That Feeling When Trump Grounds 737 Max Planes—and You’re on One
One passenger said her plane was about to push away from the gate in Chicago when the news broke.
Photo Illustration by Lyne Lucien/The Daily Beast/Handout/Reuters
When President Trump grounded Boeing 737 Max jetliners on Wednesday, Sara Wood got the news in the worst possible place—on a Boeing 737 Max.
The data specialist was on a plane about to push off from the gate at Chicago’s Midway Airport when the pilot announced over the intercom that the Los Angeles-bound flight could not take off.
“We honestly thought it was a joke when the pilot came on the air and told us we couldn’t fly, and they weren’t sure what would happen,” Wood told The Daily Beast on Wednesday afternoon.
“Our pilot expressed full confidence in the plane but said it wasn’t up to him.”
As reality set in, Wood, who is from Topeka, Kansas, began to chronicle the chaos on Twitter.
That moment when you're fully boarded, ready to push back from the gate on your flight from Midway to LAX and the executive order comes through from President Trump.
— Sara Wood (@SaraSaysData) March 13, 2019
No 737 Max flights.
I'm on a 737 Max.
Son of a bitch. pic.twitter.com/GOm0n9TCdm
— Sara Wood (@SaraSaysData) March 13, 2019
Wood said she understood the decision to ground the fleets in the wake of a deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash involving a Boeing 737 Max 8. But she questioned the abruptness of the decision, during peak travel hours.
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“The planning absolutely sucked and has thrown thousands of people into anxious situations,” she said. “The execution was horrible and upsetting.”
I'm at Chicago-Midway.
— Sara Wood (@SaraSaysData) March 13, 2019
There were NO PLANS.
Airlines are scrambling.
Passengers are anxious. The gates are full of people that aren't supposed to be here anymore.
Expect delays. I can only imagine this is occurring at other airports across the country as hundreds are stuck.
People are moving past shock and confusion. To anger. Not loud anger. A quiet buzzing like an angry hive.
— Sara Wood (@SaraSaysData) March 13, 2019
Gates are starting to get moved.
— Sara Wood (@SaraSaysData) March 13, 2019
Surges of people, loud with constantly ringing phones.
Airlines are finding planes but the 737 Max planes sit blocking gates.
Wood’s plane was originally supposed to take off at 1:40 p.m. She didn’t get onto her rebooked flight until 3:20 p.m. and then faced more delays.
“We’re pretty excited to get going but have been sitting now waiting on our bags and paperwork,” she said.
Our pilot was so nice. Everyone was caught unawares.
— Sara Wood (@SaraSaysData) March 13, 2019
Flight crews begged for decorum.
The staff are handling this well given the crush of pressure to Fix It that is everywhere.
Southwest pulled out all the stops and my flight has a plane and a gate.
— Sara Wood (@SaraSaysData) March 13, 2019
Other flights that were in the air have reportedly been forced to land at the nearest location.
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