Everybody knows airline passengers can’t use cellphones on a plane — everybody, that is, except one American Eagle flight attendant.
She refused to stop yakking as her flight from JFK to Washington was preparing to take off, infuriating a colleague who broadcast an announcement that’s probably a first in aviation history:
“She said, ‘Everyone turn your cellphones and electronics off,’ and she said, ‘And I do mean the flight attendant,’ ” passenger Ted Dargan told The Post.
“I never heard that before,’’ he marveled.
The bizarre incident took place Wednesday in front of 47 passengers — who were already angry over a three-hour boarding delay.
As things spiraled out of control, the one on the phone screamed, “I need to get off this plane! I need to get off this plane!’’ Dargan said.
Then she told whomever she was talking to, “I can’t work with this woman.’’
“I was just getting a flashback to Alec Baldwin,” Dargan said, referencing the “30 Rock” star tossed off a flight last year after refusing to stop playing a word game on his smartphone.
The dispute became so heated that the pilot eventually returned to the gate, delaying the flight for at least another hour.
At one point, the flight attendants even tried to line up passengers to take sides.
“They started complaining to the passengers about each other,” Dargan said.
“The one with the cellphone . . . said the other one wasn’t treating her right.’’
Her adversary whined, “I don’t know what’s wrong with her,” Dargan said.
The squabbling continued, with the cellphone-user stomping up to the pilot and demanding to “get off this plane,” Dargan said.
“The captain said, ‘Can’t we be professional, and just move forward . . . it’s only a 40-minute flight.’ ’’
But the attendant kept kvetching — and then used the words “danger” or said “there was going to be danger on board,” the captain later told Dargan.
“The captain said, ‘We have to return to the gate,’ ” Dargan said. “Everyone flips out . . . Everyone was just so tired and angry.
“It was the longest day.’’