US DoT Says Continental Passengers Should Have Been Deplaned

The first phase is finished in the US Department of Transportation's investigation of the stranding of Continental Express passengers on August 8th. Early findings indicate that Mesaba Airlines officials are to blame for the travelers not being allowed to disembark.

“We have determined that the Express Jet crew was not at fault. In fact, the flight crew repeatedly tried to get permission to deplane the passengers at the airport or obtain a bus for them,” Secretary LaHood said.

“The local representative of Mesaba Airlines improperly refused the requests of the captain to let her passengers off the plane. The representative incorrectly said that the airport was closed to passengers for security reasons, which led to this nightmare for those stuck on the plane,” he said.

Application of common sense would have cleared up the issue. Passengers get off planes, walk through airports and board connections without being re-screened unless they are selected for random screening at the next gate. This scenario could have unfolded the same way with the passengers going the restroom and lounging in the gate area before reboarding the plane.

To be fair, the press release also states that Continental execs should have been more involved with attempting to resolve the issue.