Quadriplegic Passenger Refused Flight From Dallas To Denver And Removed From Plane

Quadriplegic passenger, John Morris, 24, was taken off a Frontier Airlines jet after a pilot refused to allow him to fly because of safety concerns. The pilot said the seat belt extension was not adequate enough to hold Morris still.

Morris became paralyzed after a snowboarding accident five years ago.

The airline has apologized for the incident.

In a statement, Frontier Airlines said:

“We’re sorry for the incident and are investigating its handling. In this situation we had a well-intentioned pilot who was seeking to do the right thing to ensure the safety and compliance of all involved.”

Morris’s mother, Kathleen, who was with him on the plane, told ABC-TV, a Denver station that the pilot made his assessment without coming to have a look. She said that the pilot was not willing to come back and talk to Morris, who said he felt humiliated.

Apparently, one of the flight attendants saw Morris when he was strapped in and said they would have to clear it with the captain. Morris has limited upper body control.

Kathleen Morris could not understand how the airline refused the return flight when they had flown him from Denver to Dallas to attend a family wedding two days earlier – it did not make any sense.

Eventually the airline called airport police and three officers boarded the plane. According to Kathleen Morris, the officers told the pilot that Morris looked safely restrained and not a problem for the plane or other passengers, therefore it was not a law enforcement matter. Apparently, the pilot still refused to take off with Morris on the plane.

Kathleen Morris claims the officers were sympathetic and told her “This is wrong.”

Morris had flown with Frontier Airlines before. Each time he would use the seat-belt extension to secure his chest and legs.

Morris managed to get on a later flight to Colorado on the same airline.

Frontier Airlines added:

“We will be taking the steps necessary to ensure clarity on the policies so that the situation is not repeated. Once the investigation is concluded, we will be sharing the outcome with the family involved.”

Quadriplegia refers to the paralysis of all four limbs – the adjective is quadriplegic. Quadriplegia is usually caused by a high spinal cord accident or stroke. Paraplegia refers to paralysis of the lower part of the body including the legs – the adjective is paraplegic.