Cell Phone Mishap Grounds Plane for 2 Hours

A Houston-bound AirTran plane was grounded in Atlanta for more than two hours after a language barrier created a misunderstanding between the flight crew and a group of passengers.

Flight 297 crew members had boarded 73 passengers and were on track to depart at 4:40 p.m. from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and arrive at Houston's Hobby International Airport by 5:56 p.m.

But as the plane was about to take off, a member of a 13-passenger group aboard the plane decided to stand in the cabin and snap a photo on his phone, an airlines spokesman said.

Crew members tried to get the passenger to sit down and fasten his seat belt, but they were unsuccessful because of language issues, the spokesman said.

The captain of the flight returned to the gate, where the passenger and a friend were taken off the plane, the spokesman said. But since the group was traveling together, the rest decided to follow the duo back into the terminal.

The Transportation Security Administration investigated the incident and decided the issue was not security related, he said. The passengers were able to board the flight again after the FAA rules were explained to them.

But as a courtesy, AirTran gave other passengers on the plane the option to either to remain on that flight or switch planes without incurring a fee.

All five members of the flight crew also opted out of flying in the plane, and a reserve crew was called to tend to the flight.

The flight finally landed in Houston at 8:42 p.m.