Narrative:

The airplane contained myself in the left seat as a licensed PIC. The right seat passenger holds a student pilot certificate, my wife was in the rear seat. This was a pleasure trip from ipt to gettysburg and then a return trip to ipt. All 3 of us are family members. My right seat passenger had been in an argument with another family member at gettysburg. When we got into the aircraft to come home to ipt, I knew that the passenger was in an upset mood. On the return flight the right seat passenger started an argument with me. I kept quiet to avoid further confrontation. When we reached ipt the passenger with only a student pilot certificate told me that she was now qualified to fly the aircraft the rest of the way and she then grabbed the controls from me. I told her that she was not qualified to do so, I do not hold an instructor rating and I am not qualified to allow this person to fly the airplane. At this point the passenger erupted violently and attacked me physically. I was able to restrain her and informed her that I needed her to control herself in order for us to land safely, she then calmed down until we were on the ground. I requested priority handling from ipt tower due to my urgent situation. I also requested for them to have police on hand to assist when we were on the ground. During this ordeal no regulations were violated by me and the flight was completed safely. In hindsight I feel that I should have recognized the state of my passenger and considered not making the flight. I feel that this passenger has some psychological problems and her medical qualifications should be reviewed. The regulation that was obviously violated was 91.11, interfering with PIC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the police were present on arrival and his passenger became rather volatile and physical with them also. Added to his stress was the fact that his wife, who was pregnant, started into premature labor and he had to rush her off to the hospital. He recently learned that his passenger has had mental problems for some time and was at one point institutionalized. Knowing this, he contacted the local FSDO who suggested that he speak with the medical examiner. His lawyer recommended that he not make this contact because of possible vengeful repercussions from his passenger. FSDO rep says he can do nothing because she has not broken any regulations. Analyst advised of the hotline but reporter is concerned that his passenger would put 2 and 2 together and blame him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAS UNRULY, UNSTABLE PAX WHO PHYSICALLY BEATS ON HIM DURING DSCNT TO LAND.

Narrative: THE AIRPLANE CONTAINED MYSELF IN THE L SEAT AS A LICENSED PIC. THE R SEAT PAX HOLDS A STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE, MY WIFE WAS IN THE REAR SEAT. THIS WAS A PLEASURE TRIP FROM IPT TO GETTYSBURG AND THEN A RETURN TRIP TO IPT. ALL 3 OF US ARE FAMILY MEMBERS. MY R SEAT PAX HAD BEEN IN AN ARGUMENT WITH ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER AT GETTYSBURG. WHEN WE GOT INTO THE ACFT TO COME HOME TO IPT, I KNEW THAT THE PAX WAS IN AN UPSET MOOD. ON THE RETURN FLT THE R SEAT PAX STARTED AN ARGUMENT WITH ME. I KEPT QUIET TO AVOID FURTHER CONFRONTATION. WHEN WE REACHED IPT THE PAX WITH ONLY A STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS NOW QUALIFIED TO FLY THE ACFT THE REST OF THE WAY AND SHE THEN GRABBED THE CTLS FROM ME. I TOLD HER THAT SHE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO DO SO, I DO NOT HOLD AN INSTRUCTOR RATING AND I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO ALLOW THIS PERSON TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. AT THIS POINT THE PAX ERUPTED VIOLENTLY AND ATTACKED ME PHYSICALLY. I WAS ABLE TO RESTRAIN HER AND INFORMED HER THAT I NEEDED HER TO CTL HERSELF IN ORDER FOR US TO LAND SAFELY, SHE THEN CALMED DOWN UNTIL WE WERE ON THE GND. I REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING FROM IPT TWR DUE TO MY URGENT SIT. I ALSO REQUESTED FOR THEM TO HAVE POLICE ON HAND TO ASSIST WHEN WE WERE ON THE GND. DURING THIS ORDEAL NO REGS WERE VIOLATED BY ME AND THE FLT WAS COMPLETED SAFELY. IN HINDSIGHT I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE STATE OF MY PAX AND CONSIDERED NOT MAKING THE FLT. I FEEL THAT THIS PAX HAS SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBS AND HER MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD BE REVIEWED. THE REG THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY VIOLATED WAS 91.11, INTERFERING WITH PIC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE POLICE WERE PRESENT ON ARR AND HIS PAX BECAME RATHER VOLATILE AND PHYSICAL WITH THEM ALSO. ADDED TO HIS STRESS WAS THE FACT THAT HIS WIFE, WHO WAS PREGNANT, STARTED INTO PREMATURE LABOR AND HE HAD TO RUSH HER OFF TO THE HOSPITAL. HE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT HIS PAX HAS HAD MENTAL PROBS FOR SOME TIME AND WAS AT ONE POINT INSTITUTIONALIZED. KNOWING THIS, HE CONTACTED THE LCL FSDO WHO SUGGESTED THAT HE SPEAK WITH THE MEDICAL EXAMINER. HIS LAWYER RECOMMENDED THAT HE NOT MAKE THIS CONTACT BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE VENGEFUL REPERCUSSIONS FROM HIS PAX. FSDO REP SAYS HE CAN DO NOTHING BECAUSE SHE HAS NOT BROKEN ANY REGS. ANALYST ADVISED OF THE HOTLINE BUT RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT HIS PAX WOULD PUT 2 AND 2 TOGETHER AND BLAME HIM.

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.