Pilot ‘refused to fly plane with autistic daughter onboard’

[Jazzy]

A family returning from Disney World were taken off a flight home after the pilot refused to fly the plane while their autistic daughter was on board.

Dr Donna Beegle was travelling home to Portland, US on a United Airlines flight when she and 15-year-old daughter Juliette were taken off at an emergency stop in Salt Lake City.

Juliette had refused to eat the food that her family had brought on board, and was eventually given a hot meal from first class after her mum argued that it would prevent any further issues.

But the family were escorted off the flight just thirty minutes later, when Dr.Beggle was told that ‘the captain doesn’t feel comfortable flying to Portland with your daughter on the plane’.

In the footage of the event, other passengers can be seen decrying the decision as ‘ridiculous’, while another says ‘That’s gonna be a lawsuit’.

Dr. Beegle is now planning to sue United Airlines, and said she aims to highlight the issue of autism and ensure that airline employees are properly trained to work with passengers that have special needs.

In a statement, United Airlines said: ‘After working to accommodate Dr. Beegle and her daughter during the flight, the crew made the best decision for the safety and comfort of all of our customers and elected to divert to Salt Lake City after the situation became disruptive.

Source

Thoughts?

 

[DirtRider]

Well just the fact they diverted the situation must have been worse than what we just seeing here

 

[beowulf]

common sense is dead it seems

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Being Autistic the family should have planned better before getting on the plane if the daughter was going to be difficult with food and cause disruptions. But then again you never know what might set off a Autistic child. As of right now I am calling that pilot a dick because that girl looked like a huge threat to everyone and could have torn down the door and brought that plane crashing down .

 

[DrLeftover]

What did the mother expect when she told the flight attendant that this Fifteen Year Old was going to have 'a meltdown' and 'start scratching'?

We're not talking about a small child that can be controlled but a physical adult who will become violent on an aircraft in flight.

 

[DirtRider]

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

What did the mother expect when she told the flight attendant that this Fifteen Year Old was going to have 'a meltdown' and 'start scratching'?

We're not talking about a small child that can be controlled but a physical adult who will become violent on an aircraft in flight.

Good point!

 

[Dee]

I really don't think this girl was all that much of a threat to herself or passengers, and that the captain overrated. She's a 15 year old girl who looked no more than my height (5'5) and rather average weight. If need be she could've been restrained easily and flown the rest of the way home. Granted, no one wants to be on board when there's a disturbance, but they've been showing this news piece constantly since I live in Oregon.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

I really don't think this girl was all that much of a threat to herself or passengers, and that the captain overrated. She's a 15 year old girl who looked no more than my height (5'5) and rather average weight. If need be she could've been restrained easily and flown the rest of the way home. Granted, no one wants to be on board when there's a disturbance, but they've been showing this news piece constantly since I live in Oregon.

My wife is 5'4 at 99 pounds and she can do a lot of damage with that famous Latin temper if she decided I am very sure about it. So I imagine a very angry person who's mind does not work like ours in a confined sardine like space could hurt some people. I probably would not worry about the person going crazy but when a mother tells you thats what might happen that makes it a different story.