Florida woman arrested after faking medical emergency on flight to try and get larger seat

A Florida woman is in custody after she faked a medical emergency in order to get a larger seat on an American Airlines flight.

The woman, who was headed to Miami from Pensacola on Friday morning, was taken in by the Pensacola Police Department, who have control over the local international airport.

Faking the emergency mid-air, the woman managed to get the plane turned around and back on the Pensacola tarmac, but she ultimately didn’t get what she wanted.

“Once airborne, she told them she wanted a bigger seat. The pilot declared an emergency… once they got on the ground, she made it clear that she was faking the medical condition to get a bigger seat,” said Mike Wood, Pensacola Police Department public information officer.

According to NBC Miami, the plane was evacuated when the woman refused to deplane. With a little help from the pilot, police managed to get the woman off the aircraft and arrested under the Baker Act, a provision which allows police to put an individual on a short-term psych hold- particularly if they appear to be a threat to themselves or others.

“Because of things she said, she was taken in custody (under the Baker Act),” Wood said. “Criminal charges have not been filed yet, but there may be some charges in the future.”

The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of Bright Mountain Media, Inc. which may be contacted at info@brightmountainmedia.com, ticker BMTM.