An Unscheduled Stop

Abstract

Sleeping passengers on a full Seagull Airlines transatlantic Flight Number 99, from Tel Aviv, Israeli to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City were abruptly awakened by an announcement from the cockpit: "This is the captain! We have a medical emergency and will be making an unscheduled stop at an airport an hour from JFK airport. Flight attendants prepare the cabin for landing." The twelve hour, 5,628 mile flight overflew Greece, Italy, Northern European countries, Newfoundland, and Labrador on a Great Circle route. The Boeing 777 was approaching Bangor, Maine, at the time of the message. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Earlier in the flight, a very outspoken individual with a heavy European accent was seated in the row in front of the author and his wife in economy class. During the flight, that individual knelt in his seat, facing toward the rear of the plane, carrying on a loud conversation. His discourse ranged from his personal history to a political discussion of his dislike for the President of the United States. He was a medical doctor and trained for the profession in a major city in the USSR. While that city was behind the Iron Curtain, he was interrogated for his outspoken views against the USSR by the Soviet Secret Police, the KGB. The doctor was escorting his elderly father, who was a victim of the WWII Holocaust. His frail father had a broken arm and was located in Business Class. Three Seagull employees were also traveling in Business Class in a non-revenue status which is an employee benefit. Non-revenue status has a lower boarding priority than paying passengers and is only accommodated when space is available. As the flight progressed, the doctor voiced his dissatisfaction over the fact that his father was not being fed and at one point entered Business Class with the intent to help feed his father. It was against company policy for a passenger from Economy Class to enter Business Class while the plane was airborne. He clashed with the flight attendants, who escorted him back to his Economy seat. Attendants avoided him as much as possible as they were rarely seen in the Economy Class, other than when a meal was served, approximately an hour after takeoff. During most of the flight, the lights were subdued and most of the passengers were asleep. The doctor voiced his complaints loudly and appeared to take out his frustrations verbally on the flight attendants. He demanded to see the captain and this request was granted. The captain restated the policy that an Economy Class passenger could not enter Business Class and an intense argument arose. The doctor was not inebriated. The doctor loudly proclaimed that the captain was ! …