Last Wednesday at around 8 pm, Delta flight 54 from London to Seattle carrying 166 passengers and 13 crew members unexpectedly landed at the small Yakima Airport due to inclement weather in Seattle.
This resulted in logistical difficulties for the airport staff, who had only a few minute's notice and had never dealt with an international arrival before.
With the crew nearing their legally mandated rest period, passengers remained stuck on the plane for around 3 hours until Customs and Border Patrol officers could arrive from Seattle to process them.
As the plane also needed refuelling, passengers could not disembark until cleared by authorities.
Meanwhile, the Yakima Police Department provided support, ordering pizzas for weary travelers.