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A fake medical emergency caused a Florida flight to divert

Dec. 01, 2019
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2 min read
Airplane taking off from the airport runway in beautiful sunset light
A fake medical emergency caused a Florida flight to divert
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Travel can be stressful any time of year but add the craziness of the holidays and you can bet you'll see some strange stuff in the air between Thanksgiving and New Year's. That's was the case on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019, when a Miami-bound American Airlines flight had to divert to Pensacola due to a passenger faking a medical emergency.

And, why did this person fake an emergency? According to a report in the Associated Press, she wanted a roomier seat. It's unclear what type of medical condition the woman faked, but the situation was serious enough for the pilot and crew to decide to return to Pensacola. The flight had only been en route for a short time.

(Photo by Getty Images)

When the plane landed, the unidentified woman refused to deplane, forcing an evacuation of other passengers. Thereafter, the pilot and local authorities convinced the woman to leave the aircraft.

Police took the woman into custody, citing the state's Baker Act that "encourages the voluntary admission of person for psychiatric care, but only when they are able to understand the decision and its consequences and are able to fully exercise their rights for themselves. When this is not possible due to the severity of the person's condition, the law requires that the person be extended the due process rights assured under the involuntary provisions of the Baker Act."

American Airlines resumed the diverted flight at about 7:30 a.m. on Friday and got the rest of the passengers safely to Miami.

Featured image by Getty Images

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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