Narrative:

I was working coach cabin (flight attendant #3). I pulled tickets at terminal door. Passenger was last to board. He boarded about 5 mins before departure. As I boarded aircraft, I was informed by flight attendant #6 that the passenger was to be given no alcohol during flight as he appeared intoxicated, or mentally unbalanced to the flight attendants on board. I was told ground passenger service agent came on the aircraft and told him he would not be served alcohol. After takeoff, he repeatedly asked the other flight attendants for a drink. He asked me only once, but told me he was schizophrenic and that he was nervous and really needed a drink. I tried to deter his attention from asking for a drink by asking him why he was traveling. He said he was on a holiday in the states and was visiting his brother outside of palm springs, and that now he was on his way home. He appeared to be 'normal' at times and angry at others. I was aware that he had asked to see the captain. He had most contact with flight attendant #6. Flight attendant #6 kept the #1 flight attendant and the cockpit crews abreast of the situation. The captain, as well as the purser (flight attendant #1) both came to the aft cabin to talk to passenger. All of this happened within the first 1 1/2 hours of the flight. I was informed that we were going to divert to jfk to deplane this passenger as we began the meal service. Upon advancing up the aisle with a meal cart, the passenger clutched onto the cart so I couldn't go up the aisle. He asked something about the captain but was difficult to understand. I told him I had no information about what was to happen. Once in the aisle with the beverage and meal carts, he approached me again. The flight attendant on the beverage cart firmly told him to go back to his seat. I was somewhat (#6) concerned that he was back in the aft part of the cabin without a crew member present. He repeatedly went to lavatory. We finished services, landed at jfk, and auths escorted passenger off aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 DIVERTED TO REMOVE AN UNRULY AND UNCTLABLE PAX.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING COACH CABIN (FLT ATTENDANT #3). I PULLED TICKETS AT TERMINAL DOOR. PAX WAS LAST TO BOARD. HE BOARDED ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE DEP. AS I BOARDED ACFT, I WAS INFORMED BY FLT ATTENDANT #6 THAT THE PAX WAS TO BE GIVEN NO ALCOHOL DURING FLT AS HE APPEARED INTOXICATED, OR MENTALLY UNBALANCED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD. I WAS TOLD GND PAX SVC AGENT CAME ON THE ACFT AND TOLD HIM HE WOULD NOT BE SERVED ALCOHOL. AFTER TKOF, HE REPEATEDLY ASKED THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS FOR A DRINK. HE ASKED ME ONLY ONCE, BUT TOLD ME HE WAS SCHIZOPHRENIC AND THAT HE WAS NERVOUS AND REALLY NEEDED A DRINK. I TRIED TO DETER HIS ATTN FROM ASKING FOR A DRINK BY ASKING HIM WHY HE WAS TRAVELING. HE SAID HE WAS ON A HOLIDAY IN THE STATES AND WAS VISITING HIS BROTHER OUTSIDE OF PALM SPRINGS, AND THAT NOW HE WAS ON HIS WAY HOME. HE APPEARED TO BE 'NORMAL' AT TIMES AND ANGRY AT OTHERS. I WAS AWARE THAT HE HAD ASKED TO SEE THE CAPT. HE HAD MOST CONTACT WITH FLT ATTENDANT #6. FLT ATTENDANT #6 KEPT THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND THE COCKPIT CREWS ABREAST OF THE SIT. THE CAPT, AS WELL AS THE PURSER (FLT ATTENDANT #1) BOTH CAME TO THE AFT CABIN TO TALK TO PAX. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHIN THE FIRST 1 1/2 HRS OF THE FLT. I WAS INFORMED THAT WE WERE GOING TO DIVERT TO JFK TO DEPLANE THIS PAX AS WE BEGAN THE MEAL SVC. UPON ADVANCING UP THE AISLE WITH A MEAL CART, THE PAX CLUTCHED ONTO THE CART SO I COULDN'T GO UP THE AISLE. HE ASKED SOMETHING ABOUT THE CAPT BUT WAS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. I TOLD HIM I HAD NO INFO ABOUT WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN. ONCE IN THE AISLE WITH THE BEVERAGE AND MEAL CARTS, HE APCHED ME AGAIN. THE FLT ATTENDANT ON THE BEVERAGE CART FIRMLY TOLD HIM TO GO BACK TO HIS SEAT. I WAS SOMEWHAT (#6) CONCERNED THAT HE WAS BACK IN THE AFT PART OF THE CABIN WITHOUT A CREW MEMBER PRESENT. HE REPEATEDLY WENT TO LAVATORY. WE FINISHED SVCS, LANDED AT JFK, AND AUTHS ESCORTED PAX OFF ACFT.

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.