THE SUITS ARE IN THE COCKPIT, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE
Apparently it’s a thing at airlines that executives, to keep their pilots licenses, occasionally take a big ass plane out for a spin. Such was the case when an Allegiant Air (NASDAQ:ALGT, Forum) jet made an emergency landing in Fargo, North Dakota, complaining that they were running out of fuel.

The airport, which was temporarily closed for a US Navy Blue Angels practice, told the pilots in question, VP of Flight Operations Greg Baden and Director of Flight Michael Wuerger, to tell their story walking and move to the next airport.

The suits responded negatively to that request, apparently advising that they didn’t have enough fuel to get to the next airport along – something that isn’t supposed to happen according to federal rules, which require a flight to have enough fuel to get to the next strip, and 45 minutes more fuel on top of that.

Allegiant says the execs did nothing wrong, even though they now say the pilot meant “he had less than 20 minutes before dipping into his reserve’… which is akin to my kids telling me they’re really dizzy and can’t breathe because it’s so hot and maybe if we just got Slurpees… and then telling me we shouldn’t be at the ER because they just meant they were a bit hot and a sandwich would be fine.

Allegiant, unsurprisingly, is standing behind its executives. Because executives are never wrong, even when they cause an airport emergency and break federal aviation laws.