Costa Rica-To-Miami American Airlines Delayed Nearly 8 Hours After Flight Crew Robbed At Gunpoint
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Costa Rica to Miami American Airlines flight was delayed seven and a half hours on Tuesday after the Miami-based crew van to the airport was stopped on the road, and the crew was robbed at gunpoint.
Viewfromthewing.com first reported the incident on their website.
The crew had departed their San Jose hotel in a van very early in the morning and the incident occurred after the van was forced to stop after running over a plastic box.
Once the van stopped, the driver got out to clear the box from under the van and that is when a man jumped into the vehicle. He reportedly held a knife and demanded everyone's possessions.
At that moment, according to Viefromthewing.com, a second man jumped in the vehicle brandishing a gun and demanding the rest of the belongings from the van's occupants.
American Airlines released a statement, which read:
"We are aware that our crew members, unfortunately, fell victim to a crime while en route to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) on March 16. Our security team is in close contact with local law enforcement and have acted quickly to implement enhanced measures to ensure the safety of our team members".
The flight eventually took off to its final South Florida destination.