FAA looking into delay of Atlanta flight

ATLANTA, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said a lengthy delay of a flight from Atlanta to Houston will face an agency investigation.

Regional FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said Wednesday AirTran informed the agency of Tuesday's incident in which a male passenger refused to turn off an electronic device prior to takeoff, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

A flight attendant took the device from the passenger, whose identity was not released, after the man ignored her requests twice, Bergen said.

"Passengers are required to follow instructions of the flight attendants," the FAA official said.

AirTran spokesman Christopher White said the device appeared to be a cell phone, but it was unclear whether the passenger was talking on the device or using it to text or take photos.

Due to the passenger incident, the pilot of Flight 297 returned to the gate and the passenger and a group he was traveling with were told to exit the aircraft.

The Journal-Constitution said the flight then faced a two-and-a-half hour delay before finally departing Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for Houston.