Hungry Pilot Keeps Plane Waiting

Northwest Airlines will investigate passengers’ complaints that a pilot kept them waiting 90 minutes while he fetched a special meal.

Peggy Thomas of Ann Arbor said she was aboard a flight from Las Vegas, awaiting takeoff Tuesday morning, when the co-pilot told passengers there would be a delay.

“He said the pilot is hungry, hadn’t eaten, and will only eat certain food. They were supposed to bring his food, but when it wasn’t brought, he left, and he had no idea when he would be back,” she said.

“We just looked at each other, like, `What?’ It’s so unbelievable somebody would make a whole plane wait so he could eat. He couldn’t eat a sandwich?”

Northwest spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert said the pilot won’t fly while the airline investigates. She said passengers will get 1,000 frequent-flier miles and a discount on their next flight. She would not identify the pilot.