Pilot spotted leaning out of plane window to grab phone left behind in airport
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A pilot has been celebrated after going the extra mile to help a passenger before their flight took off.
The holidaymaker had boarded their Southwest Airlines flight, but accidentally left their mobile phone in the terminal.
We’ve all felt that moment of dread when you go to slide the device out of your pocket and realise it’s not there.
READ MORE: Flight crew share 'hidden' bedroom spaces on planes that passengers can't enter
However, usually we can run back to where we last had it and retrieve it.
That’s not possible when you’ve entered through the boarding gate and already been taken to your seat on the flight.
A passenger leaving the plane and re-entering could cause a serious delay.
Fortunately for the unlucky tourist, the ground staff on the Southwest flight came up with a quick solution.
In a video, they could be seen running up to the plane which had yet to take off.
But, the doors had been closed and sealed so they had to come up with a clever solution.
In the clip, the pilot could be seen leaning as far out of the window as they could so he could grab the phone from the staff.
He was able to pick up the device and drag it into the flight deck to be reunited with its owner later on.
On Twitter Southwest praised the staff members for the act.
The airline noted: "When our Employees at Long Beach Airport noticed a customer's phone left behind in a gate area after a flight that was already boarded and pushed back from the gate, they didn't hesitate."
People in the comments also celebrated the staff’s quick thinking.
Ben Pierce said: “Shows that not all heros wears capes!”
While Simon Lopez added: “I always say where there's a will there's a way.”
“Long Beach is a local airport that has great food and nice people that work there,” Sharon Dahlberg added. “Kudos for the staff!”
However, some people were gobsmacked that the windows in the cockpit could be opened.
One person said: “I had no idea those windows could open. How does the breeze feel at 35,000ft?”
Previously, an Emirates pilot explained that there are two windows on passenger planes that can be opened by the crew.
The windows in the cockpit are often flung open to get fresh air while on the ground and to speak to airport staff.
However, the pilot assured people that they could not be opened mid-flight due to air pressure.
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- Holidays
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