes at gates. We took a 3 hour delay because, in the pilot's words, "The Port Authority forgot to put chains on the tugs and they got stuck in the snow."
Feb 3, 2015, 2:53 pm
#56
Join Date: Feb 2015
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With this in mind, in the OP's situation AA could simply have taken the entire lavatory out of service rather than waiting for an ashtray!
Anyway, I don't have any really strange delay reasons to relate, although a few years ago on DFW-ORD they held it about 45 minutes for the announced reason that a number of connecting passengers were late in arriving from Mexico City. Sure enough, about 45 minutes later, a whole bunch of people boarded. I thought it was strange given the more typical scenario of not allowing someone to board if they arrive a minute after the boarding door is closed.
(I do understand that AA can make the decision to hold a flight as they wish.)
Anyway, I don't have any really strange delay reasons to relate, although a few years ago on DFW-ORD they held it about 45 minutes for the announced reason that a number of connecting passengers were late in arriving from Mexico City. Sure enough, about 45 minutes later, a whole bunch of people boarded. I thought it was strange given the more typical scenario of not allowing someone to board if they arrive a minute after the boarding door is closed.
(I do understand that AA can make the decision to hold a flight as they wish.)
Feb 3, 2015, 4:02 pm
#57
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New Year's Day, 2013, ORD - DFW. The flight was delayed a couple of hours because the plane had to be swapped out. The previous flight's crew left the coffee pot on, which overflowed and the overflow got into the cockpit and shorted out some electronics. Oops.
Feb 4, 2015, 2:42 am
#58
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During heavy snowfall in Amsterdam (snow is considered a natural disaster in NL, as apparently they have no equipment to deal with it - nationwide, not at the airport), despite the entire railway line to Schiphol being immediately down and the roads covered with a thick layer of snow and ice, all of the pax of a full KLM 737 made it to the airport in time, including myself.
We had to wait 2 hours for a crew to fly us out, though
We had to wait 2 hours for a crew to fly us out, though
Feb 4, 2015, 2:00 pm
#59
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Back when the AA pilots were doing their work slowdown (two, three years ago?) I had a delay of about 40 minutes out of IAD when the coffee maker wasn't working. The pilot got on the PA and announced it.
Feb 4, 2015, 2:09 pm
#60
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