Southwest Pilot's Crude Rant About Flight Attendants Caught on Open Mic

A potty-mouthed Southwest Airlines pilot was suspended after inadvertently broadcasting an obscenity-laced tirade bashing flight attendants across Texas airspace.

In the raunchy rant, the unidentified pilot unleashed a slew of expletives as he ripped into his co-workers' sexuality, age and size.

"There's 12 flight attendants...Eleven (expletive) over the top (expletive), (expletive) homosexuals and a granny," the pilot said, clearly unaware his cockpit microphone became stuck open.

"Eleven. I mean, think of the odds of that. I thought I was in Chicago, which was party-land.

"After that, it was just a continuous stream of gays and grannies and grands."

Seconds later, the pilot offered his unsavory views of Houston flight attendants.

"Now I'm back in Houston, which is easily one of the ugliest bases," the pilot told his co-pilot in the recording obtained by Houston TV station KPRC. "I mean it's all these (expletive) old dudes and grannies and there's like maybe a handful of cute chicks."

The diatribe, broadcast over the Houston air traffic control radio frequency on March 25, blocked communication between air traffic controllers and other pilots for more than two minutes, ABC News reported.

At one point, the air traffic controller in Houston tried to interrupt the onslaught.

"OK, whoever is, uh, transmitting, better watch what you're saying," the controller said.

Air traffic controllers sent the tape to the Federal Aviation Administration the same day, ABC News reported.

"The incident occurred during a phase of flight in which personal conversations are permitted in the cockpit. Nevertheless, the FAA expects a higher level of professionalism from flight crews, regardless of the circumstances," the FAA said in a statement.

The pilot was suspended without pay.

In a video statement released Wednesday, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Flight Operations Chuck Magill said the pilot has apologized to FAA controllers.

"What he said is offensive and inconsistent with the professional behavior and overall respect we require from all employees," Magill said. "He knows what he did cannot happen again."