A United Airlines jet from Miami to New Jersey made an unscheduled landing in Orlando, Florida, this week after a passenger became “aggressive and disruptive,” the airline said.
A cellphone video (included) shows a fight between a woman and a flight attendant in the cabin of the aircraft. The video appears to show a passenger putting her face on the flight attendant’s shoulder during the struggle, and coming away with a piece of his shirt in her mouth.
United flight 762 was enroute to Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday when it was diverted to Orlando after the passenger became disruptive, authorities said.
A man who said he was also passenger on the flight claimed the meltdown started simply because the woman was blocked from getting to the plane’s bathroom.
“She apparently verbally and then physically attacked a family in the back of the plane after not being able to go to the bathroom at one moment,” he told DailyMail.com.
The passenger said staff escorted her to a different seat around the middle of the plane while she was yelling and cursing at everyone on board.
The separation did not work as she reportedly threw punches and spat on flight attendants and passengers who tried to help.
“She eventually got physical with a flight attendant and began attacking him, then the attendant in white latched onto her trying to stop her,” the man said. Apparently the situation worsened and attendants cuffed the woman after she threatened the plane.
In the scuffle she bit the shoulder of one of the attendants, tearing off a piece of fabric.
Reportedly she resisted the the cuffs, biting, kicking, spitting and swearing at other passengers and flight attendants. Everyone applauded when she was finally removed from the plane after the flight landed in Orlando where it was delayed three-and-a-half hours.
“Our flight attendants worked to de-escalate the situation and protect other customers and after landing in Orlando, law enforcement met the flight, and the passenger was removed,” United said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The woman was taken to hospital. For a medical evaluation. Information about possible charges stemming from the case was not immediately known.
Watch the video: