Passenger causes problems on Marquette American Airlines jet causing cops to be called
By Greg Peterson
Owner, News Director
906-273-2433
(Sawyer International Airport, MI) – The pilots and police knew about the incident at the Sawyer International Airport – only one problem – no one bothered to notify the bosses as required when there is an incident especially involving a commercial jet, Upper Peninsula Breaking News has learned.
The only American Airlines daily flight from Chicago to Marquette lists the arrival time as 6:20 p.m. on the official Sawyer airport website but that is apparently incorrect/not updated. According to passengers and AA, the arrival time is just after 8 p.m. (Sat., Sept. 24, 2016) and last night that was about the time law enforcement were responding to the airport incident. Those stuck in the rear of the plane could not all see what was happening in the front of the long, sleek big AA jets that are flown in for maintenance at Sawyer.
Some passengers were frustrated over the length of time it took to resolve the situation with little information about what was happening.
An unruly passenger on an inbound flight from Chicago to Marquette was escorted from the plane by numerous law enforcement officials and causing a delay for passengers stuck for sometime on the plane. It is not clear if the passenger faces any charges.
This morning U.P Breaking News informed both Sawyer Airport Manager Duane Duray and Sawyer Operations Manager Steve Schenden about the incident aboard the AA flight and both expected to have been informed by staff or law enforcement. Schenden noted he was going to find out why airport management was not notified of an incident aboard a commercial jet.
Schenden said that he is supposed to be notified anytime there is a police incident at Sawyer especially involving commercial aircraft. It is not clear how many were on board or details of the incident but the airport manager and operations managed pledged to call UPBN back with more details as available.
Schenden made a few calls and confirmed for U.P. Breaking News that the incident involved an unruly passenger as we had been told earlier by U.P. Breaking News Facebook followers including those who had relatives on the plane.
Schenden said he was able to confirmed the incident involved a passenger (and not the pilot like recently happened in Traverse City, MI). Just what the passenger was upset about is not clear, as details of the incident have not been released including what happened and why passengers were kept on the plane for some two hours waiting to debark the jet.
Sawyer Airport website apparently lists wrong AA schedule times.
It is unclear whether the FAA, FBI or other federal agencies have been notified. Some of AA biggest jets specially fly into Marquette, MI as the planes are rotated through a large maintenance operation at the former air force base. The airport was built to land B-52 bombers has long, wide runways and is not far from Lake Superior, the the biggest of the Great Lakes. A newly refurbished AA jet leaves at 8:53 a.m. daily with passengers bound for Chicago.
The next meeting of the Sawyer Airport Advisory Committee is at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 13, 2016 (second Thurs. of month) in the Airport Services Center’s 2nd floor Training Room.
If UPBN gets more information on the incident we will pass it along.
fyi – This reporter was at the Sawyer airport 15 years ago this month – 9-11-2001 – after covering the annual U.P. Law Enforcement Run – when police were called to remove an unruly passenger aboard a Sun Country jet who did not understand why all U.S.planes were being grounded – and later it turned out to be a foreign language translation issue. But it caused quite a local stir since – up was down – and – down was up – at that moment in American History.
Related info and links:
Sawyer International Airport
225 Airport Ave., Gwinn, MI 49841
(906) 346-3308
4:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
http://www.co.marquette.mi.us/airport.php#.V-fFnSRyyRk
Sawyer International Airport’s purpose is to provide high-quality aviation services and facilities to the flying public in a safe, secure and efficient manner; while continuing to play a role in enhancing economic development in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Sawyer Airport currently provides daily service to Detroit Metro and Chicago O’Hare . . . accounting for nearly 1,874 aircraft flights and 2,176,485 pounds of cargo and mail last year.
Visit our website for additional maps/directions and detailed information on our services:
Click here for a printable pdf map
906-346-3308
906-346-3309 fax
- Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch
- Duane Duray, airport manager since 2012
- Formerly worked at Gogebic-Iron County Airport since 1992 including 8 years as manager
(906) 346-3308 Ext. 222
(906) 364-0939 (Cell)
- Steve Schenden, Sawyer director of operations
- Marquette County employee during the K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base transition process
(906) 346-3308 Ext. 221
(906) 250-8082 (Cell)
Lead Maintenance Technician Brian Nummilien
(906) 346-4333
(906) 458-5232 (Cell)
Aircraft Rescue & Fire-Fighting (ARFF) Training Officer Joe Perry
(906) 346-3308 Ext. 240
(906) 250-1928 (Cell)
Former airport manager Keith Kaspari left the to becfome deputy executive director at the Capital Region Airport Authority in Lansing
2012 Associated Press story on Public Radio 90
http://wnmufm.org/post/two-new-officials-appointed-sawyer-international#stream/0
http://www.co.marquette.mi.us/airport.php#.V-fE6iRyyRk
Upper Peninsula Breaking News by Greg Peterson 