Delta Air Lines flight 2809 from Minneapolis to San Francisco had to go around and attempt to land a second time due to low visibility in fog, and was delayed about 9 minutes, but was otherwise like any other flight – until it reached the gate.
A passenger onboard reports that 10 law enforcement officers, including Homeland Security Investigations officers, “stormed to the front” of the aircraft as soon as the Boeing 757 arrived and “grabbed/arrested” one of the pilots.
The remaining pilot suggested to those who asked that “he had no idea what just happened.” Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t given a heads up that this was happening because that would have also tipped his colleague in the cockpit with him.
Delta Pilot Watches His Colleague Get Removed From The Aircraft
Here are the officers leaving the aircraft.
A Delta spokesperson declined to comment, deferring to law enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded to an inquiry.
This comes days after a Delta pilot was arrested in Amsterdam for failing a breathalyzer test prior to departure, although there are reports that test may have been in error.
For a second I thought that was John Stewart making a cameo. I can’t imagine what the pilot did to deserve this.
Guess ICE got a tip.
It could have been something completely unrelated to flying.
That seems excessive. Hope there will be more details about this soon.
Also, Gary, at the end of your post, didn’t you mean Stockholm (you said, Amsterdam, then linked to the Delta pilot breathalyzer fiasco in Sweden at Arlanda, ARN, airport)?
The bigger crime is still flying 757’s around.
They couldn’t wait until this person got off the plane and quietly did it? I used to be so proud that unlike many countries we did not have an internal police department. No more, but the good old USA is not a fascist sounding “Homeland”.
@drrichard
Absolutely correct. However the opportunity to bag a rich airline pilot in front of the passengers got their juices going.
Go arounds are supposed to be a no-fault safety item. If this keeps happening to pilots who choose to execute go-arounds, there will be serious erosion of safety margins as pilots choose to force landings they shouldn’t. Troubling situation!
@drrichard – playing Devil’s Advocate, if the pilot knew something was up, he may have tried to slip out with the passengers by changing in the lav. But that aside, I’m pretty sure the theater was intentional.
Right now the why for the napping of the pilot is unknown. But if it was serious, like an Epstein kind of thing, yes they should arrest him upon the door being opened. If said individual got wind of what was to go down it could have gotten ugly quick. But again everything right now is just speculation.
@Tim ja — Them’s fightin’ words to our pal, @Tim Dunn. Yet, it’s something he and his foes, United fanboys @MaxPower & @JL, have in common. After all, AA is the only one of the ‘big three’ to retire its 757s and 767s (in 2020). On the 757s, Delta’s oldest (N649DL), United’s oldest (N502UA) were delivered 1989! On the 767s, Delta’s oldest (N171DN) from 1990, and United’s (N641UA) from 1991. While Delta’s 763s ‘feel’ like they have the original seats (but, before it was those ‘BusinessElite’ seats, still lie-flat, and before that, recliners); at least United retrofitted all of their 767s with Polaris (1-1-1 seat configuration in business class.)
That many cops? I’m putting money on either an alleged violent offense or some sort of alleged serious crime against a minor. We shall see.
I thought Frank Abagnale had stopped masquerading as an airline pilot
More federal theater. Unless the passengers were in danger (hard to imagine, since he just landed the plane safely), then authorities could have simply let the passengers get off as normal then quietly arrested him on the jetway. The passengers would not have even known it occurred. But, of course, this gave TSA an opportunity to play cop and to make it look like they actually do something.
I smell smuggling.
@Ron – TSA can’t arrest anyone. They are not law enforcement officers and lack the authority to make arrests. This was (at least in part as reported) Homeland Security. Not the same agency.
This cannot be because of the go around. Go arounds are maybe not good but certainly needed. If this person needed this level of attention to arrest, why did they even let him fly the plane at first? This feels gestapo like. Thanks a lot Obama.
This short article leaves us all asking, “What happened?”
But also that that short video clip shows nothing.
What is the world coming to when white men are now arrested by the government?
@Mike Hunt — Speaking of “alleged serious crime against a minor(s),” it sure would be nice to see actual accountability, regardless of background, affiliation, partisanship, or wealth; however, I’d be skeptical if it turns out ‘oh, look, only my political opponents and perceived enemies’ do bad things; my ‘team’ is clean, of course. Naw, if they baddies, get ‘em all out, with due process, of course.
I smell smuggling ‘— from MINNEAPOLIS? Maybe a bag of Lutefisk?
Guys, the “go around” part of the story is just some story-telling context, it OBVIOUSLY (I say that in caps as it’s apparently NOT obvious) had nothing to do with the arrest. There’s simply no way 10x law enforcement officials including various federal agents got to the gate by the time the door opened for a go-around.
That said, if there were 10 law enforcement officers that would be incredibly ridiculous, there’s no space on a plane for that many people to be useful.
My guess given the federal agents is the pilot was smuggling something into the country on another occasion.
Gary – to clarify your article….the DL pilot was arrested recently in Stockholm-Arlanda, not Amsterdam.
Perhaps the pilot had visited Cuba? When arrest quotas are in place anyone could become target. This administration wants to keep everyone fearful of deportation, non existent gangs and the simple truth. That is the only way he can control us.
Someone forged his grandparents’ signature at Ellis Island
There is no plane like the 757 if performance is even halfway part of what you want in aviation. It will be a sad day when the last 757 flight takes off.