Department of Transportation (DOT) Initiates Inquiry into Another Extended Tarmac Delay

It happened again. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is investigating another incident in which passengers were stuck aboard a delayed flight on the tarmac.

A Connecticut woman was captured on camera in what has since gone viral, complaining to United Airlines officials about the flight to Rome from Newark Liberty International Airport. Passengers claim they were stuck on a hot tarmac with no air conditioning and no food or water for as long as seven hours.

The July 3 flight was eventually canceled at 1 a.m.

“(A) girl had a panic attack and passed out. We had elderly people, we had babies. We had pregnant women, not even water. You didn’t even pass around water,” said critical care nurse Christine Ieronimo, who was a passenger on the flight.

“It was hot, thick. It was hard to breathe. I’m surprised somebody didn’t die because there were elderly people on the plane.”

Initially, United thought it had the problem solved when the plane taxied back to the gate and mechanics entered the aircraft. It didn’t work, however, hence the further delays.

After the pilot announced that they were returning to the gate, that process took almost three hours, said Ieronimo.

By federal law, airplanes are not supposed to sit on the runway for more than two-and-a-half hours. United did not comment, and it is not known if the passengers received compensation for their canceled flight.

DOT is also investigating a similar incident from early July, in which a plane was stuck for three hours.