She was late for the flight and they wouldn’t let her on the plane even though it was still at the departure gate.
“the jetway had disengaged from the plane”
She was late,she got mad,she lost it !
A sad situation,but an accident nonetheless.
The article doesn't mention if her earlier flight was late landing in Phoenix, or if she was herself late because she daudled at the airport. I wonder if she might have stopped for a last drink or two before heading to Tucson. I'm assuming she'd flown into Phoenix from NY City, as that is where they say she lived.
The stepmother says "this woman...was without doubt emotionally disturbed." I wonder if she means only while acting-out at the airport, or if she was emotionally disturbed period. Obviously she had an alcohol abuse problem and was on her way to an in-patient alcohol rehab center. It makes me wonder why there wasn't anyone accompanying her to make sure she actually got there. I mean, where was the moral support? The husband seems to be noticeably absent during this. It would have been nice if a family member had at least taken the time to accompany her on the flights. Then again, there's the possibility, that she didn't want any support from anyone.