AD Aerospace presents the FlightVu Witness system as a powerful tool in the prevention of Air Rage crimes. FlightVu Witness is the latest in the successful FlightVu video safety and security systems.
FlightVu Witness is a system of covert and/or overt CCTV cameras fitted throughout the passenger cabins of an airliner, which are connected to a state of the art digital video recorder. The cameras will work to deter violent or disruptive passengers, whilst the video images, courtroom proven, can be used in the prosecution process.
Cameras can also be fitted in the cargo hold, to provide evidence of baggage theft, or in any other area within the body of the aircraft, where the safety and security of staff, passengers and equipment are at issue.
Over recent years international airlines have witnessed a massive increase in air rage incidences.
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25th January 2010 - Las Palmas, Spain
Passenger Tries to Enter Cockpit
A man suffering from a panic attacked is reported to have attempted to force entry to the cokcpit of the Thomson Airways flight from Cardiff to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.
The man, believed to be a Spanish national, was said to be acting agressively to the cabin crew and other passengers. Reports state he refused to be seated then attempted to enter the cockpit at which point he was restrained by cabin crew and other passengers.
On reaching Gran Canaria the man was detained by the Spanish Civil Guard. later reports have indicated he was released without charge.
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23rd January 2010 - Denver, USA
Unruly Passenger Attempts to Open Door In-Flight
United Airlines flight 223, from Washington Dulles International Airport to Las Vegas, was diverted to Denver International Airport when a passenger tried to open a door mid-flight.
The plane landed safely at DIA and police met the plane at the gate and arrested the passenger who had been consuming alcohol both before and during the flight. After questioning at Denver the suspect was sent for a medical evaluation and pending this the decision will be made regarding any charges that will be filed.
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08th January 2010 - Los Angeles, USA
Hawaii-bound flight diverted after man accused of harassing a woman
A Hawaiian Aitlrines flight to Honalulu was diverted to Los Angeles today after a man was accused of harassing a woman onboard.
The man was removed from the jet but, Los Angeles airport police Sgt. Jim Holcomb said the man released after the woman declined to press charges.
The flight resumed about an hour after the man was removed.
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08th January 2010 - Colorado Springs, USA
San Francisco Airtrans Flight Diverted Due To Unruly Passenger
An AirTran flight from Atlanta to San Francisco was diverted to Colorado Springs and fighter jets were scrambled all because of one unruly passenger.
Over 130 passengers and five crew members were on board the flight it is reported that a man sitting near the back started yelling that the flight attendant was distrespecting him and became irate. it is aledged that he had downed five bottles of wine in less than an hour.
Passengers then say the man then went repeatedly in and out of the lavatory and refused to return to his seat when requested to do so.
Because of the level of disturbance the pilot decided to make an emergency landing at the closest airport, Colorado Springs Municipal Airport.
Two F-16 fighters escorted the plane as it came in for landing.
It has been stated that six police officers came on board and tackled the man and an FBI agent used a taser. Then bomb sniffing dogs then came through the aircraft to make sure nothing else was wrong. No one was hurt during the incident.
The FBI has identified the passenger who was arrested, probably for intefrence with a flight crew, as 46 year-old Muhammad Abu Tahir of Virginia.
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08th January 2010 - Heathrow, London, UK
Two Men Arrested Over Drunk Bomb Threat on Jet
Robert Fowles, 58, from Dover, Kent has been charged with making a bomb threat which grounded a plane at London's Heathrow Airport on Friday night. He was also charged with being drunk on an aircraft along with Alexander McGinn, 48, also from Dover.
It appears Mr Fowles made comments to cabin crew which casued them to believe the aircraft was in danger as it taxied for takeoff. Armed police then boarded Emirates flight.
As the flight then need to be throughly searched for possible explosive material the other passengers were taken off the and driven to a hotel for the night.
A third passenger who was arrested, a man aged 36, was released without charge, police said.
Their flight was rescheduled and departed on Saturday afternoon.
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06th January - Miami, USA
Man Removed from Flight for Threatening to "Kill All the Jews"
In what appears to be a non-terrorist related incident the Northwest Airlines flight from Miami to Detroit was forced to turn around during taxiing and return to the gate what a passenger turned disruptive.
Mansor Mohammad Asad, of Toledo, who is of Palestinian decent and is reported to suffer from bi-polar disorder was being load and disruptive and apprently said "i want to kill all the jews".
When the aircraft returned to the gate and Mr Asad and his family were met by security officers and while he was being search he charged at one of the officers while shouting and was then tasered. While on the ground he continued to rant and act agressively so was tasered again. he was then handcuffed and taken to jail.
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6th January 2010 - Portland, Oregon, USA
Fighter Jets Scrambled Due to Unruly Passenger
With the hightened tensions in the USA following an atempt to blow up a flight on Christmas Day two fighter jets were despatch to escort an Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui to divert to Portland airport after a passenger refused to let go of his hand luggage and passed a disturbing note to cabin crew.
On arrival at Portland Law Enforcement personnel met the plane and the passenger was removed. it is being desribed as a low level incident but the extreme respose shows the current levels of caution in the USA.
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2nd January 2010 - Mumbai, India
Air India Passengers Hold Aircraft "Hostage"
An unuaual incident developed on one of the Air India flights that was diverted to Mumbai from Delhi on January 2nd. Flights from Jeddah and London had been diverted to Mumbai due to weather conditions and technical problems at Delhi. Passengers were accomodated in the passenger lounge then put on a special flight to continue their trip to Delhi which was due to leave at 5:30pm. Unfortunately after boarding the pilots discovered that there where still problems at Delhi and takeoff was delayed.
At 9:30pm the pilots decided to postpone the flight and left the aircraft buses arrived to take the passengers for dinner in the terminal then to a hotel, this is where things went downhill. reportedly around 20 passengers rebelled and blocked all the exits stopping other passengers and the cabin crew from leaving the aircraft. Despite security personnel approaching the aircraft several times during the night the rebellious passengers continued to block acces although things only got verbally rather physically abusive.
The rebels eventually relented at 9:30am the following morning (Sunday 3rd January) and the passengers were put on another flight and arrive din Delhi at 3:30pm. No charges have been pressed as yet against any of the passengers as India does not advocate strict punishments for unruly behaviour on board aircraft unlike many other countries
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15th December 2009 - Sydney, Australia
Fracas over Luggage Bin
Two passengers on Singapore Airlines flight to Sysdney got into a serious altercation over space in the overhead luggage bins. The men were seperated by cabin crew but nor before a punch had been thrown.
The victim of the punch was moved to a different seat and Australian Fexderal Police were waiting at Sydney Airport for the flight but as of yet there is no confirmation whether charges have been brought.
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25th November 2009 - Manchester, UK
Pensioner Held for "Headbutting" Cabin Crew
John Gordon, a 65 year old pensioner, was held by police on suspicion of assault and causing actual bodily harm after an incident on a Thomson Airways flight from Sharm el Sheikh to Manchester.
The incident appears to have happened as Mr Gordon was sitting with his legs in the aisle due to his height. the Air Stewardess was pushing a trlley down the aisle and knocked into his legs and then asked him to move.
At this point he stood up and their heads connected, he claims accidentaly and that he apologised at once. On arrival at manchester Airport he waas arrested and released on bail until 16th December 2009.
Thomson Airways are reported to have a zero tolerance attitude towards air rage including aggressive behaviour towards cabin crew.
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24th Novermber 2009 - New Dehli, India
Monk Opens Airlane Door for some Air
A Buddhist monk, from Myanmar, is reported to have opened the emergency exit of an Air India airplane while it was on the runway preparing for take off because he wanted some fresh air.
The monk who is believed to have been feeling claustrophobic opened the door and caused the flight to be delayed for nearly seven hours while safety checks were carried out.
The monk who is said to speak very little English used the information in the inflight safety card to figure out how to open the door.
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17th November 2009 - Atlanta, USA
Atlanta Flight Delayed Over Cell Phone Use
An AirTran Airways flight from Atlanta to Houston was delayed about two and a half hours when a passenger ignored repeated requests to stop using their cell phone.
The flight was taxiing on the runway when a crew member asked a passenger to turn off their phone. The passenger continually refused even after being asked several times, and as a result the the captain deceided to retuen the aircraft back to the gate and the passenger left the flight.
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16th November 2009 - Boston, USA
Scottish Man Being Held on Bail in Boston for being "Unruly"
John Alexander Murray was on the US Airways flight from Philidephia to London. he had his arm in a splint and according to reports despite repeated requests by cabin crew he would not keep it out of the aisle.
His is reported to have become beligerent and unruly (which he denies) and have requested the flight return to Philidelphia. The plane diverted to Boston and Murray was arrested on landing, he pleaded not guilty to a charge of interfering with a flight crew at East Boston District Court.
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21st October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Man Attempts HiJack With Plastic Knife
A Sudanese man has tried to hijack an airliner by threatening cabin crew with a plastic knife taken from his food tray. he demanded that the flight divert to Jerusalem but was calmed down and arrested by Egyptian security staff who acted quickly and took control of the situation without anyone being hurt
The Egypt Air flight had just left Turkish airspace bound for Cairo when the incident occured. It has not be reveled if this was a premeditated act or what the mans motives may have been.
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13th October 2009 - Nashville, Tennesse, USA
Delta Flight Diverts to Nashville Due to In Flight Disturbance
The Delta flight from Seattle to Atlanta was forced to divert to Nashville International Airport when a passenger became unruly according to reports. The police found it neccessary to shackle the passenger at the wrists and ankles to get him off the plane, officials said.
According to an affidavit, Paul Marchuk III, 22, of Canton, Ga., is being charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after witnesses said he would not allow the person sitting next to him to leave her seat to use the restroom.
He is reported to have kept telling her that his blood would be on her and he was not going to let her leave no matter what happened. Some reports also mention he was quoting from the Bible.
When passengers physically restrained Marchuk and he resisted and tried to bite one of them on the leg. The captain then elected to divert the plane and land because of his ongoing behaviour.
The plane arrived in Atlanta about about an hour and a half late. A spokesperson for Nashville International Airport said no one was hurt during the incident.
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28th September 2009 - Los Angeles, USA
Two men on removed from airliner and arrested at LAX
Two men aboard a airliner were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport Monday, authorities say, apparently for suspicious behavior.
Reportedly one of the men insisted on using the restroom on the plan during taiiing even after being told they could not do so by cabincrew. Some reports say he tried to hide in there.
The two men, who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, were taken into custody by security personnel, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Witnesses said the two men were taken into custody by heavily armed law enforcement officers and the aircraft was taken to a remote area of the airport to be searched.
The incident has not been identified as terrorism related but the LAPD's anti-terrorism unit and the FBI were involved in the case.
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26th September 2009 - San Francisco, USA
Dallas Fort Worth to Tokyo Flight Diverts Due to 3 Unruly Passengers
American Airlines flight 61 headed to Tokyo was diverted to San Francisco International Airport after three passengers, 2 men and 1 woman, became "unruly," airport officials said.
Crew members decided to divert the Tokyo after three passengers "engaged in unruly behavior," further information concerning the behaviour has not been reported at this time.
They were removed from the flight and the plane continued after an hour's delay.
The three problem passengers were reportedly questioned by the FBI and local police.
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19th September 2009 - Bejing, China
Passenger Tries to Jump from Aircraft Inflight
A passenger tried to open the cabin door to commit suicide during an China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai to Beijing.
Crew stopped the man and kept him under control during the rest of the flight. The man, from the Inner Mongolia region of China, tried to commit suicide because he was lovesick over a doomed romance, reports have said.
Witnesses said he thumped the cabin door and tried to open it 10 minutes after takeoff. He tried several times to reach the door while crew restrained him.
Other passengers would have had their lives put at risk if the cabin door was opened at that altitude. The man was taken by police for further questioning after the plane landed in Beijing.
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09th September - Mexico City, Mexico
Preacher 'Hijacks' Plane With Three Accomplacies
A Bolivian-born preacher briefly hijacked an Aeroméxico airliner traveling from Cancún to Mexico City with 112 passengers aboard but passengers and crew were released unharmed after the plane landed safely.
During the flight, the hijacker told the crew he had a bomb and would blow the plane up unless he was allowed to speak to Mexican President Felipe Calderón after the plane landed. The man "said he had a vision and wanted to warn the president" that a major earthquake was about to strike Mexico.
Mexican federal police initially arrested eight men shortly after the incident, but released all except the preacher. Police believed there was more than one hijacker because the preacher told the crew he was accompanied by three others, it turned out he was referring to the Holy Trinity.
The arreated man was José Flores, a Bolivian-born former drug addict who became an evangelical preacher and now lives in Mexico.
Mr. Flores felt the earthquake was imminent because of the date: 09/09/09, which, read upside down, was 666, a number that some associate with the devil.
Mr. Flores had no bomb and no explosives were found on board the plane.
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20th August 2009 - Oakland, CA, USA
Man Gets Naked and Agressive on Southwest Flight
The 7am flight from Oakland to Las Vegas was distrupted when a passenger reportedly exposed his genitals to a female passenger sitting next to him. Aparently when she screamed he then punched her in the face, cabin crew moved to calm and subdue the man but he is said to have completely stirpped naked and start walking up and down the aisle until he was calmed down.
The flight returned to Oakland where the passenger, identified as 21 year old Dares Chappille, was taken into custody and the woman who was assulated was taken to hospital. The flight continued with a total delay of 2:45 hours.
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15th August 2009 - Fayette, USA
Flight Attendent Arrested for Being Drunk on Duty
Not strictly air rage but these stories so often have drunk passengers this one of a drunk crew member should be included.
The Delta Flight from Fayette top Atalanta was cancelled on 15th August because one of the cabin crew was drunk. Sarah Mills, 26, of Atlanta, was arrested on charges of terroristic threatening, alcohol intoxication and violating a law against being a crew member of an airplane while drunk. Passengers were able to transfer to other flights, but assumedly faced delays.
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27th July 2009 - Los Angeles, USA
Man Convicted of Interfering With Flight Crew
A man who had to be duct tapped to his seat on a United Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in April 2008 has been convicted of interfering with a flight crew, sentence is yet to be passed.
James Allen Cameron was said to be have been so beligerent and verbally abusinve on the flight that flight attendents restrained him with plastic handcuffs. Even so he reportedly punched a flight attendent on the chin so was then strapped to his seat with duct tape on his legs and chest.
He broke free from the duct tape and was eventually restrained using several seat extensions and metal handcuffs.
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14th July 2009 - Miami, USA
Crew Rage or Crew Tiff
Usually its disruptive passengers that get a flight diverted but this time the pilot of the United Airlines Flight en route to Chicago O'Hare International airport from Sao Paulo decided to divert over a dispute between the cabin and the cockpit crew.
Apparently it was not something the pilot believed could be sorted out in the air so diverted to Miami where the plane spent an hour on the ground before continuing on to Chicago.
According to some reports the Purser left the plane in Miami.
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07th July 2009 - Menorca, Spain
Faulty Airliner Fixed by Passenger
Passengers on a Thomas Cook flight from Menorca to Glasgow, Uk, thought they were in for a long wait when the announcement came through that there was a mechanical fault with the plane and an engineer was being flown out to fix it.
At this point one of the passengers came forward and declared he was an engineer for Thomsonfly who have a reciprocal agreement with Thomas Cook and he could fix the plane. After checking his credentials he was allowed to work on the plane which arrived only 35 minutes late into Glasgow.
Other passengers were said to feel happy that the guy fixing the problem was then going to be on the flight with them.
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01st July 2009 - Albuquerque, USA
Naked Passenger Causes Flight Diversion
The US Airways flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Los Angeles was forced to divert to Albuquerque after a passenger stripped naked in his seat and refused to put his clothes on or cover himself with a blanket.
Keith Anthony Wright of the Bronx, New York, reportedly punched and kicked the flight attendant who asked him to cover up and was then subdued by two off duty police officers who were on the flight and then handcuffed.
Reports say that Wright told the FBI that he suffers from bipolar disorder and hadn't taken his medication that morning and had no recolection of the flight or any incident.
The flight continued onto Los Angeles once Wright was removed with the announcement to buckle up also apparently requesting passengers kept their clothes on.
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06th June 2009 - Spokane, USA
Drunk Paralegal Claims to be City Prosecutor
During a late night Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Spokane Sherilee “Leesa” M. Van Zandt reportedly began yelling and repeatedly ringing the call light. Apparently following a drunken profanity laced tirade Van Zandt pushed a flight atendant. This resulted in her being arrested and charged with fourth degree assault. During the arrest it is said she claimed to be a city prosecutor when in fact she is an attorney assistant.
Van Zandt said she had travelled to Alaska due to the death of her brother and was upset as the airline had changed her flight several times.
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18th April 2009 - Lond Island, USA
Planes Turns Round When Passenger Claims to Have Gun
A Southwest Airlines flight headed to West Palm Beach from Long Island MacArthur Airport turned around after one passenger threatened another, claiming to have a gun, a MacArthur spokeswoman.
Southwest Airlines Flight 1552 took off shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday and a few minutes later a passenger became disruptive, MacArthur spokeswoman Catherine Green said. The man threatened another passenger, saying he was carrying a gun.
MacArthur police and Suffolk police met the plane on the runway when it returned to MacArthur and found no gun on board. The man who made the threat was arrested after the incident, Green said.
Suffolk police have said the FBI was involved in the investigation.
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15th April 2009 - Nunavut, Canada
Man Jumps to Death from Commuter Plane
The Adlair Aviation Beechcraft King Air 200 twin-turboprop was at 23,000ft when one of the two passengers 20 year old man became unruly and tried to open the door.
The pilots and other passenger struggled with the man but he managed to open the door and jump out. the pilots then struggled to maintain control of the plane as frigid air rushed into the cabin but they managed to get to Cambridge Bay (the original destination) with the door still open.
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28th March 2009 - Atlanta, USA
Restroom Emergency Leads to Felony Charge
Joao Correa of Concord, Ohio said he was having a restroom emergency but found his way blocked by a drinks trolley. When he asked to use the restroom in business class he was refused, FAA policy states that passengers on international flight should use the lavatory in their seating class.
Correa has been accused on pulling an twisting a flight attendants arm and was arrested on arrival in Atlanta.
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29th March 2009 - New York, USA
Too Long on the Tarmac
The Delta flight from JFK to Las Vegas had been delayed on the tarmac for a hour when Robert MacDonald, from Britain, decided he had had enough and attempted to open a door to leave. Fortunately the cabin crew managed to restrain him from fully opening the door which would have activated and emergency shute.
MacDonald now faces reskless endangerment charges after being arrested by the Port Authorities.
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28th March 2009 - Denver, USA
Restroom Queue Bump Leads to Brawl
A Southwest Airways flight from Pheonix to Detroit diverted to Denver after a female passenger started a brawl. Reports say that the woman was standing in the restroom queue when a male passenger bumped into her. At this point she is said to have "lost it" and started slapping the guy around the face where shouting he had touched her.
Other passengers tried to restrain the woman but she tried to attack a flight attendant, at this point 5 or 6 male passengers managed to restrain her and the pilot decided to divert to Denver where she was removed form the plane. the rest of the passengers stayed on board and the flight continued to Detroit.
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02nd March 2009 - Tampa, USA
Trip to Toilet Leads to Battery on Police Officers
As the Spirit Airlines flight pulled back the gate Cassie Winiavski complained to a flight attendant that she had to go to the toilet. She compalined so much the pilot actually stopped the plane to allow her to go. After she left the restroom the flight attendant asked her to return to her seat but she started complaining again.
The pilot then decided to return to the gate (to the annoyance of the other passengers) and it was around this time that Winiavski punched the flight attendant in the nose. When the palne got to the gate police were in attendance and it is reported that Winiavski kicked two and bite one of them.
She was charged with three felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and one misdemeanor count of battery.
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20th February 2009 - Cincinnati, USA
Man Turns Violent After He is Refused More Drinks
Russell Krebs is reported to have threatened a member of the cabin crew and struck a fellow passenger after being refused any more alcohol on a flight from Omaha, Nebraska to Cincinnati.
Other passengers said Kebs had already had several drinks and got angry when he was refused more. He was restrained using plastic handcuffs and on arrival in Cincinnati was arrested and charged with alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct and having prescription pills not in a proper container.
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05th February 2009 - New York, USA
Interfere with a Flight Crew and Get 5 Years Probation
A New York woman, Christina Elizabeth Szele, has been handed down a sentence of 5 years probabtion for interfereing with the crew of a JetBlue aircraft. She has also be told to get drug and alcohol abuse treatment attend anger management courses and not to fly on commercail aircraft for the period of her probabtion.
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07th January 2009 - Edinburgh, UK
Suicidal Passenger Tries to Open Jet Door at 32,000ft
The Air France flight was on its way from Paris to Edinburgh when Ann Gilmour was spotted by cabin crew standing near the forward external door then she took hold of the handle and attempted to turn it. A member of the cabin crew intervened and stooped Gilmour from opening the door she was escoreted to a window seat away from any doors and not allowed to leave her seat for the rest of the flight.
She is reported to have told police officers that she wished to open the door and jump out and kill herself and did not care what happened to other passengers as a consequence. Gilmour suffers from borderline personality disorder and was on medication for depression and anxiety at the time of the incident.
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28th December 2009 - Moscow, Russia
Passenger Revolt over "Drunk" Pilot
As was well on the Aeroflot flight from Moscow to new York until the traditional greeting to passengers from the pilot. Reportedly Alexander Cheplevsky's words were slurred and garbled and the passengers became convinced that he was drunk.
Cabin Crew attempted to calm the passengers fears but they would not be calmed especially as the pilot would not come out of the flightdeck to be seen. More Aeroflot personnel came on board but eventually they agreed to replace all 4 of the flight crew and the flight departed 3 hours late.
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07th December 2008 - Melbourne, Australia
Doggie Air Rage
When ground handlers opened the cargo bay on a Qantas flight from Auckland to Melbourne they were confronted with an angry and distressed dog.
Obviously not enjoying the flight the dog had escapped from its travel container and then started chewing on the aircraft. Pilots were aware something was amiss when emergency lights indicating a problem with the auxillary power unit came on, apparently the dog had chewed through the wiring loom that led to the unit. Although the damage was quite bad at no point was passenger safety compromised as the auxillary unit only works while the aircraft is on ground.
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22nd January - Midland, Texas, USA
Man Jailed After Cusing Disturbance to try and Get a Free Ticket
Arthur David Proskin, of Albany, NY, has been found guilty of interferring with a flight crew. In April 2008 he was travelling to Palm Springs when a serving trollry banged his knee. He then started yelling and screamming obsenities at the crew and passengers to such an extent that the flight was diverted. Prosking reportedly told investigators he exaggerated the disturbance in an attempt to get free travel vouchers from the airline.
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20th January 2009 - Pheonix, USA
Man Walks on Wing of Delta Flight
When the Delta airlines flight from Salt lake City arrived in pheonix passengers were leaving the aircraft when one man openned an emergency exit and walked out onto the wing of the plane.
The man was detained by runway personnel the arrest by the police he has been questioned by local and federal law enforcement and charges are pending.
Reasons for his action are as yet unknown.
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04th January 2009 - Newfoundland, Canada
Moscow-Atlanta Flight Diverted to Newfoundland
Delta Airlines Flight 47 from Moscow to Atanta was forced to divert to Gander International Airport in Newfooundland, Canada due to an unruly passenger.
The passenger, reported in some sources to be a drunk Russian, was taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the flight coninued expexting to arrive approximately 4 hours late.
No details of the "unruly behaviour" is avaialble at this time.
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01st January 2009 - Washigton DC, USA
Muslim Family Removed from Flight for Discussing Safest Seat
Not strictly an air rage story but interesting. A muslim family were removed from an AirTran flight from Reagan National Airport, Washington DC, to Orlando after they were overheard discussing the safest place to sit on a plane.
There are no reports of any threatening langauge but some passengers reported hearing suspicious remarks and alerted flight attendants. This information was passed to two Federal Air Marshals on board who notified local law enforcement.
FBI agents then boarded the plane and removed the family and took them for questioning. Atif Irfan, his brother, their wives, a sister and three children where headed to orlando to meet family and attend a religious conference.
After questioning by the FBI the family was cleared but there flight had already gone. The family are now seeking for an apology from Airtran and are considering a civil rights lawsuit.
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30th December 2008 - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Toronto Flight Diverted to Dominican Republic After Passenger Tries to Open Door
Adrian Worrell of Toronto has been charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft after reputedly attempting to tamper with a cabin door.
The Skyservice flight from Grenada to Toronto was diverted to Punta Cana in the Domincan Republic after Worrell repotedly ran around the plane screaming and attempted to open two emergency doors on the plane before being tackled by passengers and then restrained.
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15th December 2008 - Salt Lake City, USA
JetBlue Flight In Emergency Landing In Salt Lake City
The JetBlue flight from New York to burbank was forced to divert to Salt Lake City after a passenger became unruly and the flight crew decided it was unsafe to continue the flight.
According to reports Shalom Yarimo had consumed 3-4 drinks on the flight before visiting to rest room to be sick. On his return to his seat he requested another drink and the flight attendant refused to serve him.
He then became agistated and apparently ran up and down the plane randomnly opening and closing overhead bins and was heard making atatement sabout having shot people in Lebanon. The crewdecided to divert to Salt lake City where Yarimo was arrested and removed from the flight.
Yarimo is reported to have stated that he had become ill after chocking on food and was unecessarily treated as a threat by the crew.
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05th December 2008 / 23rd December 2008 update - San Francisco, USA
United Airlines Being Sued by Couple for Serving Too Much Drink
Shortly after his flight from Osaka to San Francisco Yoichi Shimamoto was arrested for disorderly conduct and battery after stricking his wife, Ayisha, six times, including to the face, as they were heading through US Customs.
He has since been found guilty and given 18 months probation but the couple are suing United Airlines for ultimately being responsible for the outburst by overserving Yochi Shimamoto with glasses of Burgundy wine during the flight.
United are contesting the case.
on 23rd December the court dismissed the case after the couple asked for it to be voluntarily dismissed.
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04th December 2008 - Portland, USA
Man Charged with Assualting Flight Attendant
Jeffrey Skeggs of Portland, Maine has been charged with assualt after a flight attendant says he struck her when she asked him to return to his seat as the plane approached Portland.
Skeggs says he was waiting in line for the restroom and simply waved his hand at the attendant and he then returned to his seat without incident.
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05th October 2008 - Boston, USA
Man Sprays Powder on Plane
Arthur Nicalson has been arrested for disorderly conduct after he allegedly sprayed fellow passengers with Dr Scholl's Foot Powder then fled the plane.
Reportedly he was angry and irritated as he had been booked an o flight the previous day which was delayed for 7 hours because of mechanical problems. On boarding the flight he complained he had pneumonia and was removed from the flight and rebooked for the next day.
When he finally arrive din Boston he supposedly sprayed the powder to get back at US Airways for not giving him any vouchers for food or hotels after he left the earlier flight.
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27th September 2008 - Denver, Colorado, USA
Flight Delayed After Explosive Threat
The Northwest Flight 552 from Denver to Minneapolis was delayed after the plane had to be towed to the terminal and all pasengers had to pass through security again.
The reason behind this was Mark Randall Raybourn who told a fellow passenger that he had explosives in his luggage. Raybourn has now been indicted and if found guilty could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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06th September 2008 - Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, USA
Fight on JetBlue Flight Causes Diversion.
The Fort Lauderdale JetBlue flight from Boston was forced to divert to Raleigh-Durham international airport after a fight broke out amongst passengers on board.
Reports asay that two to three passengers became involved in a fist fight after one of them was smiookinh in the airplane toilet and one of the others took eXception to this. It is also reported that the men involved may be related.
Once the aircraft landed one passenger was taken into customdy and the jet was held for two hours while FBI investogators interviewed passengers.
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15th August 2008 - Venice, Italy
Drunks Force Crete Holday Flight to Divert to Venice
A planeload of holidaymakers on their way from Dublin to Heraklion in Crete had their flight diverted to Venice after trouble on board between some drunk passengers.
A group of men who had reportedly been drinking prior to bioarding the plane got into a load arguement shortly after take off which later escalated into a fight. One of the men reportedly stood up and stated beating violently on the overhead luggage bins much to the alarm of other passengers which included many women and children.
About 10pm the pilot deceded to divert for the safety of the aircraft and 5 men were escorted from the plane by Itlaian police. The aircraft and the rest of the passengers later continued onto Crete.
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25th July 2008 - Frankfurt, Germany
Drunk Female Passenger Tries to Open Door In Flight
A flight from Kos, Greece to Manchester, England was forced to divert to Frankfurt when two women passengers started being abusive to crew and one attempted to open an external door.
The flight was over Austria when the crew noticed the women were drunk and refused to serve them any more alcohol. At this point the passengers became abusive with one reported to have taken a swing at a flight attendant with a bottle of vodka. Then one of the women apparently wanted some fresh air and attempted to open a door, at which point both of the women were restained in their seats and the flight diverted to Frankfurt.
Once on the ground German police entered the plane and removed the two women. The police say that one of the women may be charged with assault and interfering with air traffic.
The flight continued to Manchester and hour later without the women on board.
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18th July 2008 - Olklahoma City, USA
Passenger Gets Naked then Tries to Open Exterior Door
The American Airlines Flight to Los Angeles from Boston was forced to divert to Oklahoma City after the unorthodox behaviour of one of its passengers.
The troubles began when a male passenger emerged from one of the toilets without his clothes. Craig Tornberg, manager of New England Revolution Soccer Team, spoke to the man and convinced him to put his clothes back on. All appeared to be OK after that until the man made a sudden bee line for the emergency exit and got as far as reaching the handle before being tackled by Tornberg and members of the soccer team..
After the plane divert to Oklahoma city the man was taken into custody for mental evaluation and the flight continued on after an hours delay.
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16th July 2008 - Bermuda
Drunk Tries to Open Door Over Atlantic
The First Choice flight from Gatwick to Cuba was forced to divert to Bermuda after a passenger atempted to open an external door.
Reportedly the passenger got into a drunken arguement with another man and nearly came to blows, the captain then made an announcement over the tannoy to remind people not to drink the duty free they had with them.
The passenger contuinued to be loud and abusive so the cabin crew attempted to calm him down which is when he lunged for the door handle and attempted to lift it.
The captain decided that this was putting the flight at risk and diverted to the nearest airport which was Bermuda where police took the man away.
The remaining passengers and crew were then put up in a hotel for the night and continued their trip in the morning.
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16th May 2008 - Lyon, France
Woman Bite's Boyfriend's Face on Holiday Flight
A couple in their late twenties launched into a drunken fight on a flight from Hurghada, Egypt to Manchester, UK. During the fight she reportedly bite his cheek taking a chunk out of his face.
The flight crew intervened to restrain the couple and were assisted by a pair of off duty police who were on the flight. Following the incident the captain of the Thomas Cook flight diverted to Lyon so that the couple could be removed and they were then arrested by the local police.
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08th July 2008 - Miami, Florida, USA
Booing Passengers at Gate Stop Flight
The American Airlines flight from Miami to New York had ben delayed for over an hour due to the late arrival of the flight crew (reportedly due to late arrival of the flight they were on before).
When the flight crew arrived at the gate some passengers began to boo and heckle the crew. the numbers of passengers this involved ranges from a handful to everybody but it is probably safe to assume it was only a small minority.
Due to the 'aggressive behaviour of the pasengers' some of the flight crew refused to work the flight as they feared for there own safety. the flight was cancelled and as it was an evening flight the passengers were put up in a hotel for the night and flown to New York next morning.
As a footnote it is reported the passengers went to LaGuardia while their luggage went to JFK.
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24th June 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Drunk Passenger Grabs Flight Attendants Buttocks
Jacob Kline has been charged with being intoxicated and disruptive in public following an incident on the American Airlines flight from Dallas to Charlotte.
Kline was drinking rum and coke and when the flight atttendents rufused to give him a fourth drink he became loud and abusive. His behaviour included throwing ice at other passengers and grabing a flight attendents buttocks.
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18th June 2008 - Denver, USA
Smoking Women Punches Flight Attendant in Face
Christina Szele of Woodside New York has been greated bail after she was arrested for smoking on a JetBlue flight and punching a flight attendant.
The flight attendant is reported to have spotted her smoking in her seat on the flight and snatched the cigarette from her mouth. Szele then started kicking and punching and yelling abuse, she was restrained by the flight attendants and put in plastic hand restraints.
Later she escaped from the restraints and punched the attendant who had removed the cigerette in the jaw.
Szele has been released on bail under the conditions that she does not fly or consume alcohol.
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07th May 2008 - Fargo, North Dakota, USA
Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Steward Starts a Fire In Toilet
A Compass Airlines flight from Minneapolis to Saskatchewan was forced to make an emergency landing in Fargo after smoke filled the back of the plane.
A 19 year old flight attendant Eder Rojas, reportedly started the fire with a lighter he smuggled though security because he was upset at Compass for making him work that route. No injuries were caused to either the crew or the 72 passengers onboard.
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06th May 2008 - Paris, France
Air France flight Carnival Ride
Alegations have been made that a pilots put a passenger airliner through some strange moves after a child was seen escorted to the cockpit. Passengers report being rocked back and forth on the Manchester to Paris flight as if the pilot was demonstrating how to fly the plane.
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30th April 2008 - Toronto, Canada
Drunk Man Dies on Russian Flight
A passenger who was amonst a group who had been drinking very heavily. Apparently spirtis from the bottle. Has died while on a flight from Moscow to Pearson International Airport.
Reports say the man was behaving as if extremely drunk and was escorted to the front of the plane. One paasenger says they saw hm lie down in the corridor and 'turn blue'. Police are investigating and treating the death as suspicious.
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3rd April 2008 - Heathrow, London, UK
Naomi Campbell Arrested After Row Over Bags
The supermodel Naomi Campbell has ben escorted off a British Airways plane at the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
Reportedly she had checked in two bags for her flight to the US but once on the plane had been informed that on of the bags had gone missing. Screaming was heard from the first class section by other passengers, and other reports say Naomi was handcuffed before being removed from the plane and arrested.
She was later bailed after questioning by police.
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23rd March 2008 - Charlotte, N.C., USA
Gun of US Airways Pilot "discharged" in Flight
OK this is not strictly an Air Rage story. On the US Airways flight from Denver to Charlotte the gun taken on board leagally by the pilot was "accidentally discharged".
The pilot was part of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Programme and had last requlified in November. This programme allows authorised airline crew members to carry firearms to defend against possible hijack.
The plane landed safely and no one was hurt, but how does a firearm discharge accidentally? An investigation involving the relevant law enforcement authorities is under way.
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9th March 2008 - Detroit, USA
Man Ejected from Flight for "Improper Statement"
Northwest Airlines Flight 465 to Atlanta was delayed after a man, who had reportedly been drinking, made an "improper statement" to a fellow passenger of Middle Eastern descent.
After other passengers overheard the remark they reported it to the cabin crew and the passenger was removed from the flight for "engaging in inappropriate behaviour".
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7th March 2008 - Beijing, China
China Terrorist Attacked Foiled Due to Smell of Petrol
A Chinese woman from the Turkic Muslim Uighur minority has confessed to a terrorist attempt on the flight from Urumqi to Beijing. Urumqi is the capitla of China's Xinjiang region.
The woman had drained soda cans with a syringe and refilled them with petrol. She had emptied the cans in the toilets (which have been reported as next to the planes wing fuel tanks) when a Flight Attendant smelled the petrol and discovered the woman.
The Chinese authorities have said the attacked was organised and premeditated and other people have been arrested in connection with it.
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2nd March 2008 - Bangorm Maine, USA
Man Threatens to Hijack Plane After Smoking in Toilet
Aiden Simon Mackle is now in jail in Bangor after threatening to hijack the Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dublin. Mackle, who is from Northern Ireland, was confronted by an flight attendant after he smoked a cigatette in the aircraft toilet. He reportedly started being abusive, he had been drinking, and said he new Osama Bin Laden and was going to hijack the plane.
When told by an off-Duty Air tran Airways pilot that the plane may have to be diverted he said"OK, I'm a terrorist go ahead and land the plane." He then punched an off duty Delta flight attendant.
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26th February 2008 - Buffalo, NY, USA
Man Gets 10 Months for Threatening Flight Crew
Jose Roman Jr, has been sentenced to 10 months in jail plus a payment of $2,800 in restitution for threatening thr crew of a jetBlue flight in June 2008.
Apparently mr Roman made several threats to shoot and stab the crew afeter they stopped serving him alcohol during the Houston to New york flight. The pilot then diverted the plane to Buffalo where Mr Roman was removed from the aircraft.
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8th February 2008 - Christchurch, New Zealand
Pilot Stabbed by Woman in Hijack Attempt
10 minutes into the flight from Blenheim the woamn enterred the cockpit declared there were bombs onboard and demanded to be flown to Australia.
The pilot made a mayday call and along with the co-pilot attempted to calm the woman down but she then attacked them both with a knife. The co-pilot eventually managed to wrestle her to the floor when she was unbalanced during turbulence as they were descending.
She was hancuffed and arrested on arrival in Christchurch and the pilot and one passenger who had tried to help were treated for minor injuries.
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6th February 2008 - Boston, USA
Unruly Passenger Causes Plane Diversion to Logan International
Conde Ansoumane, a French citizen, has been taken into custody after allegedly hitting a flight attendent on American Airlines flight 44 from New York to Paris.
After the incident on board the flight diverted to Logan International Airport where Ansoumane was removed from the plane.
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28th January 2008 - Shannon Ireland
Air Canada Pilot Has Breakdown In Flight
A Air Canada flight from Toronto to London was forced to divert to Shannon airport when its co-pilot had waht appeared to be a nervous breakdown.
Reportedly he was physically restrained and then hancufted to a seat in economy. Aparently he had started shouting and crying at the controls and was taken to the back of the plane by cabin crew and a passenger who is a member of the Canadian armed forces. Some passengers stated the pilot was shouting and asking to speak to God.
On arrival in Shannon he was removed from the plane and taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. The passengers had to disembarke and wait for replacement crew before continuing their flight to Heathrow.
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12th January 2008 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ground Rage
After a second day of cancelled flights by Aerolinas Argentinas passengers vented their anger by smashing up ticket counters and throwing things at the ground staff.
A strike by baggage handlers and a ticket counter staff walkout had caused the cancellations, stranding thousands of passengers at the airport unable to catch their international flights.
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11th December 2007 - Taiwan
A Bad Day for Mr Chen
A passenger has been escorted off a flight at Taoyuan International Airport for refusing to extinguish a cigarette. Mr Chen who was on the flight to Vietnam had earlier had an altercation with security staff after they had discoverd metal pliers in his carry on luggage. He had said they were for crushing betelnuts and wasn't happy when he had to put the pliers in his checked luggage.
Then once on the plane Mr Chen lit up the cigarette and refused when asked to extinguish it. Following the ensuing argument the pilot requested he was escorted from the plane by airport police.
After police recorded the incident Mr Chen checked out and left the airport.
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30th November 2007 - Phoenix, USA
Air Rage Before Takeoff
The Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix to Oakland was taxing when the pilot annouced they were next for take off. Then a male passenger, apparently suffering from flight anxiety, left his seat and attempted to enter the cockpit.
When confronted by cabin crew the man returned to his seat and the pilot returned the aircraft to the terminal where the passenger was escorted form the plane. The remaining passengers stayed on the plane and continued their journeys.
The man was not charged.
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28th November 2007 - Anchorage, USA
Alaska Airlines Flight Threatened
On the Alsaka Airlines flight from Seattle to Anchorage Kirk Frederick Forest of Wyoming allegedlly caused a disturbance and insued a threat reportedly containing the word "bomb".
He was restrained and the aircraft landed in a remote area of the airfield on arrival, where he was arrested for interfering with a flight crew.
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21st November 2007 - San Francisco, USA
Drunk Threatens Pilot
A drunk passenger stood on his seat and reportedly said "I'm gonna kill the pilot". He then stepped on the female passenger in the next seat as he attempted to get to the aisle.
Five passengers restrained the man and he was restrained using duct tape and handcuff, supplied by the purser, for the rest of the flight.
After the United Airlines flight from Philadelpia landed in San Francisco Damian R. Sexton was arrested and charged with assulting a passenger and threatening the pilot.
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27th October 2007 - Houston, USA
Flight Diverted After Passenger Tries to Open Door
The American Airlines flight to Dallas,-Fort Worth from Orlando was forced to divert to Houston after a female passenger attempeted to open an emergency door.
Apparently the passenger tried to open one of the over wing emergency exits and was then subdued by yhr crew. Following this the flight was diveted to Houton's Bush Intercontinental Airport where the passenger was detained by the local authorities.
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2nd October 2007 - Sydney, Australia
Drunk Tries to Open Aircraft Door
Burkard Kottsiepor has appeared before magistrates in Sydney after a mid air brawl. Reportedly at 2 in the moring while most of the flight was asleep Kottsiepor was refused drinks for being too drunk.
He then left his seat and went to the galley and attempted to serve himself, when a female flight attendant asked him to stop he assualted her, and when other crew intervened he went to the back of the aircraft and threatened to open a door.
Kottsiepor was overpowered by the crew and an ex soldier who came to their aid, eventually he was manacled to his seat for the rest of the flight. He was arrested on landing in Sydney.
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28th September 2007 - Newcastle, UK
Smoker Jailed for Air Rage Attack
Stephen Robinson of Darlington, UK, has been jailed for 12 months following an air rage incident last March. After being asked to put out a cigarette Robinson clambered over other passengers and assualted an air steward causing damage to his teeth.
Following the fight the Thomas Cook flight was diverted to Frankfurt where Robinson was removed from the plane.
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18th September 2007 - London, UK
Urinating Passenger Jailed
An unfortunate business passenger on asleep on a flight from Abu Dhabi to London awoke to find a 30 year old man urinating onto his lap. He then reportedly threatened that next time he would do it on his face.
The man was arrested on arrival in London and has been jailed for four months after admitting to being drunk on the aircraft. After his sentence he will be deported to the United Arab Emirates.
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1st September 2007 - Johannesburg, South Africa
Crew Rage
Shortly after the South African Airways flight from Lagos, Nigeria to Johannesburg took off a member of the crew reportedly became abusive and threatening causing concern amongst passengers and crew.
The crew member was restrained and a medical doctor on board sedated them, SAA says this action was done to ensure passenger safety and comfort. Once the plane landed in Johannesburg the crew member was taken to a medical centre and into police custody.
SAA CEO Khaya Ngqula said " We will not tolerate behaviour of this nature from any member of SAA staff. We view this incident in a very serious light and we apologise unreservedly to those passengers who were traumatised by this incident."
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28th August 2007 - San Diego, USA
Ground Rage Causes Flight to Be Delayed Overnight
Full details are sketchy but according to reports a dispute started between a group of Iraqi Americans and another passenger who did not like the fact they were speaking in Arabic. The dispute started at the boarding gate and continued onto the plane.
The flight had left the gate at 11:14pm but retuerned at 11:16pm after a passenger, apparently with a small child, elected to get off the flight. Unfortunately the airport has a flight curfew of 11:30pm so the flight was delayed until next morning. The reaction of the other 120 plus people on the flight is not recorded.
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25th August 2007 - Denver, USA
Don't Open the Door
When a male opassenger attempted to open the door of the Frontier flight from Denver to New York he was forcibly restrained by crew and fellow passengers. Apparently he was tied to his seat using lap belt and duct tape for the rest of the flight.
Unfortunately this did not stop him yelling and trtying to bite the tape. he was taken into custody at LaGuardia.
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25th August 2007 - Billings, Montana, USA
Unruly Women Restrained by Passengers
Shortly into a flight from Billings to Seattle a female passenger moved towards the front of Horizon Air flight and entered a confrontation with a flight attendant. When she grabbed the attendant two male passengersacted to restrain the woman.
On arrival in Seattle the Califorian woman was taken into custody for psychiatric evaluation.
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10th August 2007 - Denver, USA
Vegas Flight Diverted Due to Unruly Passenger
A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Las Vegas was forced to divert to Denver when Andy Lee Osuna had to be restrained by flight attendents after yelling profanities and making lewd comments according to an affidavit.
Reportedly Osuna made a lewd comment to a female passenger and when asked to stop by a male passenger grabbed him by the shirt and would not let go unitl forced to do so by cabin crew. In the ensuing scuffle Osuna pants had to be pulled up as his buttocks had become exposed.
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08th August 2007 - Winnipeg, Canada
Two Men Really Want to See the Cockpit
Not air rage but odd behaviour on a plane.Two men on a Westjet flight from Calgary to Winnipeg insited on seeing the cockpit before the flight so the pilot allowed them into the cockpit prior to the flight.
However during the flight they repeatedly requested access to the cockpit and became insistent only returning to their seats after the pilot spoke to themon the phone.
Many passengers were uncomfortable about what occured and Winnipeg police escorted the men from the plane on landing although no futher action was taken.
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6th August 2007 - Wellington, New Zealand
Ex All Black Helps Subdue Violant Man on Flight
Ofisa Tonu'u helped restrain the man for 10 minutes and handed him over to police on landing.
The man had become aggitated as the plane prepared to land and had left his seat and started punching a nearby passenger, when Tonu'u and another passenger intervened. Apparently the man, who was travelling with his parents, had not taken his prescription medicine and began swearing towards the end of the trip.
The man has been detained for assesment by mental health authorities.
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5th August 2007 - Lexington, Kenntucky, USA
Flight Attendant Charged with Threatening Pilot
Sarah Mills, a Flight Attendant on Atlantic Southeast Airlines, has appeared in court charged with drinking alcohol on the job and telling the captain 'You're Dead' as she was removed fromm the plane.
She is said to have smelled of whiskey and has admitted drinking but has pleaded not guilty to terroristic threatening and public alcohol intoxication.
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31st July 2007 - Winnipeg, Canada
Las Vegas Flight Diverted due to Air Rage
bmi's flight from Manchester to Las Vegas was forced to make an unplanned stop off in Winnipeg Canada. Reportedly Francois Scott Vizard got involved in a disput with other passengers and used threats to cause bodily harm or death. As he did not respond to repeated requests to calm down from the flight crew the plane divered to Winnnipeg so hae could be taken into custody.
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29th July 2007 - Baltimore, USA
Passengers On Tarmac for 5 Hours Organise Protest
(Sort of on Plane ground Rage)
The Continental Flight from Caracas to Newark was divertd to Baltimore due to bad weather. While this would have been enpough of an inconvenience for the passengers the plane then sat on the tarmac for 5 hours so that food and water ran low and toilets became unpleasant.
These passengers didn't take this sitting down, to show there annoyance they began clapping in rhythm and drumming on the overhead bins. Unfortunately this alarmed the pilot who radioed for help and police offiders and customs officals boarded the aircraft at 6pm.
The passengers were then escorted off the plane into a secure area of the airport. Some passengers reported feeling threatened and being treated like criminals, 70 signed a petition which has been sent to Delta complaining of their treatment on the plane.
The flight finally got to Newark at 7pm.
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22nd July 2007 - Chicago, USA
Plane Diverts to O'Hare Following Disturbance
Two people have been arrrested following a disturbance on an United Airlines flight from Boston to San Francisco. Joseph Koschitzhi and his wife Terri Binder Koschitzhi were arrested for misdemenour assult.
Full details are unclear but they seem to have been harrassing a third passenger and had refussed to comply with instructions from the cabin crew.
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19th July 2007 - Russia
Russia Considers In-Flight Alcohol Ban
Yury Zakharenkov, Head of the Russion Interior Ministry's Department for Public Safety has stated the Russion authorities are discussing a complete alcohol ban on flights. This has been sparked by an incident on 16th July when a brawl caused a flight to return to St Petersburg.
Passengers are forbidden to drink there own alcohol on flights, but the is widely flouted on Russian flights. They also often are drunk before boarding the aircraft.
Other options being explored by Russian airlines are a blacklist of passengers and fines for drunk passengers even if they couse no actual disturbance.
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17th July 2007 - Edinburgh, UK
Cocaine Snorting Teen Arrested
As the FlyGlobespan aircraft taxied for its takeoff to Ibiza a teenage boy pulled doqwn his flight table and began to snort cocaine using his passport.
Following a complaint the pilot aborted take off and returned the plane so the teenager could be removed the flight was then further delayed as the passengers were quizzed by police and sniffer dogs were used on the aircraft.
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16th July 2007 - Denver, USA
Mom Accused of Beating Kids on Flight
Tamera Jo Freeman, faces charges of assulat and interference with a flight crew following an incident on a flight from San Francisco to Denver. According to witnesses, Freeman started swearing and hitting her children, aged 2 and 4, until they were trying to hide in a corner.
When a flight attendant intervened it is alleged that Freeman threw a drink on the floor and confrointed the attendant. Fremman admits slapping her children and denies throwing the drink.
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13th July 2007 - St Petersburg, Russia
Plane Turns Round After In-Flight Brawl
Two hours into the flight from St Petersburg to Antalia, Turkey a drunken male passenger started demanding the attention of a female passenger. When she did not respond he slapped her across the face. Another tourist then tried to defend the victim and a brawl broke out. When the cabin crew were unable to stop the fight the captain took the descision to return to St petersburg where the bralers were removed from the plane.
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19th July 2007 - Atlanta
Teacher Assulats Flight Attendant
Valjean Marguriet, a Florida high scholl teacher, has pleaded guilty to assualt on a flight attendant on an AirTran flight from Atlanta to Newport News. Reportedly flight attendants responded to a complaint from a passenger that Marguriet had hit her. When the attendant attempted to speak to her about this Marguriet struck them in the face.
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3rd July 2007 - San Francisco, USA
Bomb Threat Passenger's Sentence Upheld
On Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to San Francisco on 22nd October 2003, Salavador Gonzalez threated to "take the aircraft down" and said "Do I have to say there's a bomb to get you to land". He then fought with passengers and crew who were afraid he would try to open an exterior door.
His attorney argued that he had not in fact been a danger to the plane but the judge said the threats could easily count as reckless endangerment.
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28th June 2007 - Arlanda, Sweden
Screaming Passenger Opens Taxiing Aircraft's Door
As the Blue 1 flight to Turku in Finland was taxiing to the runway a british man leapt from his seat and screamed he wanted off the plane. When one of the crew tried to calm he he yelled obscenities and tried to break into the cockpit.
When he failed to gain access he opened an emergency exit causing the inflatable slide to deploy. This could have lead to a serious accident if the slide had been sucked into an engine.
the pilot brought the plane to a stop while the cabin crew managed to overpower the man who was taken into police custody. He has been charged with endangering an aircraft and could face a year in jail plus a bill of 13,000 UKP for costs to the airline.
the man states he has no memory of the event and blood tests showed he had traces of bupherorphine, a treatment for dug addicts, in his system.
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26th June 2007 - Belfast, UK
Drunk Causes Diversion of London Flight
A flight from Toronto to London was forced to divert to Belfast after a passenger, Simon Charvatov, assualted two stewardesses. Reportedly Mr Charvatov had been drinking heavily from a bottle of Scoth he purchased from the planes duty free.
He was also reported to have repeatedly banged his head on the seat in front and the window and exposed himself. An off duty Canadian policeman restrained him and the flight diverted to Belfast where he was arrested.
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26th June 2007 - Philadelphia International Airport, USA
Flight Diverted Due to Slow Apple Juice
A Delta Connection flight from LaGuardia to Greensboro, diverted to Philadelphia International Airport after a passenger threw some Apple Juice.
Reportedly he was unhappy with the slow service by the flight attendant and yelled abuse and threw the drink in such a way to make the attendant feel threatened.
The pilot then erred on the side of caution and diverted. This caused 48 passengers to stay overnight in Philadelphia on the unscheduled stop.
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25th June 2007 - Seattle, USA
Off Duty Deputy Stops Man Opening Aircraft Door
A US Airways flight was descending into Seattle-Tacoma when WA Sheriff's Deputy Doug Stanley noticed the passenger in front of him had started to act strangely and refused to put his seat belt on.
But when the man attempted to open the emergency exit Stanley showed his police ID and forced the him to the back of the aircraft and handcuffed him with plastic ties. The man was handed over to police for medical evaluation on landing.
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24th June 2007 - London, UK
Reclining Seat Leads to Mass Brawl
The British Airways B747 was an hour away from its destination on the Lagos - London flight. A man reclined his seat and the passenger behind asked him not to when he refused the the second man got up and punched him.
They started fighting and friends of both of them joined in using fists, bottles and belts. The crew eventually manged to handcuff two Nigerian men but no before a female flight attendant and a male passenger sufferd gashes to their heads.
Air traffic Contol was notified and the flight got a priority landing where police were waiting to arrest the two handcufted men.
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21st June - Chennai, India
Naked Dancing on Thai Airways
It is not allowed. During a flight from Dubai to Chennai Pannatta Mesuwan stripped to his underwear and started to dance around the cabin. When asked to sit down and behave he stripped naked and continued to dance. He was overpowered by flight attendants and passengers and had clothes thrown over him.
On arrival in Chennai he was arrested by police and has claimed a temporary memory blackout.
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20th June 2007 - Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Man Stabbed Another Passenger with Pen
Danny Hughey, Jr from Arkansas has pleaded guilty to a federal assault following the incident last July. Hughey , who has a histroy of mental health concerns, says he heard voices saying the Southwest Airlines flight was gonna be hijacked.
He stabbed his victim in the neck and hand but did not cause serious injury.
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18th June 2007 - Jackson, USA
Arizona Man to be Charged for Interferring with Flight Crew
Edward Uber, reportedly cursed and spat at a flight attendant who refused to serve him any more alcohol on a Southwest Airlines flight from Pheonix to Orlando. He apparently also swung at some passengers and crew members.
Due to the incident the flight had to divert to Jackson where he was charged.
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13th June 2007 - Dallas, USA
Dallas Houston Flight Diverted Due to Unruly Passenger
Brian Thomas Cande-Stouwe, reportedly verbally abused the flight attendant and then tried to open an external door on the aircraft. He was restrainied by another passenger but continued to be abbusive, yelling obsenities.
When the pilot learned of the situation he diverted to College Station's Eastwood Airport where Vande-Stowe was taken into custody. He ahas been indited for intimidation of a flight attendant and is due to appear in court in Houston on 15th june 2007.
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12th June 2007 - Jacksonville, USA
Lawyer Gropes Male Flight Attendant
According to a Jacsonville affadavit, John Michael Moody II boarded the Southwest Airlines flight from Indianapolis to Fort Lauderdale with three friends asking for the gay section.
They sat at the back of the plane drinking heavily from acohol theu bought onto the flight. Flight Attendant Cory Cash stateted that Moody repeatedly propositioned him and touched him on the buttocks, back and abdomen.
When Cory asked him to behave as there were children on the flight Moody grabbed achild and carried them above his head down the plane. he has been charged and set a $10,000 bail.
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8th June 2007 - Exmouth, Australia
Abusive Drunk Challenges Cabin Crew to Fight
An intoxicated and abusive man threatened to open an external door and challenged cabin crew to a fight on a Skywest flight from Perth to Exmouth.
The 42 year old man, believed to be a resident of Exmouth, is due to appear before magistrates on June 14th.
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7th June 2007 - Houston, Texas, USA
Man Convicted of March 26th Flight Disturbance
Eduardo Turnball-Bolado, Mexico City, has been convicted of assualt or atempted assult on a flight attendant on a Continental Airlines flight from Monterrey to Houston on March 26th 2007.
Apparently he became agitated after not receiving immigration forms quickly enough and pushed and grabbed a flight attendant in the galley despite captain's ordes to rremain seated due to turbulance.
He received a $5,000 fine and three years or supervised release.
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5th June 2007 - Boston, USA
Screaming Men Subdued on NWA Flight
Two men acted very strangely on a flight from Minneapolis to Boston recently. They had appeared aggravated before takeoff but as soon as the plane was in the air one fell to the floor screaming and thrashing his legs while the other started pulling baggage out of the overhead lockers.
The cabin crew got them back into their seats but once the plane started decent they both started screaming and thrashing again. then with the help of ex policeman Bob Hayden and an unidentified ex marine the crew subdued them both and handcuffed one.
The men (possibly brothers) were handed over to State Police in Boston and have reportedly been taken for psychiatric evaluations. Other passengers were very upset by the incident which Hayden says appeared staged.
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4th June 2007 - Adu Dhabi
Australian Businessmen to be Deported from United Arab Emirates
Three Australian businessmen, David Evans and Jeremy Snaith of Jupiter Mines and a third passenger William Sargent are to be deported from Adu Dhabi, 5 weeks after there arrest for a disturbance on an Etihad flight from Sydney to Dubai on April 27.
The three men were accussed of drunkenness and sexual harrasment of an air stewardess. Evans and Snaith have been given suspended sentances and Sergant has been acquitted.
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3rd June 2007 - Palma, Majorca, Spain
To Bebo or Not to Bebo
Claire Scott who was returning to Glasgow on an easyJet flight from a hen weekend in Majorca claimed she had struck a male flight attendant during a "panic attack". But on the friendship site Bebo she posted a message boasting of giving the steward a "Glasgow Kiss and a swift left hook".
easyJet have passed the information on to the Spanish police as the incident took place at Palma Airport.
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29th May 2007 - Philidelphia, USA
69 Day Sentence for Passenger Who Grouped Women on a Plane
Thirumurthy Nakka Boomaiah, of Chennai, India was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport on 21st march after passengers and crew complained he had been rubbing the legs and genitals of female passengers and when a flight attendant told him to stop he threw a glass of water at them. Docotors initally found he was incompetent but had now regained competency.
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25th May 2007 - Dubai International Airport
Aircraft Forced to Stop Taxiing When Passenger Opens Door
The Birmingham Dubai flight of Emirates was forced to an abrupt halt when a passenger attempted to open the number 5 emergency door while after the aircraft had landed but before it had reached the terminal. A member of the air crew attempted to restrain the British passenger but he got it open causing the emergency slide to deploy.
The passenger has been charged with drinking and endangering an aircraft by Dubai Public Prosecution.
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22nd May 2007, Reus, Spain
Six Arrested After Drunken Rampage
Spanish police have arrested six Scottish holidaymakers from a Thomas Cook flight from Glasgow Airport.
Reportedly the men smoked in the toilets, drank duty free vodka and swore at and assaulted staff including biting one on the arm. On arrival at Reus police boarded the plane who then fought with each other and the police. They were later banned from their hotel following further trouble.
Thomas Cook have refused to fly them back and have asked British police to take action if the Spanish police do not.
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20th May 2007 - Los Angeles, USA
Britney Rufuses to Fly Due to "Lack of Leather"
Britney Spears reportedly demanded to be let off a flight from LA to Miami because it did not have leather seats. The flight crew are reported to have delayed the flight and allowed Britney to disembark, to the annoyance of other passengers.
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19th May 2007 - Canada
Canadian Airlines to have Right to Ban "Hazardous" Passengers
Under new regulations proposed by Transport Canada "would deal with passengers whose words or actions could interefere with the safe operation of the aircraft and create an unintended hazard for the aircraft, its crew and its passengers."
Airlines would have greater leeway to bar passengers from boarding whpo appear unruly or a threat and give improved guidelines on dealing with incidents such as air rage.
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10th May 2007 - Achorage, Alaska, USA
Oklahoma Man Arrested for Lunge at Flight Attendant
The FBI has reported the arrest of Rafael Alberto Holazo of Oklahoma City after he caused diruption on a Northwest Airways flight from Detroit, USA to Naygoya, Japan.
Three hours into the flight Holazo started to verbally abuse and harass other passengers. A flight attendant then asked him to return to his seat at whic point he lunged at her and grabbed her shoulder.
Two passengers pull him away from the attndant and the flight was diverted to Anchorage where he was arrested for interferring with a flight crew.
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7th May 2007 - Los Angeles, USA
Bounty Hunter Thrown off Plane
Duane "Dog" Chapman (a reality TV star) and his group where asked to leave the plane after his wife Beth reportedly go into a scuffle with a member of the air crew.
Reportedly as the plane was taiiing away from the terminal the flight attendant in 1st class noticed that Dog's seat belt was undone and as he was asleep nudged him to let him now. Apparently at this point Beth "went ballistic" and when the pilot was notified he returned the aircraft to the gate for the Chapmans to disembark. They were met by security but no arrests were made.
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7th May 2007 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Drug Mule Vomits Bag of Powder
An flight from Vietnam to Australia was forced to turn around after a male passenger became ill and vomited up a bag of white powder (suspected to be heroin). The flight had be going for over an hour before the man became ill. On landing at Tan Son Nhat Airport the man vomited two more bags of powder and according to reports he had 30 more in his stomach.
Several Australians have been arrested in Vietnam in recent years for drug trafficking and at least four were sentenced to death.
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30th April 2007 - San Francisco, USA
Woman Convicted of In-Flight Assualt
Erin Callanhan Lambert pleaded guilty today to a misdemenour on assualt while aboard an aircraft, this occured on board United Airlines Flight from Boston to San Francisco on 21 Jan 2007. She could have her conviction quashed if she stays out of trouble for twelve months.
Halfway through the 6 hour flight Lambert went to the back of the plane a started talking on her cell phone, when asked to turn offf the phone she abused a flight attendent and claimed hse was calling 911 as the flight was being hijacked.
Later she took another passengers seat and when asked to move first headed to the toilet with her luggage, including a small dog, then headed for the cabin door saying she was going to get off the flight.
At this point a flight attendant and some passengers restrained her and she was eventually restrined using plastics ties after she wiggled free of handcuffs. On arrival in San Francisco she was turned over to airport police.
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8th April 2007 - Hanoi, Vietnam
Flight Delayed by Mousehunt
A Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi to Tokyo was delayed for 3 hours while a search was carried out for a white mouse. Once the mouse was found in the food compartment, naturally, the flight proceeded. The flight could not take off until the mouse was found in case it chewed through any of the aircraft cables or wiring. It is believed the mouse was brought on board in the pocket of a passenger.
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6th April 2007 - Pusan , South Korea
Woman Arrested for In-Flight Phone Call
The woman was arrested after her flight landed in Pusan, she had started the phone call, apparently with a work collegue, after takeoff and repeatedly ignored cabin staff requests to cease the call. This is aparently the first time an arrest has been made for such an offence in South Korea.
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3rd April 2007 – San Francisco, USA
Smoking Woman Assaults Pilot
A Delta Flight from Cincinnati to Honolulu was forced to divert to San Francisco today after a female passenger punched the pilot ion the chest. The passenger had been found to be smoking in the airplane lavatory, a federal offence, after which she became unruly.
The pilot then left the cockpit to help deal with the incident and reportedly threatened to handcuff the woman if she didn’t calm down; this is when she threw a punch. After this the decision was made to divert to San Francisco. The woman was apparently given oxygen during the flight and taken to hospital when the plane landed. It resumed its flight to Honolulu an hour later
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28th March 2007 - Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Canada
A drunken midair rampage has cost a man $12,000 and may cost him $13,000 more.
Randall Burns a resident of Florida, USA, attacked two fellow passengers after flight attendants refused to serve him anymore booze on a flight from Oslo to Newark. His actions, it took six other passengers and flight attendants to subdue him, caused the flight to divert to Happy Valley-Goose Bay Airport. He has been fined $12,000 for endangering an aircraft and may be sued by Continental Airlines for $13,000 to cover the cost of the forced landing.
Reportedly he also assulated Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers as they removed him from the aircraft.
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21st March 2007 - Calcutta, India
A man caused the emregency landing of an Indian Airways flight in Calcutta by claiming he had a bomb in his bag.
The man, identified as a Mexian national, became involved in a fight with another passenger on the Bangkok to New Delhi flight and when the crew attempted to intervene he yelled he had a bomb in his bag. The pilot then took the deciscion to divert to Calcutta where police arrested the man and searched the plane.
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22nd March 2007 - Fiji
Fijian Solider Urinates On Japanese Passenger
On a flight from Japan to Fiji a Fijian soldier returning from peacekeeping duties in the Sinai is reported to have exposed himself to and then urinated on a young female Japanese passenger.
He was taken into custody on arrival in Fiji and will be subject to miltary disipline. Air Pacific has apologised to the female passenger and supplied her with a free change of clothes and antiseptic and cleansing cloths.
Both her and her travelling companion we compensated by the airline
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12th March 2007 - Amarillo, Texas, USA
A plane on a flight from Pittsburgh to Phoenix was diverted to Amarillo airport after a passenger claimed he had a gun in his luggage.
James Joseph Egan wasw returning home from his mother's funeral when he became beligerent after the cabin crew refused serve him any more alcohol. He then threatened to assulat the crew and other passengers before claiming to have a gun in his carry on luggage. He was due to appear in court on Friday 16th march.
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11th March 2007 - Linthicum, Maryland, USA
Maryland Transportation Authority have said they have charged a man with assulating two flight attendants aboard an America West flight from Phoenix to B-W-I Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
The man, identified by an agency offical as, Bryan Leon Spann of Phoenix, allegedly slapped and punch one male and one female flight attendant. He was then restrined with flexible handcuffs by the crew. It is suggested he may have been under the influence of alcohol. Federal charges are also possible.
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4th March 2007 - Winnipeg, Canada
An allegedly unruly passenger caused the diversion, to Winnipeg, of the BA flight from London to Phoenix. The passenger, David McAuliffe apparently became unruly when the cabin crew would not serve him any more alcohol. The pilot radioed ahead so that police where standing by to take charge of McAuliffe when the flight landed.
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25th February - Launceston, Australia
A man has been charged with common assault and interference with crew of an aircraft. He had allegedly threatened and became aggressive towards flight crew on a Jetstar flight from Brisbane to Launceston.
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25th February 2007 - Paris, France
Jean-Luc Delarue, a popular French talk-show host, was detained by police following an alleged incident on a flight to South Africa on 13th February.
Allegely Delarue had been drinking heavily and slapped, insulted and bit one flight attendant and was then restrained in handcuffs. One air stewardess is reported as saying he also grabbed her breasts.
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15th February 2007 - San Francisco, USA
A Bay Area woman who was arrested after a disturbance on SFO bound flight has had the charges against her dropped, instead amending the case and charging her with a misdemeanor charge of assault while about an aircraft.
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9th February 2007 - Winnipeg, Canada
A 43-year-old man landed in jail after allegedly assaulting a flight attendant aboard an Air Canada flight. The man was arrested after a commotion aboard the Vancouver – Toronto flight forced the pilot to land.
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25th January 2007 - Fort Myers, Florida, USA
A family was asked to leave a flight after their daughter got upset and refused to be strapped into her seat and cried, and cried and cried. They were angry when it was discovered they would have to wait 24 hours for another flight, they were told about other flights but wanted only non-stop flight. The family refused the company’s offer of free tickets. They were given a refund for the flight they had to leave.
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10th January 2007 - Fukuoka, Japan
A flight from Narita Airport to Hong Kong was forced to make an emergency landing at Fukuoka Airport after a Turkish passenger who had been drinking reportedly started acting violent. No passengers of crew were injured during this incident.
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28th December 2006 - Washington DC, USA
A US Airways passenger faced charges of interfering with a flight crew after he apparently unknowingly slapped an undercover federal marshal. The man, who’d been drinking, threw a mid-air temper tantrum after attendants refused to serve him more alcohol. He became agitated and slapped a fellow passenger who turned out to be an undercover air marshal.
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20th December 2006 - Houston, Texas, USA
A 66-year old man was arrested after a disturbance on a Continental Airlines flight to Houston after mixing his medication during the trip. The Japanese citizen and a U.S Permanent resident alien also put his hand up a flight attendants skirt and made a mess in the restroom after mixing his pills.
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19th December 2006 - Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
80 live rats caused panic on a flight in northwest Saudi Arabia after escaping from a passenger’s rucksack. The plane had climbed to 25000 feet before people noticed rats running about the floor. When landed the passenger admitted he had 80 live rats in his rucksack that had gone unnoticed when he boarded the flight.
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22nd November 2006 - Prestwick, UK
A transatlantic jet flying between France and the US was forced to land at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire because of a disruptive passenger. The Northwest Airlines Airbus A330, en route from Paris to Detroit with 185 people on board, landed at the airport at about 1520 GMT.
A 19-year-old man was removed from the aircraft and arrested by police for an alleged breach of the peace.
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29th September 2006 - Innsbruk, Austria
An Austrian Airlines jet made an unscheduled stop after a passenger sneaked a hamster aboard and the rodent escaped. The flight from Palma de Mallorca to Graz made a stop so officials could search for the hamster.
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4th October 2006 - Washington DC, USA
A woman was charged with sexual assault after she landed in to a heated argument with a male flight attendant on a flight from Charlotte NC to London. The woman was not only disrupting the flight, during the altercation the woman grabbed the flight attendants buttocks.
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24th September 2006 - New York, USA
A Maryland man was arrested Sunday at Kennedy Airport after allegedly hitting a flight attendant after she told him there were no more chicken dinners available, and he’d have to settle for beef. The man became agitated began yelling and swearing before standing up and punching the flight attendant.
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28th September 2006 - Miami, Florida, USA
The FBI questioned two passengers after a flight on an American Airlines flight from Peru to Miami. An older Japanese national man sprayed a young man in his 20’s with perfume, he tried to ignore the name by playing his ipod but the older man became upset and started elbowing him. No one was arrested
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15th September 2006 - Raleigh, USA
A California couple are facing charges after allegedly refusing to stop ‘overt sexual activity’ on a flight to Raleigh. The couple were kissing, embracing and acting in a manner that made other passengers uncomfortable. They were asked to stop and did so for a short time before resuming. The couple then started to verbally harass flight attendants after they refused to serve the couple alcohol.
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12th September – Chantilly, Virginia, USA
Man in military fatigues tries to open jet door in midair
The man had reportedly been acting strangely for about 20 minutes, then sat up, wrapped belts around his hands and threw punches into the air, a member iof the cabin crew was then heard to ask him to take his hand of the handle.
The man was apparently held down and punched by other passengers. Air marshals then came and took custody of the man.
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6th September 2006 - Manila, Philippines
A Filipino passenger was removed from a domestic flight after making a joke about a bomb to a flight attendant. Police decided not to press charges and the woman was allowed to take the next flight after signing an apology.
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29th August 2006 - Oklahoma, USA
Law enforcement officers were questioning the passenger involved in the incident that led the diversion of the US Airways flight. The N.C bound flight left Phoenix and was diverted to Oklahoma City. Details have not been disclosed regarding the nature of the problem between the passenger and the flight attendant.
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3rd August 2006 – Fort Lauderdale, USA
A passenger was taken for a 72 hour psychological evaluation after trying to force open the emergency door. The passenger was on his way to Fort Lauderdale for psychological treatment when he became agitated and started to pace the floor before his apparent escape attempt.
please note it is virtually impossible to open the door of a modern airliner while in flight.
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1st August 2006 – Hong Kong
A Woman was removed from a flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo as she refused to stow her Gucci handbag under the seat in front of her or in the cabin overhead. Other passengers clapped when the woman and the handbag were escorted from the flight after delaying the flight for an hour.
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1st August 2006 – Tulsa
A flight from Las Vegas to Arkansas was diverted to Tulsa after an altercation between two passengers. One passenger threatened another with a ball point pen. The airport police took the passenger into custody and later arrested him.
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28th July 2006 – Johannesburg
A man wielding a Swiss knife had to be restrained and moved to the back of an SA Airways aircraft on a flight from Zurich to Johannesburg.
After he spent the first leg of the trip threatening a passenger with the knife, banging on the floor of an occupied toilet and repeatedly grabbing the earphones off the head of a woman sitting next to him.
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20th July 2006 – Taipei
A China Airlines flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Taipei was diverted to the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung after a passenger broke a window on the aircraft. The male passenger broke the window with his arm after he became intoxicated. The average window is double layered so safety will not be threatened said a China Airlines spokesman.
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10th July 2006 – Florida
A passenger onboard a flight to Florida was detained after repeatedly trying to break into the cockpit. About fifteen minutes before landing the flight crew asked him to sit down to which he refused and tried to run through the cockpit door after falling down he got up and tried again.
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7th July 2006 – Brisbane
An Irishman has been charged with allegedly punching a female flight attendant on a flight form Singapore to Brisbane. The man appeared to be intoxicated and was abusing passengers before allegedly assaulting the attendant.
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9th June 2006 – Sydney
A member of a Territory dance troupe had to be physically restrained after abusing passengers and crew. Joe Watson of the White Cockatoos dance troupe was charged with offensive and disorderly behavior on an aircraft after getting drunk on the flight.
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8th June 2006 – Manchester England
A husband was arrested after a row with his wife got out of hand at 35,000ft.
Passengers and crew tried to calm him down on the flight from Spain to Manchester but he became so abusive the captain radioed ahead for help.
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5th June 2006 – Hawaii
A man aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight assaulted a male flight attendant during a flight from Hawaii to Pago Pago. The flight was returned to Hawaii where the unnamed passenger was arrested.
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2nd June 2006 – Spain
British singer Pete Doherty was detained on board a flight from London to Barcelona after a blood filled syringe was found in the planes toilet but was then released. Cabin crew were suspicious after an unnamed passenger, later confirmed to be Doherty by Britain’s domestic press association news agency spent an unusual amount of time in the toilet and as soon as he left they searched the toilets to find the blood filled syringe.
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24th March 2006 – Perth
A 46 year old man has been charged with disorderly behavior after being arrested during a flight from Sydney to Perth. The man was cautioned several times by cabin crew before being escorted to the rear of the plane where he continued to abuse staff and other passengers.
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13th March 2006 – Columbus
A man made threats aboard from Cleveland to Cincinnati. He punched an off duty crewmember before other passengers subdued him, the pilot diverted to Port Columbus where he man was arrested by airport police.
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12th February 2006 – Pusan
A 40 year old man, who was on his honeymoon, created a disturbance on a Korean Air flight from Pusan to Cheju. The man was drunk and refused to sit down before the plane took off and lay down in the aisle breaking an in-flight meal cart. He attacked cabin purser and ground crew who tried to stop him. He was removed after staff used a stun gun to hold him in the presence of police.
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10th February 2006 – Salt Lake City
An unruly passenger who claimed to have a baby named Jesus, that her uncle impregnated her and that President Bush was behind it all forced a flight to divert to Salt Lake City. Two passengers subdued the woman after she attacked flight attendants as well as other passengers.
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9th January 2006 – Kochi
A woman who was not happy about her in-laws accompanying her family to the US kicked up a fuss as the flight to America via Dubai. The husband had managed to keep the row under control until the flight had started to taxi on the runway when the wife started her argument again, immediately the husband informed crew he wanted to disembark with his family.
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5th January 2006 – Porto Santo
An unwilling Robinson Crusoe has been dumped on a desert island after launching a foul-mouthed attack at the crew or a passenger jet. He began abusing the cabin crew of a flight from Manchester, he refused to calm down and then turned his attention to the other 210 passengers. The pilot took a detour to remove the man from the aircraft.
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7th December 2005 – Charlotte
A United Airlines flight was diverted to charlotte after an unruly passenger lit a cigarette, argued with a flight attendant and then urinated in the planes aisle. He was thought to be drunk as he boarded the plane.
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21st November 2005 – Australia
A French woman was arrested after attempting to open an airplane door mid-flight so that she could smoke a cigarette. Before a flight from Hong Kong to Brisbane the woman had drank alcohol and taken sleeping tablets due to a fear of flying.
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18th November 2005 – Chicago
A 56 year old Chicago man was sent to prison for disrupting a flight after a flight attendant refused to serve him alcohol. The man threatened and harassed flight attendants on a flight from Chicago to Seattle. He was also ordered to pay more than $1500 in restitution.
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14th October 1005 – Tampa
A 24 year old man was arrested after shattering a plastic shield covering the glass window and disconnected it’s frame about 90 minutes into an overnight flight. The punch basically exposed the exterior of the aircraft. He faces up to 20years in a federal prison if convicted or damaging an aircraft while it was operating.
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5th October 2005
Disruptive Behavior more than doubles on British airlines.
Smoking and alcohol abuse are the main causes for incidents onboard aircraft. The number of incidents over the past years compared with the year prior has risen 59% to 1486 incedents.
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8th September 2005 – Denver
26 year old Jason Trevort flew much of the way from Houston to Denver tied up with duct tape. Fellow passengers had to subdue him after he became unruly and abusive shouting profanities, spitting and biting other passengers.
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24th August 2005 – Denver, USA
The president of a rugby team called the Denver Barbarians apologized to Denver City council after some of the players got out of hand on a flight to Denver. Several team members became disruptive after they were told they could no longer purchase alcoholic beverages.
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19th July 2005 – Charlotte North Carolina
A British man faces up to 20 years behind bars after threatening to kill 247 people on a London bound flight. Sean Joyce is thought to have been drinking wine and taking pills before becoming violent.
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7th July 2005 – Trinidad
A Toronto man was arrested in Trinidad after the Air Canada flight was forced to land there following a violent case of air rage. The airline say the man had been drinking and became verbally abusive toward a flight attendant.
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22nd June 2006 Cape Town
A 21 – year old student tried to force his way into the cockpit of a South African Airways aircraft with a hypodermic needle on a flight from Cape Town. He threatened an airhostess with a syringe, but was tackled and handcuffed by fellow passengers, including an off-duty pilot. The man a Zimbabwean student at the University of Cape Town, apparently wanted to divert the plane to Maputo.
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3rd June 2005 Dallas
A federal grand jury indicted a man for allegedly assaulting and intimidating a flight attendant on a flight last summer.
The man who was flying from Houston to Tulsa, also allegedly bit another passenger on the hand and struck him on the lip in July 2004, the man who caused the flight to be detoured to Dallas, was charged with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants and one count of assault, according to the release.
If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
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11th May 2005 New York
A 48-year-old man was pronounced dead on arrival in hospital after an incident on a New York bound flight.
The man had pushed aside a flight attendant after she refused to serve him alcohol, seven male passengers wrestled him to the ground where flexible handcuffs were put on him and he was seated back in his seat.
The medical examiners office released a statement saying he died from acute cocaine and alcohol intoxication aggravated by heart trouble.
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21st April 2005 Singapore
A man charged for air rage on SilkAir flight to India.
A man made threats to a fight attendant that he was a member of an Israeli group and was not afraid of bringing down the plane.
He was arrested at Changi airport upon returning from India.
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14th April 2005 Las Vegas
A passenger was taken in to custody after he allegedly struck a flight attendant.
A fight had broken out between two passengers when one of the passengers struck the flight attendant. The passenger accused of hitting the attendant could face federal charges.
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07th April 2005 – Honolulu
A Californian man has been charged with interfering with the duties of an airline flight crew, on a flight from Lihue to San Francisco. The man became disruptive after he was refused alcohol. He took off his shirt and refused to sit down when instructed to do so. The pilot returned the plane where the man was taken into custody, the flighty then carried on to San Francisco.
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29th March 2005 Perth
A female business class passenger in her mid-50’s allegedly struck the purser, spat and abused fellow passengers for more than 2 hours of the 3-½ hour flight.
She became abusive after she was refused an alcoholic drink.
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22nd March 2005 – Moscow
Russian authorities arrested an Australian passenger on a Russian aeroplane who tried to break into the cockpit and threatened to blow up the plane. It was discovered he did not have any explosives and was extremely drunk.
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15th March 2005 – Rotterdam
Upon arrival in Rotterdam at least 8 passengers were arrested after a fight broke out between two groups over a woman from one of the groups. One member of the opposite group made a lewd comment and the fight erupted.
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10th March 2005 – Anchorage
A 35-year-old man was arrested after going on a rampage during a flight from Denver to Anchorage when he was denied alcohol.
When he boarded the plane he was heard swearing and the pilot told him he would not be served alcohol. When the flight attendant refused him alcohol he went on a rampage through the flight urinating in the floors and breaking trays. The man was arrested when the flight landed in Anchorage.
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18th February 2005 – United Kingdom
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of assault and being drunk on an aircraft.
The 23year old woman was arrested when she arrived in Manchester. She was on a flight from Dubai where there was a disturbance on the flight and another woman suffered a bite wound.
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19th January 2005 - Tenerife
A Norwegian man had to be tied up after he started to assault passengers on a flight from Trondheim to Canary Islands. The man from Trondelag was reportedly already drunk when he boarded the flight. Passengers restrained the man.
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12th January 2005 – Moscow,
A flight from Toronto to Moscow was diverted to Iceland because of a man in a state of alcoholic intoxication provoked a fight, swore wildly and shouted at the crew and passengers.
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10TH January 2005 Orlando
A 66 year old woman was arrested on a flight from Orlando to Albuquerque after she started to act strangely on the flight by laying down her seat, blocking the aisle with her legs, exposing her bra to the cabin crew and placing her hand on the crotch of a sleeping male passenger. While speaking to a flight attendant she said ‘I know there is a bomb on the plane’ and ‘I know we are being hijacked’. After being arrested she then proceeded to tell an airport officer and a US customs agent that she was going to kill the FBI agent who had interrogated her. While being transported to jail she asked how much money the officers made and offered to pay them between several hundred to a thousand dollars if they let her go, the officers asked her if she was trying to bribe them in their position as federal agents. She answered ‘Yes’.
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4th January 2005 - China
A man was arrested in China accused of trying to hijack a passenger jet to Taiwan. The man was detained after he told cabin crew on the flight from Harbin to Xiamen that he wanted to fly to Taiwan and threatened to kill himself. He had a knife which he held to his throat in an effort to convince the cabin who, instead, over powered him.
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20th December 2004 - Winnipeg
A man said to be in his late 20s, had to be removed from the bathroom on a flight to Winnipeg. The passenger locked himself in the bathroom and was making incoherent noises. He was removed from the bathroom by police, who found no weapons or injuries on the man. He was later taken to hospital for mental evaluation.
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1st December 2004 - Detroit
A man was has been sentenced to five years probation for assaulting a flight attendant and another passenger on a flight from Narita to Detroit.
He claimed he could not remember what happened as he had taken two sleeping pills before the flight and drank four shots of whiskey.
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29Th November 2004 - Detroit
A 48year old man has been sentenced to 5years probation for assaulting a flight attendant and another passenger on a flight from Narita, Japan to Detroit. As part of his probation he was ordered to serve one year at a community corrections centre and to pay $57,9000 in restitution to the airline.
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24th November 2004 – Montreal
A 19 and a 25-year-old have been charged with assault, uttering threats and uttering threats respectively after an altercation broke out on a flight from Colombia to Montreal about their seating arrangements. One of the women was travelling with 14 others and as the fight broke out most of her travelling companions left their seat to move towards the altercation before being pushed back by flight attendants.
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17th November 2004 – Seattle USA
A man accused of spitting in the face of a flight attendant on a flight from Seattle to Honolulu has now been charged with knowingly interfering with the duties of an airline flight crew.
The 26year old was arrested after he became disruptive on the flight and pinned the flight attendant to the floor and repeatedly spit on her face.
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12 October 2004 – Cape Town
An Italian Businessman was arrested and fine after the pilot of a London to Cape Town flight found the man as having smoked onboard.
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10th October 2004 - New Zealand
A drunken man was restrained by a British police rugby league team on a flight to play their New Zealand counterparts. The man became unruly and aggressive towards other passengers received a nasty shock to find out that his flight also included the rugby team.
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6TH October 2004 – Liverpool UK
A 27year old landscape gardener from Manchester was arrested and charged after swearing at a police officer who was attempting to remove him from the plane. The flight from Manchester to cologne was filled with a rugby team who mocked German passengers on board with the theme from ‘Dambusters’.
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5Th October 2004 - Vancouver
Two people from Vancouver have been charged with causing a disturbance and mischief on a flight from Toronto to Vancouver. The pair became obnoxious and unco-operative and torn up the cautionary letters given to them from the captain.
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22nd September 2004 – USA
Yusuf Islam, formally know at the pop singer Cat Stevens, was allowed to board a plane in London even though he was on the governments no-fly list.
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21th September 2004 – London
A 45year old man walked free from Hove crown court, after admitting to endangering the safety of an aircraft by setting fire to a pornographic magazine, in which he found a picture offensive. He objected to a picture of a black man with a white women, which he then used a lighter to set the fire. He was given a two year conditional discharge and ordered to pay a fine.
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16th September 2004 – Perth
A 33year old man was arrested after allegedly assaulting a passenger on a Quantas flight from Adelaide to Perth.
He was charged after allegedly damaging property in the airport office of the Australian Federal police and a WA police vehicle.
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25th August 2004 – Gatwick UK
On a flight from Norway to Gatwick a man used a lighter to set fire to torn up pieces of paper under his seat. It was later discovered it was pages from a porn magazine which he was torching. He claimed he was burning the pictures because they offended him.
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19th August 2004 – New York, USA
A man who assaulted another passenger on a flight from Nevada to New York has now been sentenced to three years in prison. He was also sentenced to six months supervised release with three months to be spend on home detention.
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17th August 2004 – Ireland, UK
Irish police arrested a 36-year old man after he became abusive aboard the flight from New York to Athens, The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at Shannon airport Western Ireland.
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10th August 2004 – Brussels, Belgium
After a passenger’s cat escaped from its cage 20minutes into the flight from the Belgium capital to Vienna, the pilot made a return emergency trip to Brussels.
Although it is not yet clear how the cat managed to escape from its cage, once free he roamed the flight and became agitated and scratch the co-pilots arm.
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4th August 2004 – Phoenix, USA
10 people became ill after the Air conditioning went out on a flight from Phoenix to San Antonio.
Hot temperatures and hot tempers are being blamed after the pilot decided to return to the gate and contacted security. During the time it took for security to reach the aircraft 10 people had become ill.
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1st August 2004 – Miami, USA
Two passengers were removed from a New York bound flight from Miami International Airport because a crewmember considered the T- shirt one of them was wearing as obscene. The T-shirt featured a man and a woman with the woman’s breast showing. A spokeswoman said the couple can legally be barred from a flight as ‘proper attire’ is required.
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30th July 2004 – Honolulu USA
A man was taken into custody after he claimed me had a bomb on board a flight from Lihue to Honolulu. An item was taken from the man but it was later determined it was not a bomb. The plane was searched an no bomb was found onboard.
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20th July 2004 – Russia
A reverse Air rage incident occurred on a flight from Moscow to the Siberian City of Nizhnevartovsk as drunken flight crew attacked a passenger. The passenger had complained that the crew were intoxicated and demanded to be served by another attendant and was attacked.
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19th July 2004 – Cleveland USA
A flight Seattle to Newark was diverted and forced to land in Cleveland after a passenger attacked a flight crewmember. She was charged with assaulting a flight crew member after she allegedly started screaming at him then kicking him in the groin, pulled his hair, spat on his face and bit his finger.
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16th April 2004 – Hamilton USA
A drunken Police officer from Toronto has been charged with after pleading guilty to making death threats, assault and sexual assault.
He terrorised a young girl and her father before sexually assaulting one flight attendant while making threatening comments to another. He was hustled away by police when the plane landed in Hamilton.
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14th July 2004 – Melbourne Australia
A man who tried to hijack a plane flying from Melbourne to Launceston with wooden steaks and aerosol cans has been found not guilty of attempted hijacking, attempted murder and intentionally causing grievous bodily harm because of mental impairment.
The 41year old man was suffering from Paranoid schizophrenia, which included grandiose religious delusions. The jury heard that he was on a mission from god to crash the plane in to the walls of Jerusalem National Park to rid the world of the devil.
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6th July 2004 – Bali
A drunken Australian tourist terrorised passengers on a flight to Bali is yet to be questioned by the Australian Federal Police. He Headed for the cockpit shouting that he was armed and had explosives, he was stopped by another passenger. No charges have been laid against the man who was released a few hours after the incident allegedly took place.
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1st July 2004 – Los Angeles, USA
A woman was questioned after a flight attendant was attacked aboard a flight from Oakland to Los Angeles. The authorities say that the incident did not involve guns, knives or any other weapons.
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19th June 2004 – Salt Lake City, USA
On a flight to Salt Lake City a man threw the Federal Aviation Administration regulation in a flight attendants face after she repeatedly asking him to speak softly to other passengers after making a very loud verbal comment. He was repeatedly told to sit down by the attendant. Other passengers finally escorted him to his seat after he allegedly struck the attendant.
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9th June 2004 – Philadelphia USA
A passenger slapped a federal air marshal after refusing to end a phone call on her cell phone. The 38year old woman refused to end her call as the plane taxied for take off after being asked by the air marshal as she said it would have been rude.
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9th June 2004 – Vietnam
Vietnam Airlines has banned a woman from flying on its planes after she attacked an attendant after being asked repeatedly to stop using her mobile phone during takeoff and landing.
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23rd May 2004 – Canberra Australia
Federal Liberal MP Dave Tollner was accused of being drunk and aggressive while on a flight from Adelaide to Canberra. Tollner refused to sit down on approach to Canberra and demanded more alcohol.
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16th May 2004 – Panama City
Panamanian authorities held six Israelis after they pulled out plastic toy guns and engaging in a gunfire game in the middle of the flight. It was reported that there is nothing to suggest that that they were dealing with a group intent on carrying out acts of terrorism. The Israelis could face up to 15years in prison and fines of up to $5,000 for charges of threatening collective security.
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13th May 2004 – Glasgow, UK
37 Senior Tesco staff were removed from a flight from Glasgow to Belfast for being drunk and disorderly. It was stated that ‘The captain felt that their presence as a group was a potential threat to the safety of other passengers because of the drunk and disorderly behaviour of a number of individuals within the group.
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6th February 2004 – Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
A bank executive discovered in mid flight that he had unintentionally carried on board a pistol on a flight bound for Singapore. He reported the matter to the crew and the weapon was confiscated, The Singaporean authorities were not involved.
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31st January 2004 – Miami USA
Three men from the Dominican Republic were found stowed away in a shrink-wrapped pallet. There were found at Miami International Airport and deported.
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16th January 2004 – Athens, Greece
A German passenger was arrested trying to carry a .357 calibre revolver with more that 100 rounds of ammunition on to a flight bound for Crete.
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14th January 2004 – Melbourne Australia
A 23year old woman subjected a flight from Hobart to Melbourne to a 50 minute tirade. The pilot described the incident as ‘an environmental anomaly’ after the woman took off her shirt and bra and defecated in her pants.
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8th January 2004 – Crawley UK
A 41 year old woman was given 200 hours community service and ordered to pay compensation to another passenger after she assaulted them on a flight from Cuba to Gatwick.
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6th December 2003 – Edmonton, USA
A 22year old woman was arrested after she tried to board a flight with pipe bombs in her luggage. Police say that the bombs were home made and it is unclear what her intentions were.
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5th December 2003 – Newcastle, UK
5 British soldiers were ordered to pay fines from £1200 to £1500 for a drunken incident on a flight from Belfast to Newcastle.
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31ts October 2003 – Inverness, UK
A 43year old man was fined £600 for his sexually abusive behaviour on a Loganair flight in March. He demanded a lapdance from one of the stewardesses, she ignored him then he raised two fingers towards her and started swearing.
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11th October 2003 – New York, USA
A 25year old student became unruly on a flight from Mexico City to Paris, causing the flight to be diverted to JFK. However the student was pronounced dead on arrival as a result of alcohol intake and a subsequent violent struggle.
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19th September 2003 – Manchester UK
A 39year old man allegedly smeared blood on passengers and groped a 15year old girl on a flight from Philadelphia to Manchester. The man who foamed also attacked two air marshals.
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5th September 2003 – Dallas USA
After a shipping clerk loaded himself into a crate and filled paperwork indicating the crate held a computer and clothes he was loaded on to a plane. He finally arrived in Dallas where the incident caused controversy regarding lax cargo security requirements.
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1st August 2003 – Sydney, Australia
A man was caught with a metal baton and a knife on a flight from Lismore to Sydney. It is thought that the man did not threaten or try to harm anyone on the plane.
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30th June 2003 – Winnipeg, USA
Rebecca Kelly was given a conditional release on charges of air rage on a flight from Los Angeles to London in 2002. Kelly, Actress and mother of two of Jack Nicholson’s Children hit and swore at an attendant who refused to serve her more alcohol.
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19th June 2003 – Salt Lake City, USA
A man was charged with interfering with flight crewmembers and assault on an aircraft after causing a disturbance on a flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. He was verbally abusive toward a female passenger and threw a small bottle of liquor that only just missed heads of other passengers aboard the flight.
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23rd May 2003 – Bellingham Washington USA
A 43year old man was arrested for carrying two pocket knives and a small bomb in his luggage. Authorities do not believe he had any intent of bringing down the plane.
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20th May 2003 – Aberdeen UK
A 38year old man was fined £750 for an act of air rage on a flight from Norwich to Aberdeen. He allegedly thumped the back of the seat in front of him and shouted at various things at a flight attendant.
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1st March 2003 - Mauritius
A Crewmember has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 36-year-old British woman on her flight from Mauritius to London. It is thought that her cocktails were laced with drugs. The crewmember has been released on bail.
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13th February 2003 – London UK
A terminal was closed after a live hand grenade was found in the luggage of Hasil Mohammed Rahaham Alan. He was travelling from Caracas Venezuela. He was arrested under the anti terrorism law.
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30th January 2003 – Boston USA
A Boston Court has given Richard Reid three life sentences plus an additional 110 years in prison. He was fined a further $2 million and was ordered to pay $298.17 to the flight attendant he had injured and a further $5,784 to American Airlines. Reid who tried to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami on 22nd December 2001 by using an explosive device concealed in his shoes.
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17th October 2002 – Miami USA
Pablo Moreira Mosca was sentenced to two years in prison for going on a psychotic rampage and smashing through a cockpit door on a flight from Miami to Argentina. The Uruguayan banker is to pay $1,091, which covers only half the costs of the door repairs.
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21st September 2002 – Frankfurt, Germany
Two men were stopped trying to board a flight to Tel Aviv carrying a knife and a pistol.
They escaped by saying there were undercover security agents. An investigation is underway to determine if this was a security test of a hijacking attempt.
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11th September 2002 – Brisbane, Australia
A virgin Blue Passenger was restrained and arrested by Australian Protective Services Officers after making inappropriate comment about the September 11th Attacks.
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25th August 2002 – Philadelphia USA
Nancy Keller was arrested for carrying a fully loaded .357 Magnum in her bag. She was making a connection in Philadelphia from Atlanta when the gun was detected.
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15th August 2002 – Miami USA
A man accused of hijacking a plane from New Orleans to Havana in 1980, has now been arrested by the FBI. The man was armed with a cigarette lighter and a plastic bottle filled with clear liquid.
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8th August 2002 - TURKU, FINLAND
A Swedish woman managed to smuggle the bodies of her twins onto a flight. The twins who died at birth and were very premature were hidden in her hand luggage.
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10th July 2002, Cape Town, South Africa
A 35 year old man tried to break into the cockpit of a South African Airways B-747 en route from Cape Town to London. Two passengers and cabin crew wrestled him to the ground.
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2nd April 2002, Spain
A Delta flight from Atlanta to Spain was diverted after a passenger bit a flight attendant. The passenger was reported to be either drunk or under the influence of drugs.
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31st February 1999, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
A flight was diverted after an incident involving twelve people. The Airtours flight, from London Gatwick to Montego Bay, Jamaica landed at Norfolk, Virginia and the twelve were taken off the aircraft. Reports allege that a mid-air argument about loud singing resulted in a drunken brawl. Airtours plan to take legal action to recover the fuel costs of the diversion, a bill of £20,000.
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November 1998
In an widely publicized incident Fiona Weir, an Airtours air stewardess, was attacked in flight. Her attacker hit her over the head and slashed her with a broken vodka bottle.
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October 1998, UK
Ian Brown, lead singer of the Stone Roses, received a four month jail sentence following his threat to cut off the hands of a British Airways stewardess. He is not the only rockstar to hit the headlines in this way, Cathay Pacific Airlines have issued a lifetime ban on Liam Gallagher of Oasis.
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September 1998
A young man was arrested after a transatlantic flight when he bit and headbutted cabin crew; a young woman was arrested on the same day, on another transatlantic flight, she was found guilty of two counts of actual bodily harm.
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4th November 1998 - London, UK
Andrew Szczepaniak was jailed for two months after pleading guilty to using threatening behavior on a British Airways flight from Tokyo the day before.
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) set up a Working Group on Disruptive and Unruly Passengers in 1998, a "Recommended Practice" has been adopted by airlines, and this defines a global framework for handling disturbances onboard. The UK Flight Safety Committee has called upon the British government to launch a worldwide effort to combat Air Rage.
Surely the emphasis must be on Prevention. Unruly and violent passengers create a massive safety risk to the aircraft and it’s passengers. They can also prove to be very expensive to airlines. In some cases, captains have been forced to divert a flight to eject the violent passenger. British Airways has said that the average cost of an unscheduled landing is £40,000.
Surveillance cameras have been extremely effective in other areas of society as a deterrent to crime. If airline passengers are made aware that the cabins are fitted with cameras that will record the whole flight, they will be less likely to become disruptive.
The FlightVu internal cameras not only deter criminals, if an incident did occur in-flight the indelibly stamped recorded images (registering the time, date and location) would be admissible as evidence in court. This would aid and speed up prosecution of the offender.
The FlightVu Witness internal cameras can also form part of a comprehensive aircraft safety and security system, consisting of internal and external cameras, monitors and recorders. For more information about FlightVu, CONTACT US.
