Panic as passengers attempt to exit plane after pilot's bizarre intercom rant

United Airlines flight (Stock photo)

Independent.ie Newsdesk Twitter Email

February 13 2017 02:01 PM

United Airlines replaced a pilot before takeoff on Saturday after she boarded in civilian clothes and told passengers over the intercom that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were liars and that she was getting a divorce, witnesses said.

The airline on Sunday declined to identify the pilot or comment beyond a previous statement apologizing to customers, many of whom left the plane out of concern for their safety.

Dozens of passengers fled the plane after the long, bizarre speech before takeoff.

The pilot boarded the afternoon flight at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport wearing a ball cap and casual clothes, Washington Post reports.

Witnesses said they first assumed she was a passenger on the plane, before she grabbed the microphone and began a rant.

“United has always, for me, been a very straight, corporate airline,” passenger Randy Reiss told the Post.

“It seemed very friendly, nice, cutesy.

“Then she said, ‘Sorry, I’m late. I’m going through a divorce.’ And I thought: Uh oh.”

He tweeted about the event, writing; "She’s like ‘I don’t care if you voted for Trump or Clinton. They’re both [expletive]."

Some passengers reportedly began filming the rant, while others began to make requests to get off the plane.

A new pilot then took the flight, about 90 minutes behind schedule.

The airline has since released a statement; "We hold our employees to the highest standards and have replaced this pilot with a new one to operate the flight, which has since departed Austin.

"We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience."