Fed Handcuffed in Kansas City

[Airbubba]

Obviously, she'll cop a walk, glad it wasn't you or me...
______________________________________________

Posted on Sat, Apr. 02, 2005

KCI police handcuff, detain FAA official

By BILL GRAHAM The Kansas City Star

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an in-flight argument between a senior manager in its Kansas City office and a flight attendant.

Marion B. Dittman, the flight standards manager who oversees a four-state region, was handcuffed and detained by KCI Airport Police on March 26 after she stepped off a flight, according to a police report.

Efforts to reach Dittman, 62, of Parkville for comment were unsuccessful Friday, and several calls to her office and home were not returned. Dittman was not arrested in the incident, and no charges have been filed.

The flight standards office is responsible for enforcing FAA regulations and ensuring safety.

According to the report, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant told police that Dittman argued with him about a commotion in the back of the plane during an afternoon flight. The attendant told Dittman that he would handle the matter and that she should sit down because the captain had turned on the seat-belt sign.

Dittman then became verbally combative, the attendant told police, and while seated she shoved him in the lower chest area. He told Dittman that he could have her arrested when the flight landed, according to the report, and she replied, “No you won't,” and said she worked for the FAA.

Police officers met Dittman as she left the plane and told her she would be detained to provide a statement. She demanded to speak to the captain and flung her hands into the air, according to the report. Dittman was then handcuffed “due to her demeanor.”

Transportation Security Administration investigators were called to the scene. The flight attendant told them that he would not pursue charges. Dittman was interviewed by federal agents and released.

Whitney Eichinger, a spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, confirmed the incident but referred all questions to the FAA.

Tony Molinaro, an FAA spokesman based in Chicago, said no determination had been made about disciplinary action.

He said interference with flight-crew operations violated federal aviation law and was subject to a civil fine of up to $10,000.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/11291518.htm

[ironbutt57]

Glad the crew followed procedures, and yes the "Fed" should get disciplined for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong..but doubt that will happen....:ugh:

[Ignition Override]

It's very nice to see that the Flight Attendant stood up to the inspector, in more than one way. Once people are provoked, especially when it is physical, it is usually harder to be intimidated. He must have known that the Captain would trust the judgement of his cabin crew, and support them.

My impression is that Southwest crews often seem to dine together instead of just splitting up at each hotel. Doesn't this increase crewmembers' mutual understanding and support? The company's concern for employee morale can also contribute. These positive situations can also reap huge rewards during an actual aircraft emergency. Other airlines (I won't name any...ahem...) seem to understand little of such long term rewards regarding safety. This can not be analyzed nor quantified in a financial report, and no matter what the Flight Ops Manual says about preflight briefings and chain of command, and blah blah..blah, Upper Mgmt can make or break the general working atmosphere (despite, in olden times, having had the very best debt/equity ratio). Such companies prefer to create mutual distrust between various groups of 'staff'-and this began decades before the financial problems created by the recession and 9/11.

[GotTheTshirt]

Air Bubba,
You must be joking ;)
She will get a mild warning unless she is a additional minority group then it will be promotion.:cool:

[West Coast]

I know few will believe me.......

The FAA will likely take this seriously. For all their problems, and there are many, they don't take to negative press and tend to punish those who bring it upon themselves and the agency.
I know this from my days working within the guvmint and also from exposure in the airlines. Had a ramp check from a yahoo a number of years ago. The inspector forgot his government ID, however had airport credentials. He tried to bully his way on to the plane only to run in to my hard nose Captain who wouldn't let him after he couldn't produce proper ID. Argument ensued, voices raised, phone calls made. After the DO called the FSDO and the FSDO called the inspector, he left. The Captain received a letter of apology from the manager of the FSDO, followed by a letter of apology from the inspector. The first letter indicated that corrective and disciplinary action had been taken against the inspector.

[LOKE]

"Such companies prefer to create mutual distrust between various groups of 'staff'-and this began decades before the financial problems created by the recession and 9/11."

I agree with Ignition Overrides statements. Many airlines have resurrected the divide and conquer technique in a business that functions best when the crew works well together. This has benefits not only in the safety area but it is also economically beneficial to the company as well – many – sadly, unlike Southwest, just don’t get it.

LK

[Azure]

It's very nice to see that the Flight Attendant stood up to the inspector, in more than one way. Once people are provoked, especially when it is physical, it is usually harder to be intimidated. He must have known that the Captain would trust the judgement of his cabin crew, and support them.

On one of my husband's recent flights, they ran into a problem passenger before even leaving the gate, it was resolved and they went on their merry way without said passenger.

Basically, the passenger did not like his seat assignment and wanted to de-plane. After realizing it would be awhile untill his next flight, decided he wanted back on that aircraft anyway.

A quick meeting with the FA's and they hummed and hawwed, so he said; "Do you want to spend another four hours with this guy?" Answer, "No." That was that. My husband gave them the old thumbs down for letting that jerk back onboard and away they went.

All Captians should have a good crew behind them, but the crew sometimes mirrors the captain.

[Bronx]

The reactions to this story are very interesting.

So the newspaper report must be true because journalists never exaggerate for the sake of a story?
And the FA's account of what happened must be true and not even exaggerated even though we don't know the lady's side of it?
And the cops didn't over-react by handcuffing her because cops never over-react? Not what pilots say when a pilot gets arrested, just look at the pilot alco test threads.

If she really behaved so bad, its kinda strange she didn't get charged with some offence or even get arrested.
Sounds to me like a storm in a teacup where everyone involved over-reacted and nobody comes out of it looking too good.

[cwatters]

The inspector forgot his government ID, however had airport credentials. He tried to bully his way on to the plane only to run in to my hard nose Captain who wouldn't let him after he couldn't produce proper ID.

Good for him. Might have been part of the test!

[RRAAMJET]

IgnitionOv. - totally agree, well written.

Bronx - disagree, especially if you know the Kansas City Star.

I had an FAA Inspector from the "Enforcement" division on the Flight Deck once. His briefing went like this:
"If I see anything I'll debrief you at the end on it; be aware that fines have gone up to $10k per infraction, blah blah"
Capt: "Ok. Here's my brief: are you familiar with the 757 cockpit and safety procedures?"
Inspector:"No, I've never been on one before - my specialty is helicopters."
Capt: "You've got to be f***ing kidding me?!"

The guy was embarrasingly clueless, needless to say. The difference between some of these Inspectors here in the US and some of their Air Carrier CAA inspectors in the UK is incredible.

As previously mentioned, even the smallest bit of negative publicity in your file in the US Gov. is career-ending. :ouch: