On Instagram, A Fly Guy posted a video of a Frontier Airlines pilot being escorted down the jetway stairs in handcuffs with three police officers around him. He slowly walked across the tarmac. Watch the video below:
View this post on Instagram
According local ABC 13 News, the incident happened on Thursday around 4pm and the flight was canceled. FlightAware.com shows that to be the case for Frontier flight 3195; see screenshot below.
ABC reports, “A Frontier Airlines pilot was reportedly taken into custody on the tarmac just before the Dallas-bound aircraft was getting ready to depart from George Bush Intercontinental Airlines, according to airline officials.”
The Houston Police Department (HPD) identified the pilot as Seymour Walker, who was wanted on an assault family violence warrant from the Department of Public Safety.
Unfortunately, all the passengers were on the plane but HPD had them deplane before making the arrest, which might have been worse since all the passengers were standing at the window, watching this unfold.
Not surprisingly, Frontier couldn’t find a replacement pilot so they canceled the flight. Frontier offered passengers a full refund, credit, or a reservation on the next available flight. “Additionally, the airline provided hotel accommodations, if necessary and a $100 flight voucher.”
There’s not much travelers can do in this type of situation, which is extremely rare. If I really needed to be somewhere, I wouldn’t wait around for Frontier to put me on their next flight, which looks like it was the next day. And even then, they would only be able to accommodate some of the passengers as flights are extremely full this summer. I would either book a flight on another airline or rent a car and drive the 249 miles.
I’ve never heard of a pilot being arrested while in the cockpit except perhaps for intoxication. If the pilot did indeed assault his family, he deserved the walk of shame in front of everyone and to lose his job. If he didn’t, like the NFL Hall of Famer who was wrongly handcuffed in front of his family two weeks ago on a United flight from Denver to Orange County, California, then he certainly didn’t deserve this.
We won’t find out until the courts decide.
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Although rare that law enforcement boards plane to arrest pilot, it does happen…something public rarely is told about. Frankly, the public has a hard time believing anything officers say and will take a suspect’s version as gospel. My experience was waiting at Charlotte for my AA connection…which didn’t arrive. Turned out that police boarded plane on other end and arrested pilot for suspicion for triple murder. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/06/17/american-airlines-ex-pilot-convicted-in-kentucky-2015-triple-murder/7726452002/)
Frankly, I wouldn’t want pilot to be flying my plane…could you imagine if he suspected that PD were onto him and took plane down rather than give up?
Good point! Thanks for sharing