Mixup Forces Delta Passengers to Deplane in Chile

(NewsCore) - Delta Air Lines on Saturday was investigating an incident in which passengers on a flight to Argentina were ordered off the plane in Chile by authorities who erroneously believed there was a security issue on board, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Delta Flight 101 departed Thursday night for Buenos Aires from Atlanta. Ash from the eruption of a volcano in southern Chile caused the flight's pilot to divert to Santiago, Chile, airline spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said

"Upon landing, the aircraft was met by Chilean Airport Police, who asked the aircraft to taxi to a remote location," Laughlin said. Airport officials in Santiago mistakenly believed that the plane had been diverted due to a security issue.

Officials in Santiago reportedly ordered passengers off the plane at gunpoint. Laughlin said she could not confirm those reports.

Passengers were held at the airport for 90 minutes before they were transported to a hotel. By the time the misunderstanding was cleared up, the flight's crew had exceeded its maximum flight time and were obligated to take a mandatory rest period before resuming flight.

The plane landed safely in Buenos Aires early Saturday, about 20 hours after it was scheduled to arrive.

"We are working with Chilean airport officials to understand the miscommunication," Laughlin said. "We apologize for the delay and inconvenience to our customers on board this flight."

Read more:  Atlanta Journal-Constitution