Rochester, Minn. news stories on Newser

Airlines Fined for Stranding Flyers on Tarmac

Rob Quinn — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:43:18 CST

Three airlines have landed $175,000 in federal fines for stranding 47 passengers in a locked plane on a Minnesota tarmac overnight. The passengers were stuck on a Continental Airlines plane—without a working toilet—after crewmembers were told that passengers couldn't disembark because security staff had left for the...

Passengers Stuck on Runway Have No Recourse

Kevin Spak — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:52:09 CDT

The passengers who spent 5.5 hours trapped inside a plane in Rochester, Minn., last weekend didn’t revolt. But if they had, they could have wound up in trouble with the law, USA Today reports. Federal aviation laws give airlines sole authority over whether passengers stay on a plane or...

47 Trapped on 9-Hour 'Nightmare' Flight

Polly Davis Doig — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:24:00 CDT

If 9 hours on a grounded puddle-jumper with screaming babies and the scent of overly busy toilets wafting through cramped aisles sounds like your idea of a good time, then Continental Airlines had your ticket to paradise. When storms forced a Minneapolis-bound flight to divert to Rochester, Minn., on Friday,...