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American Airlines Accidentally Flew the Wrong Plane From L.A. To Hawaii

american-airlines-unitedIn late August, American Airlines accidentally flew the wrong plane from Los Angeles to Hawaii, a mix-up that violated Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

The mistake, first reported by aviation blogger Brian Sumers, occurred on Aug. 31 — just days after the airline began flying Airbus A321 planes on the L.A. to Hawaii route (other planes in American Airlines’ fleet have long flown this route).

A spokesman for the airline confirmed to The Washington Post that a version of the A321 plane that was not certified to make long flights over water — as on the route between Los Angeles and Hawaii — was accidentally flown that day.

The mistake was caught midway through the flight, Sumers reported, but a decision was made to continue to Hawaii. The airline canceled the return flight and the empty plane was flown back to Los Angeles.

“Immediately when we realize what happened, we notified the FAA and we are working and fully cooperating with them,” spokesman Casey Norton said. “We also have an ongoing, thorough review of our policies and procedures.” (Read more from “American Airlines Accidentally Flew the Wrong Plane From L.A. To Hawaii” HERE)

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Judge Denies American Airlines' CEO's $20M Severance – For Now

Photo Credit: Getty

A federal bankruptcy judge denied American Airlines’ plan to give its CEO a $20 million severance package, saying bankruptcy law prevents such rich “golden parachutes.”

But the airline says it will continue to push for CEO Tom Horton to get the payoff. And the judge left the door open to reconsider the request in future, or for the company to approve the windfall for Horton once its merger with US Airways (LCC, Fortune 500) is complete.

Horton is losing his CEO position when American and US Airways merge, which is expected to take place later this year. US Airways CEO Doug Parker, who pushed for the deal that Horton initially opposed, will get the corner office instead, although Horton will hold the position as non-executive chairman for a year.

Horton became CEO the day American parent AMR (AAMRQ, Fortune 500) filed for bankruptcy in November 2011, having served as president of the Dallas-based airline before then.

The $20 million payday, which would be half in cash and half in stock in the new merged airline, was opposed by the bankruptcy court trustee, who is appointed to protect the interests of creditors in the case.

Read more from this story HERE.

Report: American Airlines Kicked Family Off Cross-Country Flight Because Son Has Down Syndrome (+video)

A California family says they were kicked off a cross-country American Airlines flight because their 16-year-old son has Down syndrome.

Joan and Robert Vanderhorst, of Bakersfield, Calif., said they intend to sue American over the “humiliating” incident at Newark Airport, in which they were told their special needs son posed a “flight risk.”

“It’s defamation,” Robert Vanderhorst told the Daily News. “It’s a violation of his civil rights and its defamation.”

Joan Vanderhorst pulled out her cell phone and started recording the incident on Sunday in which Bede is seen quietly playing with his hat and an American Airlines official warns that she was prohibited from filming “in a security-controlled area.”

At one point, Port Authority police were even called on the confused family. Read more from this story HERE.

Here’s the family’s video: