Delta passenger uses restroom before takeoff, gets bumped from flight

Kevin P. Casey/AP

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Kevin P. Casey/AP

A Delta Air Lines passenger was asked to exit the plane after he urgently had to use the lavatory when the plane was getting ready for takeoff, and a fellow passenger recorded the incident on video, according to an account in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

According to an article by columnist Jim Stingl, the flight was getting ready to depart from Atlanta to Milwaukee on April 18 when passenger Kima Hamilton tried to use the restroom. A flight attendant told him the plane would lose its place in line for takeoff, so he returned to his seat. But he still had to go, and quickly went to the restroom.

That's when the pilot said the flight would have to return to the gate and remove a passenger.

When two agents asked him to exit the plane, Hamilton refused. Then all of the passengers were "escorted off the plane," and all passengers except him were allowed to re-board.

In a written statement, Delta said: “Our flight crews are extensively trained to ensure the safety and security of all customers. It is imperative that passengers comply with crew instructions during all phases of flight, especially at the critical points of takeoff and landing.”

Read more about the incident here.