Narrative:

I was one of the relief pilots en route hong kong-sfo. Approximately 6 hours into the flight, and 1 hour after the relief crew had taken over flying duties, we were over the north pacific, approximately 2 1/2 hours north of hnl and 2 hours 15 mins southwest of anchorage. A flight attendant entered the cockpit and informed us that a male passenger was having an argument with his wife and was very abusive, was rude and profane with the flight attendants, and was disrupting the cabin and disturbing passenger who were trying to sleep. We said as there were just 2 of us flying, we did not feel we should go back to the cabin, but as the captain had just returned to his bunk, perhaps he could be awakened and could help out. She did this, and the captain got dressed and went back to the cabin. Approximately 15 mins later he returned and said the passenger was out of control, had threatened him, and was very abusive and disruptive. The flight attendants alerted us that the passenger was on his way upstairs (by phone). There were knocks on the door but he did not try to break it down. The fourth crew member was awakened, and, at the captain's direction, the 2 relief pilots declared an emergency and got clearance direct to hnl. ATC was very accommodating. The flying first officer was sent to the cabin to observe, and eventually aided in subduing and restraining the passenger. Approximately 30 mins after diverting, we requested a rerte to sfo and landed there. I would recommend for future instances: a) on such large aircraft, plastic restraints or hand cuffs be included in the emergency medical kit. They really would have come in handy. B) better screening of passenger. This man evidently was known to be a psychiatric case, was on his way to a va hospital in palo alto for psychiatric care, and should have been on medication. It was determined from his wife that he had stopped taking his medicine prior to the trip. I don't think he should have been aboard. Supplemental information from acn 213254: a passenger became abusive, cursing, and would not situation down or obey instructions from flight attendant. Passenger became violent, throwing things and pushing people around. Male passenger, about 30 yrs old, chinese but united states resident. His wife said he was traveling to sfo for medical care at palo alto. Captain tried talking to passenger, but passenger refused to obey. Captain declared emergency as passenger was pounding on cockpit door, insisting flight attendants let him into cockpit. Passenger then moved to first class cabin, woke all passenger there, and demanded all passenger and crew leave first class as it now belonged to him. He damaged movie screen, threw fruit, attacked our chinese interpreter. Observing these actions in first class, I recruited 2 male passenger to assist, and we grabbed the violent passenger, laying him on the floor. Then we tied his hands with neckties and, when he began kicking, we tied his ankles, too.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX DISRUPTS OVERWATER FLT AND HAD TO BE RESTRAINED BY FLC AND SEVERAL PAX.

Narrative: I WAS ONE OF THE RELIEF PLTS ENRTE HONG KONG-SFO. APPROX 6 HRS INTO THE FLT, AND 1 HR AFTER THE RELIEF CREW HAD TAKEN OVER FLYING DUTIES, WE WERE OVER THE N PACIFIC, APPROX 2 1/2 HRS N OF HNL AND 2 HRS 15 MINS SW OF ANCHORAGE. A FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED US THAT A MALE PAX WAS HAVING AN ARGUMENT WITH HIS WIFE AND WAS VERY ABUSIVE, WAS RUDE AND PROFANE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND WAS DISRUPTING THE CABIN AND DISTURBING PAX WHO WERE TRYING TO SLEEP. WE SAID AS THERE WERE JUST 2 OF US FLYING, WE DID NOT FEEL WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE CABIN, BUT AS THE CAPT HAD JUST RETURNED TO HIS BUNK, PERHAPS HE COULD BE AWAKENED AND COULD HELP OUT. SHE DID THIS, AND THE CAPT GOT DRESSED AND WENT BACK TO THE CABIN. APPROX 15 MINS LATER HE RETURNED AND SAID THE PAX WAS OUT OF CTL, HAD THREATENED HIM, AND WAS VERY ABUSIVE AND DISRUPTIVE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ALERTED US THAT THE PAX WAS ON HIS WAY UPSTAIRS (BY PHONE). THERE WERE KNOCKS ON THE DOOR BUT HE DID NOT TRY TO BREAK IT DOWN. THE FOURTH CREW MEMBER WAS AWAKENED, AND, AT THE CAPT'S DIRECTION, THE 2 RELIEF PLTS DECLARED AN EMER AND GOT CLRNC DIRECT TO HNL. ATC WAS VERY ACCOMMODATING. THE FLYING FO WAS SENT TO THE CABIN TO OBSERVE, AND EVENTUALLY AIDED IN SUBDUING AND RESTRAINING THE PAX. APPROX 30 MINS AFTER DIVERTING, WE REQUESTED A RERTE TO SFO AND LANDED THERE. I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR FUTURE INSTANCES: A) ON SUCH LARGE ACFT, PLASTIC RESTRAINTS OR HAND CUFFS BE INCLUDED IN THE EMER MEDICAL KIT. THEY REALLY WOULD HAVE COME IN HANDY. B) BETTER SCREENING OF PAX. THIS MAN EVIDENTLY WAS KNOWN TO BE A PSYCHIATRIC CASE, WAS ON HIS WAY TO A VA HOSPITAL IN PALO ALTO FOR PSYCHIATRIC CARE, AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON MEDICATION. IT WAS DETERMINED FROM HIS WIFE THAT HE HAD STOPPED TAKING HIS MEDICINE PRIOR TO THE TRIP. I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOARD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 213254: A PAX BECAME ABUSIVE, CURSING, AND WOULD NOT SIT DOWN OR OBEY INSTRUCTIONS FROM FLT ATTENDANT. PAX BECAME VIOLENT, THROWING THINGS AND PUSHING PEOPLE AROUND. MALE PAX, ABOUT 30 YRS OLD, CHINESE BUT UNITED STATES RESIDENT. HIS WIFE SAID HE WAS TRAVELING TO SFO FOR MEDICAL CARE AT PALO ALTO. CAPT TRIED TALKING TO PAX, BUT PAX REFUSED TO OBEY. CAPT DECLARED EMER AS PAX WAS POUNDING ON COCKPIT DOOR, INSISTING FLT ATTENDANTS LET HIM INTO COCKPIT. PAX THEN MOVED TO FIRST CLASS CABIN, WOKE ALL PAX THERE, AND DEMANDED ALL PAX AND CREW LEAVE FIRST CLASS AS IT NOW BELONGED TO HIM. HE DAMAGED MOVIE SCREEN, THREW FRUIT, ATTACKED OUR CHINESE INTERPRETER. OBSERVING THESE ACTIONS IN FIRST CLASS, I RECRUITED 2 MALE PAX TO ASSIST, AND WE GRABBED THE VIOLENT PAX, LAYING HIM ON THE FLOOR. THEN WE TIED HIS HANDS WITH NECKTIES AND, WHEN HE BEGAN KICKING, WE TIED HIS ANKLES, TOO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.