An unaccompanied six-year-old child traveling Thursday to Fort Myers, Florida “incorrectly boarded” a plane headed to Orlando, according to CBS News.
Spirit Airlines confirmed the incident Sunday, stating that the unnamed child was on a flight from Philadelphia, but somehow ended up nearly 160 miles from the intended destination, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Prosecutors Accuse Man Of Stealing $23,000 Cash From Passengers While On Plane: REPORT)
The airline did not provide additional details on the incident, only noting that there would be an internal investigation into the incident, according to CBS News.
“The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them,” a spokesperson from Spirit Airlines stated, the outlet reported.
Allegedly the six-year-old boy was on his way to visit his grandmother, Maria Ramos, who was excited to have him in Southwest Florida, according to Wink News. (RELATED: Jury Charges Off-Duty Pilot For Allegedly Attempting To Shut Down Jet’s Engines Mid-Flight)
“They told me, ‘No, he’s not on this flight. He missed his flight.’ I said, ‘No, he could not miss his flight because I have the check-in tag,'” Ramos stated. “I ran inside the plane to the flight attendant and I asked her, ‘Where’s my grandson? He was handed over to you at Philadelphia?’ She said, ‘No, I had no kids with me.'”
Ramos then received a call from the boy stating that he had landed in Orlando, several hours away from Fort Myers, the outlet reported. The airline reportedly apologized to Ramos and the family through a statement; however, the boy’s grandmother stated that she wanted answers.
“I want them to call me,” Ramos told WINK-TV. “Let me know how my grandson ended up in Orlando. How did that happen? Did they get him off the plane? The flight attendant — after mom handed him with paperwork — did she let him go by himself? He jumped in the wrong plane by himself?”
It is unclear when the airline’s internal investigation will be finished.