![[Google]]( http://www.marthastewardess.com/wp-content/plugins/easy-adsenser/google-light.gif)
Aghhhhh, the joys of summer air travel.
Detroit — Passengers are stuck aboard a Delta flight leaving Detroit Metro Airport because pilots had to leave after the plane was forced to wait hours at the gate due to a weather delay in Philadelphia.
Flight 2262 had been scheduled to depart for Philadelphia about 5:40 p.m., but the plane still was sitting on the runway after 10 p.m., passengers said.
The DC-9-50 plane seats 125 passengers, according to federal flight records. Passengers didn’t board until about 7:25 p.m., and didn’t learn for nearly two hours that a pilot and co-pilot weren’t there, said Brian Landes, 51, of Midland, who was on board.
“Everybody’s pretty frustated,” said Landes, who was flying to visit his mother and was speaking on his cell phone from the plane. “There’s been a lack of communication.”
Landes said Delta announced to passengers that they had reached a new pilot and copilot by 10:30 p.m., but a flight attendant by then had exceeded her hours in service and had to be replaced.
Delta spokesman Carlos Santos said there was a weather delay in Philadelphia, so the plane is at the gate waiting for a new crew.
The previous crew “timed out” meaning, they could no longer fly the plane based on hours already in, Santos said. So the pilots on the plane awaiting the go-ahead had to leave. Delta is now waiting for a new crew, which they’ve been putting together, Santos said.
Airport officials said the Metro Airport authority would not be involved unless there was a public safety issue.
Earlier this year, federal regulations went into effect prohibiting domestic airline carriers from letting flights linger on the tarmac for longer than three hours. Violators face fines of up to $27,500 per delayed passenger.
Mark Hicks and Nathan Hurst / The Detroit News
Flight: (DL) Delta Air Lines 2262
Departure Date: Thu Jun 24, 2010
Status: Flight is Currently En Route
Delayed 291 minutes
Last change to status 18 minutes ago
Arrival Estimate: Estimated Gate Arrival at 12:20 AM
The above is the latest from FlightStats.com