Chaos erupted on an American Airlines flight when an enraged passenger attempted to force her way into the cockpit, demanding answers about a delay.
According to Daily Mail, the incident occurred on Thursday when flight attendants had to physically restrain a woman who tried to breach the cockpit on a flight from São Paulo to New York, leading to further delays and multiple passengers being removed from the aircraft.
The confrontation began when the woman approached the cockpit to question pilots about the delay, but the situation quickly escalated. Flight attendants intervened when she attempted to force her way in, with one male crew member having to tackle her to prevent the breach.
The woman threatened physical violence against the crew members who were restraining her. She specifically warned that she would kick the flight attendants "in the balls" as they attempted to control the situation.
A first-class passenger, reportedly barefoot, joined the altercation by standing up and yelling at flight attendants in Portuguese. The incident devolved into a shouting match between the woman and this passenger as she was being escorted to the back of the plane.
The woman, while being removed, unleashed a tirade of insults. As recalled by flight magazine Aeroin, she shouted:
You son of a b**ch, disgusting, you can't touch me, you don't know who you're talking to, you're going to get screwed. I went to ask why I was late and this [man] threw me out.
This incident follows another recent disruption on an American Airlines flight from New York City to Milan. In that case, a father attempted to storm the cockpit after becoming upset about meal choices.
Krystie Tomlinson, who witnessed the Milan flight incident, explained that the passenger had requested a specific meal in advance and wanted to sit in the exit row because he was traveling with a baby. When these requests were denied, the situation escalated.
Another passenger on that flight, Michael Scigliano, expressed concern about the absence of an air marshal on board. He noted that after the pilot announced the flight would return to the gate, passengers were left with an unrestrained, agitated individual.
The São Paulo incident forced the aircraft to return to the gate to remove the disruptive passengers. The flight eventually departed after a significant delay of two hours and 25 minutes.
American Airlines issued a statement emphasizing their commitment to passenger and employee safety. The airline confirmed the plane's return to the gate and thanked everyone for their understanding during the disruption.
The incident highlighted ongoing concerns about passenger behavior and airline security protocols. Both the woman who attempted to breach the cockpit and the male passenger who became involved in the altercation were removed from the flight.
A violent confrontation on an American Airlines flight from São Paulo to New York led to significant delays after a female passenger attempted to force her way into the cockpit. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, resulted in multiple passengers being removed from the aircraft and a delay of nearly two and a half hours. The situation exemplifies ongoing challenges airlines face with disruptive passengers, particularly following similar recent incidents on other American Airlines flights.
