AviationFAA investigates on-board dance

Published 4 March 2013

Last month the Colorado College ultimate frisbee team, along with other passengers, took part in a YouTube sensation known as the Harlem Shake during a packed flight on Frontier Airlines from Colorado Springs to San Diego. The FAA is now investigating whether safety regulations were violated.

Last month the Colorado College ultimate frisbee team, along with other passengers, took part in a YouTube sensation known as the Harlem Shake during a packed flight on Frontier Airlines from Colorado Springs to San Diego.

USA Todayreports that now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident because of safety concerns. The issue is whether  the plane was at a safe altitude for the passengers to be out of their seats and moving around.

“They are still looking into it, it’s still open,” Tony Molinero, FAA spokesman told The Catalyst, the student newspaper at Colorado College. “…I don’t know where the [investigators] were told about it, but when they saw the video they just decided to look into it because it is better to be safe than sorry.”

“If we find any evidence of a violation of Federal Aviation Regulations, then we would pursue it,” FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said in an e-mail.

Frontier Airlines, which allowed the passengers to conduct the dance while the plane was in mid-flight over the Grand Canyon, defended its decision. The Frontier crew even taped their own version of the dance a few weeks later.

“We have a policy not to comment on things that are under investigation by the FAA, but I can tell you that all safety measures were followed and the seatbelt sign was off,” Frontier Airlines spokeswoman Kate O’Malley said in an e-mail.

According to the students who participated in the video, they came up with the idea to tape the scene a few days before the flight and asked the staff for permission. A few of them were even trained to use the public address system to let other passengers know what was going on, and asked whether they wanted to participate. The passengers did not seem to mind as they all joined in.

The video has more than 700,000 views on YouTube.

“When we got to the airport we were kind of ready and had brought costumes and stuff,” Matt Zelin, a sophomore at the college, told The Catalyst.

“Obviously I hope that this whole situation is solved with the FAA …,” Zelin added. “I don’t see there being any reason why this should cause any trouble. We asked the staff and they said it was safe.”

Steve Wallace, a former director of the FAA’s Office of Accident Investigation does not agree. “I think there is a safety issue here. Turbulence injuries are the most common type of injuries, and they are virtually eliminated when people are in their seat belts,” he told CNN.