Brooks Nader spoke out about being trapped on a private jet during the FAA’s rare nationwide ground stop.
The “Baywatch” actress, 28, was “literally about to take off” from New York on Friday when the Federal Aviation Administration issued its unusual alert halting all departing flights across the country. Nader, who hosts the “Love Thy Nader” podcast, had been bound for Louisiana to attend the LSU football game.
The model and reality personality found herself stuck on the tarmac with no clear timeline for departure. Pilots had not provided updates to passengers about when the aircraft might be cleared for takeoff, the outlet reported.
Reports said that Nader was “safe” but stranded, and that her flight was unlikely to depart that evening. The nationwide stop, a highly unusual measure by the FAA, disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers across the United States on Friday afternoon.
The LSU football game represented a significant personal commitment for Nader, who had planned her travel around attending the event in Louisiana. The ground stop left those plans in limbo as aviation officials worked to resolve the situation that prompted the alert.
The FAA’s nationwide ground stop is an exceptional measure rarely deployed, typically reserved for severe weather events, system failures, or other extraordinary circumstances that affect air traffic control capabilities across multiple regions simultaneously.
Nader’s situation highlighted how the disruption caught travelers at every level of service, from commercial passengers to those on private aircraft. The lack of pilot updates added to the uncertainty for those waiting on the tarmac.
The “Baywatch” star’s experience became one of many stories emerging from the nationwide halt, as social media users and celebrities alike shared their own accounts of disrupted travel plans throughout Friday afternoon and evening.
With no immediate resolution apparent, Nader remained on the private aircraft awaiting clearance that appeared increasingly unlikely to come before nightfall.
Nader has not posted further updates about whether she ultimately reached Louisiana for the game.