Off-duty pilot's free flight to New York sparks confusion, search at LAX

An off-duty JetBlue pilot looking for a free ride back to New York sparked confusion and a brief search at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday morning when he switched flights without airport officials’ knowledge, authorities said.

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The pilot was spotted in the hallway leading to a JetBlue aircraft from Terminal 3’s Gate 31B about 6 a.m., said LAX police Officer Rob Pedregon. The pilot, in uniform but off duty, spoke with an airport employee and then went on his way. The airport employee, however, didn’t know that the off-duty pilot was on the flight’s manifest as a passenger and was expected to stay in the cockpit’s third seat when it flew to New York, Pedregon said. More...

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