Angry United Airlines pilot tells passengers he will not fly plane

United Airlines canceled a flight after the pilot announced to passengers that he was too upset to fly.

Witnessess said they saw the pilot in a heated cell phone conversation at the gate before he boarded the United flight.

United Airlines spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said in an e-mailed statement that the flight was canceled according to company procedures designed to ensure flight crews are prepared to fly. The airline re-accommodated its customers on other flights and will give them "goodwill gestures," which may include miles and travel certificates, she said.
Urbanski declined to identify the pilot or provide details of the incident, but she did not dispute the passenger&#39s account.
"We will conduct a full investigation of the events leading up to the cancellation and take appropriate, necessary action," she wrote in the e-mail.
David Kelly, a spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United pilots, said the union won&#39t comment on the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it&#39s up to the airlines to determine when and how pilots can walk away from the cockpit if they feel unfit to fly. "But we&#39d expect that if the pilots aren&#39t fit to fly, they would not fly," said FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette.
Witnessess said they saw the pilot in a heated cellphone conversation at the gate before he boarded, and overheard the pilot saying that "he was going to complain to the union."
After the passengers were seated, the pilot made his announcement.
"Some of you may have witnessed an incident I was involved in at the gate. I&#39m not going to go into the details, but it was an interpersonal confrontation that upset me significantly to the point where I&#39m not focused enough to fly you to Denver. I feel like I may not be calmed and focused enough to fly to Denver for another hour," witnessess said.
The passengers reacted to the pilot&#39s announcement with a collective groan. "I&#39m going to give him credit for standing in front of people and saying that," Jacobson added. "Still it was a very unusual situation."
Passengers were allowed to get off the plane until it was ready to leave, and most people did so after the announcement.