Overview
- United flight UA2138 on October 27 was delayed after two flight attendants disagreed, prompting removal of the entire cabin crew per an internal system entry.
- Passengers who had boarded were deplaned around 12:10 p.m. local time as the airline sought a replacement crew.
- The flight departed Des Moines at about 3:24 p.m. and landed at O’Hare at 5:09 p.m., arriving more than four hours late.
- Des Moines is not a United crew base, which complicated re-crewing and contributed to the length of the delay.
- United did not provide a public explanation on its flight status page; industry commentary called the move rare but appropriate under crew resource management and minimum staffing rules.