JetBlue Flight Grounded Twice By Mechanical Problems

Apr. 25 -- TAMPA -- What should have been a three-hour trip to Boston from Tampa turned into an all-afternoon and evening saga for passengers of a JetBlue flight.

Flight 1242, with about 100 passengers, returned to Tampa International Airport twice Tuesday because of mechanical problems, a JetBlue spokeswoman said. The problems could have been with a seal on a door, she said.

The first flight left Tampa at 2:55 p.m. and returned to the gate at 4:30 p.m., spokeswoman Alison Eshelman said. The flight was supposed to arrive in Boston at 5:50 p.m.

The passengers waited in the airport for the plane to be fixed and were given food by the crew.

"To get the same people back on the same plane, that's just unforgivable," said one of the passengers, Seamus Palmer.

The jet took off on a second flight at 7 p.m. It returned to the gate at 8:30 p.m., Eshelman said.

Passengers had the option of taking another flight late Tuesday, this time on a different plane. Eshelman said 86 passengers took the offer.

"Hopefully, this third time will be a charm," said Gary Steiner, 28, who was supposed to be in New England for his grandfather's wake today.

Other passengers had the choice of rebooking the flight or getting a refund. All passengers received vouchers for a round trip.

The plane that caused the mess isn't being put back into JetBlue's fleet right away, Eshelman said. It's going to be looked at by the maintenance staff.

News Channel 8 assignment editor Jason Odra and photojournalist Jim Farquhar contributed to this report.

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