How (& how often) does a minor get on the wrong plane in a one-gate airport?

Question

My step-daughter (17) was flying back to her mother's in Detroit after a visit with her father. She was leaving a small one-gate airport where we thought all the planes went to Detroit. It was announced that her flight was delayed one hour so when the hour was up and they announced that boarding was ready to begin at her gate she got on the plane with her boarding pass being checked twice. Unfortunately, when she landed she found herself in Minneapolis instead of Detroit! I'm just curious--how often do airlines lose their passengers (I know losing luggage is relatively common)? The funny thing is, her luggage arrived in Detroit just fine!

I've been to the airport in question and the PA announcing system is completely impossible to understand (much worse than even those old drive through windows). There are not screens to read to verify the plane--a VERY small airport. Granted, I still don't see how she, her dad & all the people checking her boarding pass missed it.

She had a hard time getting on a plane to Detroit from Minneapolis because she didn't have a ticket, but she was able to get a flight that landed her in Detroit at midnight--at least she made it!

Answer 1

Did her boarding pass read "DTW" or "MSP"? If it was the latter code, she got on the right flight to Minneapolis-Saint Paul. "DTW" is the airport code for Detroit. Did she carefully listen to the boarding announcement? Was the destination of the aircraft displayed on a lighted board above the departure gate?
My eldest daughter worked several years for two regional airlines that served a lot of one-gate airports. I can't recall her ever having a passenger who got on the wrong flight.

Answer 2

I hope at 17, she can read., as well as hear. Even a 10 yrs old would have checked to make sure the plane goes to his/her destination.

Wonder how she got to Detroit???