One of two passengers detained on an Aeromexico plane that sat for hours on the tarmac at Oakland International Airport spoke out Sunday, saying he's not sure why he was led off the plane in handcuffs.
Danny Caldron of Stockton said he was questioned by four agencies, including the FBI, after Alameda County deputies detained him and another man on the San Francisco-bound plane that had been diverted to Oakland because of fog.
Caldron and his wife, along with dozens of other passengers, found themselves stuck in the hot airplane for hours, and he said flight attendants ignored their pleas for food and water. Caldron said he even explained to them he was diabetic and had low blood sugar.
Children were crying, and some passengers were hyperventilating, he said.
"There was another passenger behind me that passed out, and then someone called 911 and said there are passengers here who are in distress," Caldron said.
Deputies came on board and took one man out in handcuffs. Caldron said he was shocked when they then turned to him.
"The deputy sheriff from Alameda County was detaining me and cuffed me up," he said.
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While there were reports some passengers threatened to open up the doors of the jet to get out, Caldron said he never made such threats. He still has no idea why he was detained.
"I did not at any time threaten any employee on the plane," he said. "I did go up front a couple times to ask what was going on, but I never threatened anybody."
Deputies led Caldron off the plane, down the stairs and onto the tarmac. They emptied his pockets and put him into a waiting SUV, he said.
That’s when the interrogations began. He was questioned by deputies, customs agents, homeland security and finally the FBI before he was finally told he could go home.
Caldron said he was never under arrest.
Some aviation experts say Aeromexico should have done more to make sure people were available and waiting at the Oakland airport to handle the passengers. Now, some passengers are getting together to ask the airline to compensate them for what they went through on the tarmac.
