Plane Made Emergency Landing After Someone Vaped Weed and the Crew Inhaled It

On November 9th, a trip from Boston to Tampa (Flight B61191) turned into a real high-stakes situation. The flight, already three hours late, had an unexpected twist when a passenger, seated in 1F, decided to light up some marijuana in the plane's lavatory. The pilots were quickly notified after the crew members inhaled the smoke.

Declaring an Emergency

Less than an hour into the journey, the pilots had to tell New York Center they were turning right back around to Boston. Since this particular Airbus A321 (N907JB) doesn't have fuel-dumping capabilities, the crew had to declare an emergency. They needed to descend and circle to burn off enough jet fuel for a safe—albeit overweight—landing. The plane, which had 208 people onboard, landed safely on Runway 15R.

Smoky Consequences

Once on the ground at Terminal C, the passenger was presumably greeted by law enforcement. Because of this one person's poor decision, the flight was canceled, along with the return trip. That means 199 other passengers had their travel plans absolutely shattered. It’s highly likely this "high-flyer" is facing a massive fine, possibly jail time, and they might even be on a lifetime no-fly list.

Crew Impact and Aircraft Grounding

Our fabulous flight crews, who follow super strict substance policies, were likely sent home immediately after the incident. Plus, the aircraft had to be taken out of service for the rest of the day—not only for inspection after the heavy landing but also for a deep cleaning to get rid of that stinky smoke and residue. JetBlue had to pay for the diversion, the inspection, and the cleaning.

It just goes to show you: one person’s selfish puff caused a ton of financial and scheduling pain. Remember, smoking on a plane is seriously illegal.

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