Woman Fakes Medical Issue to Get Bigger Seat on Plane

A Florida woman thought faking a medical issue would get her a bigger seat on an American Airlines flight from Pensacola to Miami, authorities say. Instead, the Friday morning flight returned to Pensacola after the woman said she was having trouble breathing, officials tell NBC. The aircraft was evacuated after the woman admitted she had lied about the medical issue but refused to get off the plane, authorities say. Police spokesman Mike Wood tells the Pensacola News-Journal that officers and the plane's captain eventually talked the woman into leaving. Wood says the woman was detained under the Baker Act, which allows authorities to hold a person in a mental health issue if they are believed to be a threat to themselves or others, "due to some things that she said." He says no criminal charges have been filed. (More American Airlines stories.)