Frontier pilot arrested onboard aircraft in Houston, police say

A Frontier pilot was handcuffed on board an aircraft in Houston and removed by Houston Police ahead of the flight’s scheduled departure, officials confirmed on Saturday. 

The pilot was removed from Flight 3195 ahead of its planned departure from Houston to Dallas. Houston police identified the pilot as Seymour Walker, 45, who was wanted on an assault-family violence warrant.

Law enforcement said they waited until the plane arrived at a specific gate at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport about 4 p.m. local time. When all passengers deplaned, officers boarded the aircraft and took the pilot into “custody without incident,” police said. 

Frontier Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to CBS News, saying “The activity occurred prior to the start of boarding for Flight 3195 scheduled from IAH to Dallas Forth Worth (DFW). A replacement crew member was not immediately available and therefore the flight was canceled.”

Passengers were offered a full refund, credit, or a spot on the next available Frontier flight.  

“Airlines report incidents such as this to the FAA office that oversees them, and we investigate all pilot-related issues,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. 

contributed to this report.