NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. Transportation Department is investigating a JetBlue flight that left passengers stranded on a tarmac for more than 7 hours, officials said.
A pilot for the flight, which was heading Saturday afternoon from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Newark, N.J., when it was diverted to Hartford, Conn. because of weather issues, finally called the airport and asked them to contact police because he couldn't get help from his own company, ABC News reported Monday.
There were more than 100 passengers on the flight, which touched down in Hartford about 1:30 p.m. EDT Saturday and did not move until 9 p.m.
"Look, you know we can't seem to get any help from our own company. I apologize for this, but is there any way you can get a tug and a tow bar out here to us and get us towed somewhere to a gate or something? I don't care. Take us anywhere," the pilot said on cockpit recordings released on LiveATC.net.
ABC News said the carrier could be fined as much as $27,500 per passenger if found to have violated federal rules limiting airline tarmac delays.
JetBlue officials said the airport infrastructure was overwhelmed by the number of flights diverted to Hartford because of the weather.
