'Someone Locked Themselves In The Bathroom'; San Francisco United Flight Diverted To Denver
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- We have all experienced airline delays, but Jennifer Gettman and her fellow passengers on United Airlines Flight 1554 have quite a doozy to tell after their flight to San Francisco was diverted because someone got locked in the plane's bathroom.
The incident took place as the flight was making its way to San Francisco from Washington on Wednesday night. Somewhere over the middle of the country, Gettman noticed a commotion up near the front of the plane.
Then the pilot came on the microphone.
"The pilot announced, 'In case you guys haven't heard the rumor, we are going to be landing in Denver because someone locked themselves in the bathroom'," she said.
"And of course we're not going to make her stay in the bathroom until San Francisco,'" the pilot added.
The plane made an unscheduled landing at Denver International Airport without incident. The Denver Fire Department was called around 7 p.m. to help the woman stuck in the bathroom. No one was injured.
"Fire, police, someone had a big pick-axe thing," Gettman told KPIX 5 after her flight arrived in San Francisco well after 11 p.m. "They managed to get the door open after about 10 minutes. Everyone clapped, the woman came out, and they all felt very bad for her. And she was safe, so that's good."
Taylor Kimber was also on the flight.
"Well folks it's never a dull moment on @united, we have to make an "emergency landing" in Denver because a passenger got stuck in the bathroom," she tweeted. "You can't make this up...also the Wi-Fi is crappy and there is no way for me to charge my phone, happy travels."
United Airlines released a statement late Wednesday evening saying the door became inoperative when the woman was inside the bathroom.
"We are reaching out to all customers onboard and the customer in the lavatory to apologize," the company said.