How Did She Get Left Behind?
By skysuccess
@skysuccess (8858)
Singapore
May 28, 2010 11:09am CST
My mind just could not help reel with all sorts of possible explanations on how passenger Ginger McGuire, 36, fell asleep on a United Express flight to Philadelphia on Tuesday, and woke up to find herself stranded alone in the disembarked plane.
It is learned that she took a midnight flight and fell asleep during the flight. After the flight had landed, she continued in sleep without being awaken by the crew on duty for the flight.
She was only awakened by the cleaning crew 4 hours later.
From experience, I could not explain how this incident could have occurred and I just have to conclude that the crew is guilty for such negligence resulting her being locked up in an empty plane.
Some readers however feel differently where they felt that she is equally responsible for being stranded. But, I felt that if the crew had been alert and meticulous this would have been avoided.
What do you think?
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1282125/Plane-passenger-sues-airline-failing-wake-landing.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/y_detroit/y_detroit_ts2286
She was only awakened by the cleaning crew 4 hours later.
From experience, I could not explain how this incident could have occurred and I just have to conclude that the crew is guilty for such negligence resulting her being locked up in an empty plane.
Some readers however feel differently where they felt that she is equally responsible for being stranded. But, I felt that if the crew had been alert and meticulous this would have been avoided.
What do you think?
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1282125/Plane-passenger-sues-airline-failing-wake-landing.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/y_detroit/y_detroit_ts22864 people like this
12 responses
@Rysonia (310)
• United States
29 May 10
I would hope if I bordered a plane irregardless on if it was over night or not that the Crew would be awake enough to do their job. If the Crew did even the smallest part of their duties before departing that plane they would have known that she was present. And to think, these people are supposedly capable of keeping us safe from point A to point B. *rolls eyes*
2 people like this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
Rysonia,
I am sure with this incident, air crew will be ever more attentive to procedure when they carry out their duty.
This is a very rare incident and I am quite sure airlines will not take lightly disembarking procedures in the future.
Have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
29 May 10
wow..sounds like the staff was in a mighty big hurry to start the weekend.
they're supposed to make sure the plane is cleared.that's messed up.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
28 Jun 10
definetly they should.i'm not excusing them.
yikes..yea,i'd have to agree with you on that.that's another reason they need to check.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
31 May 10
scarlet_woman,
Still, the crew will need to carry out their duties.
I feel that this team is totally to be blamed for this passengers ordeal and should be reprimanded by the company.
I just hate to think what it might be had this woman be someone else like a terrorist who will have all the time to rig a bomb onboard.
Imagine what the damage will be if the plane is to explode during peak boarding hours. The damages will be much more extensive than the UK 7/7 bomb attack.
Imagine what the damage will be if the plane is to explode during peak boarding hours. The damages will be much more extensive than the UK 7/7 bomb attack.1 person likes this
@suehan1 (4344)
• Australia
29 May 10
I am not at all surprised that the crew did not bother to wake her up. We did fly United from Australia to America and the crew we had could not give a damn about the passengers, most of them were off the plane before we were as for service there was none, so I feel the negligence is from the crew, how could you not see any one still sleeping there,and once you finally get into a deep sleep ,sometimes noises around will not wake you up. I hope she put in a big complaint.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
suehan1,
And get a hefty compensation package as well!
I am appalled to hear of your flight experience where the crew actually disembarked before the passengers. They are supposed to the last ones to disembark.
This is really unexpected and most of all unacceptable.
I am appalled to hear of your flight experience where the crew actually disembarked before the passengers. They are supposed to the last ones to disembark.
This is really unexpected and most of all unacceptable.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
31 May 10
hi skysuccess I thought the crew on board the plane was responsible for seeing all passengers safely off the plane,if not what the hell
are they doing there? shame on that crew,its their responsibility to wake an asleep passenger and tell them we have landed, what is so darned hard about saying that?. I have fell asleep on buses and trains and planes but was always woke up if I was asleep at my destination
. what gives, this angers me.
. what gives, this angers me.1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
31 May 10
Hatley,
Frankly, even if there was a walk down performed by the last disembarking flight attendant, it would be quite difficult to spot this slumbering passenger if she is covered in a blanket and the distributed blankets were not collected before landing.
I have a feeling that the crew was actually leaving everything to the cleaning crew as far as these blankets are concern. So with so many sheets strewn about in the cabin, it would be hard to actually spot someone beneath these sheets.
IMO the crew had been negligent and reckless.
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
29 May 10
I happen to read the news too and I can't help myself to ask why it is even possible to happen. I think she is big enough to be seen by the flight attendant or crew. And I'm sure the staff would inspect all the interiors of the plane before leaving the plane or heading out. I also sympathize with her because it's not easy being locked up in a plane alone...that would be frightening.
It's like a horror movie. Anyways I am glad that the lady is fine and she was able to come out of it in a safe way. the worst thing if she had a heart problem and she panicked and then suffer heart attack...you already knew what comes next.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
reckon21,
I think basically the crew for that flight had been both negligent and careless. I remember that the all accessories like headsets, empty cups and blankets would be collected prior landing.
It is obvious the crew for this particular flight did not do it. Had they followed correct procedures, this passenger would have been awakened during the collection rounds and properly seated for landing. So, even if she were to fall asleep again the crew could easily spot her before they disembark.
Like you, I am glad that this passenger did not have any preexisting medical condition which could be fatal. I hope that the relevant and other airlines will learn from this incident to deter another similar incident.
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
29 May 10
When I heard this I thought "How the heck can that happen?"! This women was such a sound sleeper she never woke up when they landed or when they were unloading the plane? You think some passenger would of waken her up or maybe a stewardess? This doesn't make any sense! She also must of been very tired to sleep for over 4 hours straight! I think it is both parties fault. The woman is at fault for falling asleep. Secondly the airplane crew is at fault. Someone should of woken her up! I am sure now that when a flight lands the stewardesses will be going through the plane after everyone in unloaded to make sure it never happens again!
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
blue65packer,
Actually, it can happen.
For a start, this is a red eye flight which is beyond normal waking hours and very likely a rather empty flight.
After take off, she must have switched to an empty row to sleep in a full reclined position. Took a blanket and covered herself from head to toe. As the flight progressed, everyone in that flight would be exhausted and sleepy at the same time. It will also be quite easy to forget and overlook whoever was seated around them.
Then the crew, I am definite that they had forgotten to collect the blankets before landing. Next, the crew did not do a proper rounding up for the cabin before they disembarked and as such the passenger is just left stranded.
I am sure that the flight crew is fully responsible for this incident, which happened due to their carelessness and oversight.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
28 May 10
Ginger McGuire was asleep on the plane so that is why she didn't get off the plane when it landed. I am amazing she didn't wake up when all the other passengers were getting off. It was terrible that not one of the cabin staff saw her. I think the cleaner must have been surprised to find the lady asleep. It is upsetting to get stranded somewhere. The worst experience I have heard about was a man that was ill on a flight from South Africa to the United Kingdom. It landed in Nigeria and the man went to a hospital there. His wife was really upset that the plane didn't take him back to the United Kingdom. To be stranded in West Africa would be awful if a passenger is planning to go to the United Kingdom.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
maximax8,
I do not thing Ginger is to be blame here as the flight is really on at an unearthly hour and further understood that there was a delay in her flight.
Having traveled to the U.S. quite often, I can assure you that the waiting on the tarmac is really a bugger and unbelievably excruciating. All I can say that this incident is pointing at the crew than the passenger.
The crew should have been more attentive on such flights.
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
29 May 10
I would think it was the crew peoples responsibility because their supposed to check all areas of the plane when passengers board off and on the plane. As how she was missed we may not have any idea or will probably never find out. This poor lady will probably never ride in another plane again!
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
Blondie2222,
Like you, I am blaming the crew for this oversight and the passenger's ordeal.
The airline should be thankful that she is just a normal innocent passenger because I just cannot imagine what it might have been if she is a terrorist planting a bomb in the cabin.
On the hindsight, I hope that the cabin was being screened and checked for possible bombs inside before releasing it in the air.
Have a nice day.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
28 May 10
Hi, skysuccess. This is very weird here. How come no one on the plane did not wake her when they saw that she was still sleeping??? Surely someone had to see her sleeping. She could not have been that far down in her seat sleeping. This does not make any sense here. And the clean up crew should have seen her still asleep on the plane. How can anyone miss her. They are supposed to do an thorough check just to make sure that no one is boarding the plane. And they do other tasks that instills on making sure that the plane is safe. What if there were terrorists that were hiding on the plane. The flight attendants would never know.. This is something that really needs to be evaluated for future purposes.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
cream97,
I think this was a non full flight where she is traveling alone, snugged up in the empty part of the cabin, curled up in the mid-row seats and fully covered up in a blanket.
This would explain why she was not being alerted by other passengers when most of them will be in a half awake state being that this was actually a red eye flight.
As for the careless crew who did not bother to flip the covers because they must have assumed that it was just a crumpled heap of sheets. Assumption is just costly here.
I just have to conclude that it is the crew's fault here.
@kquiming (2997)
• Philippines
28 May 10
I think the crew is more to blame than the lady herself. It is inevitable to fall asleep on a midnight flight, and obviously, the crew didn't do the required meticulous checking of seats, that's why she was left alone and locked up all by herself. It's a shame really.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
kquiming,
My exact sentiments here and I fully agree with your astute observations.
Have a great time here in myLot.
Have a great time here in myLot.
@la_chique (1498)
•
28 May 10
i think its really bad that the crew didnt notice. Many people have heart problems that can be triggered during high pressure such as those experienced whilst flying, and even a panic attack caused by a fear of flying could be enough to knock someone unconscious. Who knows, the passenger could even have had an epileptic attack and collapsed. I cant believe that not one person checked to see if she was ok.
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
la_chique,
Coming from where you mentioned about a potential medical condition, I just like to add a possible catastrophic scenario where a terrorist actually emerges and place a bomb in the cabin which detonates upon take off or mid flight.
Scary isn't it?
So, I would not have it any other way that the crew is responsible for this episode.
@marguicha (215407)
• Chile
28 May 10
I think it´s enough reason to avoid entirely that company. The crew has a lot of checking to do before the cleaning crew comes along. They check the blankets, do minor cleanups so as to check if a passenger left something important. They help passegers to get out of the plane so they are constantly going up and down looking at the seats. It´s a shame!!!
1 person likes this
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
29 May 10
marguicha,
I believe that it is obvious that the crew for that flight did not carry out their duties to the book because if they did this passenger would not have been stranded.
I can understand the exhaustion from these red eye flights and that the crew was equally sleepy as this passenger, but they still need to ensure that they follow procedure and carry out their checks.
It is a shame indeed.
