AA Pilots ..Jetway Issues - Choke Hold and Slap = 27 hrs Ground Time..

The flight was AA 930 from GRU to MIA, and the alleged actions of the 59-year-old captain, an American, wound up keeping a Boeing 777-full of passengers on the ground for 27 extra hours--yes, as in, more than a full extra day.

The dispute arose after the plane's co-pilot had tried to adjust the "finger," which is apparently what they call the jetway leading from the terminal to the airplane in Brazil.
The pilot/captain went to help his copilot, and a woman who works for American as an operations agent apparently tried to tell him she thought the jetway was already in the correct location.

Reportedly, she "inadvertently" stepped on the pilot's foot, and got into a short verbal altercation with him. Then, as the Daily Mail explained, things escalated quickly:

Witnesses claimed the pilot then pushed the victim and grabbed her by the neck. An airport maintenance worker who was on the scene at the time saw the altercation and intervened.

In his defense, the captain claimed the airport attendant tried to punch him. However, the co-pilot has not confirmed this version of events.

In a statement to police, the victim said the "pilot had pushed her and grabbed her around the neck."

Now, he might be stranded in Brazil a lot longer. He's facing a possible prison sentence of between three months and a year for assault--as the Brazilian law terms it, "offending the bodily integrity or health of another."

An American Airlines statement in the Mail that confirms that "two crew members were engaged in a discussion in the tunnel that connects a platform to the plane," and then jumps to the part where "the authorities are now in charge of the case and providing support to staff members."
Passengers were given hotel accommodations and meal vouchers, and flew out on other flights, the airline said. "We apologize to our customers for the problem."