Delta Air Lines Kicks Woman for Drunk Pilot Accusation
A Delta Air Lines passenger says that she believed she was doing the right thing by telling someone that she thought she smelled alcohol on a pilot’s breath. However, instead of being thanked, she says that she was depreciated, kicked off the plane and made to wait for a flight the next morning before going home.
Cynthia Angel, age 51, was boarding the Delta flight home from Atlanta last month when something felt off. The pilot walked by her and a few other passengers while they waited to get onto the plane. One of the men next to her asked if anyone smelled what he did - straight vodka. Angel says that 2 other passengers agreed.
There was no doubt that it smelled like straight hard liquor, Angel explained. She said that she talked to a flight attendant and the co-pilot quietly about her concern. Then a few minutes later a manager asked her to step outside for a chat, she continued, describing them as very assertive.
Angel then told her story to the manager, and the pilot was taken off the plane for an evaluation. Several minutes later, she says that the manager went back to her and escorted her and her luggage off the aircraft. They took her to an office and told her that the pilot passed the tests and that he and the crew asked for her not to be on the flight.
She has called the incident criminal. She was escorted off the plane, which was very embarrassing, as everyone was staring and wondering what was going on, she described. Unfortunately, this sends the message that people shouldn’t stand up for themselves or question authority, she added, as they will be treated poorly.
However, Delta Air Lines spokeswoman Susan Elliott says that Angel wasn’t being very quiet about the situation. In consultation with the crew, airport customer service determined that it would be best to put Angel on another flight, as she continued to express concern even after the pilot passed the tests.
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3 Responses to “Delta Air Lines Kicks Woman for Drunk Pilot Accusation”
What a completely biased and misleading article!!!! Just the title alone is an attempt at sensationalism.
Just for the record I have never stated and I am not advocating that a person should not speak up if they have good reason to believe their surgeon, pilot, judge, etc, is under the influence. Where we and many others differ is, “What is to be considered good reason.” In this particular case, Ms. Angel did not smell alcohol on the Captain’s breath because he tested negative and his BAC was zero. Even though mouth wash contains traces of alcohol, mouth wash does not smell like alcohol. She jumped to a false conclusion and her allegations were very serious. Now she is condemning the airline for acting properly. A hospital analogy: Imagine if you were on the table going in for an operation and you accused your doctor of being under the influence. He is immediately tested negative for alcohol or drugs. When he finally returns to the operating room, do you seriously think he would continue with your operation at that point? You are quickly rescheduled for the operation with another doctor the very next day and all goes well. Do you now condemn the doctor and the hospital for your false accusation because you were slightly inconvenienced? You should at this point realize that your embarrassment is completely self-induced. Do you now get an attorney, like Ms. Angel, to sue the hospital because you made a serious and false allegation and then had to wait until the next day for your operation? Should the ramifications of such a serious and false accusation just be placed upon the innocent doctor and hospital? The bottom line here is, yes it is better to speak up if you truly believe there is a problem, but don’t be surprised when people are upset with you when you are dead wrong. Instead of suing the airline in question, Ms. Angel should be apologizing to everyone involved, including the passengers, gate agents, and especially the Captain. If she is suing because she was embarrassed and felt like she was treated like a criminal, then the Captain should sue her for the same reason.
Not the whole story. After she was told there was no problem with the captain, she continued to badger the flight crew, over and over.
She can speak her mind if she feels there is a threat… What is wrong with you people? Who just boards a plane with no worries when numerous passengers smell the possibility of alcohol on the pilot… I don’t want to load a plane with people turning their heads because they are afraid of the results when questioning authority,, GOOD FOR HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SAY SUE THE JERKS