First JetBlue, then United. It was a harrowing night for the 181 passengers on Flight 907 from O’Hare to San Francisco, after a winter storm kept everyone stranded on the plane Saturday for eight hours. United has apologized and is offering travel vouchers. Here’s a different kind of look at what happened:
4:20 p.m.
After the type of aircraft is changed to a 757 from a 767, passengers begin to board the plane.
5:20 p.m.
The plane is de-iced for the first time at the gate. Crews temporarily halt their work as a storm arrives.
7:39
The plane pushes back from the gate, taxis out and then immediately gets in line to be de-iced again.
9:00
After another de-icing, the aircraft heads out again, but sits between concourses B and C for another hour.
10:00
Some passengers and off-duty pilots aboard express concern about ice on the wings. The pilot gets back in line for de-icing.
11:15
The captain announces that the flight will be canceled and says, “We’re calling it a night, we’re going back to the gate.” The plane heads back but must wait for about an hour while crews plow out snow.
12:22 a.m.
The plane finally returns to the gate, but it takes another 10 minutes to get the door open.
TOTAL TIME
8 hours, 2 minutes
— Sources: Witness reports, United Airlines, Tribune reporting
