Narrative:

I was the PF on this leg and captain was the PNF. During the en route phase of the flight, flight attendant X informed us that there was a female passenger who had asked if there was a 'cell phone on board' -- she needed to make a call. Ms X informed her that there was not, and even if there was one she would not be allowed to use it on the aircraft. I believe ms X reported this to us because she thought it to be a rather strange request due to the PA's and common knowledge that cellular phones cannot be used on board the aircraft. The next report also came from ms X telling us that 'this woman from coach had her bags in hand and was peeking through the curtain separating first class and coach, she then turned around and returned to her seat.' the female passenger then rang her flight attendant call bell and told ms X that 'her husband wasn't feeling well and they needed to move to first class.' when this was reported, I thought that these people were trying to scam their way into first class. Ms X, when told that the passenger was not feeling well, offered to assist and bring a 7-UP and move the female up a row (they were seated in the emergency exit row) so that the male passenger would be able to lay down and have the entire row to himself. They then told ms X that they were not 'comfortable' sitting in the emergency exit row. Ms X then located a uniformed commuting company captain and asked him if he would please change seats with these people to accommodate them, which he did. The commuting captain's name is mr a. Mr a had been observing the situation and asked permission to come to the cockpit and offer his assistance. He came to the cockpit and offered to go back and talk to them. We agreed and gave him permission to represent us to these people. Mr a returned in a couple of mins and informed us that 'he had had it with them,' meaning that they completely ignored his advice, at which time I instructed mr a to inform the flight attendants to 'take it to a level one' (disturbance). Captain contacted our lax operations and requested that the police meet the aircraft and gave a brief synopsis of our situation. When mr a returned, he informed us that the passenger said that they had guns. Very shortly after that we heard commotion on the other side of the cockpit door and we told mr a to stay in the cockpit and not open the door. We declared an emergency with lax approach control and they expedited our arrival. During the last 5 mins or so of the approach, we heard the flight attendants scream out in pain and yelling 'stop it you are hurting her' followed by a lot of banging and scuffling. Mr a was observing all that he could by looking through the peephole in the cockpit door and kept us informed of what he saw. The 2 passenger then attempted to gain entry into the cockpit by kicking at the door as well as pulling on the doorknob. They succeeded in kicking out the 'blowout panel' and bending the door. Mr a was an additional line of defense at this point and succeeded in barricading the cockpit door and thus prevented their entry. We were then told that he was trying to open the forward galley service door, which I knew he would not be able to do because we were still pressurized. We landed on runway 25R and exited at taxiway J and proceeded to gate. From the time that the aircraft touched down until the forward cabin entry door was opened, the male passenger was attempting to open the forward galley service door. Upon arriving at the gate as the jetway was approaching the aircraft, captain opened his window and informed the lapd that the passenger was large and physically abusive. When the forward entry door was opened both passenger were subdued, arrested and taken away. The remaining passenger deplaned normally without incident. After debriefing our flight attendants, I learned that despite the best efforts of the flight attendants to seat these passenger, they refused and the male had actually taken our first flight attendant, ms Y, hostage by procuring both coffee pots in the forward galley (one in each hand) trapping her and holding both coffee pots up by her face full of scalding hot coffee saying 'these are my weaponsyou will do what I say.' ms Y was able to push the coffee pots down below her face level at which time the male passenger poured hot coffee over ms Y's hands and arms, seriously burning her as well as splashing some on the other 2 flight attendants. Then, although seriously burned, ms Y attempted to get everyone in their seats for landing and the 2 passenger refused. Then ms Y asked him if flight attendant Z could go back to her jumpseat so that she would be in position should it be necessary to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft. He refused to let ms Z do so. As a result, the 2 passenger and ms Y and ms Z were standing in the forward galley area during the approach, landing, and taxi. As a crew member on this flight, I would like to formally request that civil and criminal charges be filed on both of these individuals for preventing the flight attendants from performing their duty, for assaulting the flight attendants and for creating a safety hazard endangering the lives of all 150 people on board the aircraft. Ms Y informed me that is her belief (and I have no reason to doubt or disagree) that these 2 passenger intended from the beginning to gain entry into the cockpit. I shudder to think what could have been the outcome on this situation if it had not been for the remarkable job done by our flight attendants and mr a in keeping this conflict out of the cockpit. This situation went far beyond just an unruly belligerent passenger who wanted to scam a first class seat to what I would more closely describe as a hostage situation, although it was a thankfully short-lived one. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the fbi has contacted him and they will be prosecuting in january. It appears that the FAA will then follow up with action as well. The people were released on $50000 bail and are free at this time. Reporter said they made no demands which seemed strange. The couple have been charged with possession of narcotics as well as assault. About 1/2 way through the flight, they became very paranoid and it is suspected that they may have taken some narcotic and that affected their behavior. The flight attendant has recovered and is back at work again. The burns were very severe and it is surprising that she has healed so well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN AND FLC THREATENED BY A MALE AND FEMALE PAX INDICATING THEY HAD GUNS. THEY KICKED THE COCKPIT DOOR, THREATENED FLT ATTENDANTS WITH HOT COFFEE POTS AND BURNED THEM. REFUSED TO ALLOW THEM TO BE SEATED AT THEIR POS FOR LNDG. FBI MET THE ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF ON THIS LEG AND CAPT WAS THE PNF. DURING THE ENRTE PHASE OF THE FLT, FLT ATTENDANT X INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A FEMALE PAX WHO HAD ASKED IF THERE WAS A 'CELL PHONE ON BOARD' -- SHE NEEDED TO MAKE A CALL. MS X INFORMED HER THAT THERE WAS NOT, AND EVEN IF THERE WAS ONE SHE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE IT ON THE ACFT. I BELIEVE MS X RPTED THIS TO US BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT IT TO BE A RATHER STRANGE REQUEST DUE TO THE PA'S AND COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT CELLULAR PHONES CANNOT BE USED ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE NEXT RPT ALSO CAME FROM MS X TELLING US THAT 'THIS WOMAN FROM COACH HAD HER BAGS IN HAND AND WAS PEEKING THROUGH THE CURTAIN SEPARATING FIRST CLASS AND COACH, SHE THEN TURNED AROUND AND RETURNED TO HER SEAT.' THE FEMALE PAX THEN RANG HER FLT ATTENDANT CALL BELL AND TOLD MS X THAT 'HER HUSBAND WASN'T FEELING WELL AND THEY NEEDED TO MOVE TO FIRST CLASS.' WHEN THIS WAS RPTED, I THOUGHT THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO SCAM THEIR WAY INTO FIRST CLASS. MS X, WHEN TOLD THAT THE PAX WAS NOT FEELING WELL, OFFERED TO ASSIST AND BRING A 7-UP AND MOVE THE FEMALE UP A ROW (THEY WERE SEATED IN THE EMER EXIT ROW) SO THAT THE MALE PAX WOULD BE ABLE TO LAY DOWN AND HAVE THE ENTIRE ROW TO HIMSELF. THEY THEN TOLD MS X THAT THEY WERE NOT 'COMFORTABLE' SITTING IN THE EMER EXIT ROW. MS X THEN LOCATED A UNIFORMED COMMUTING COMPANY CAPT AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD PLEASE CHANGE SEATS WITH THESE PEOPLE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM, WHICH HE DID. THE COMMUTING CAPT'S NAME IS MR A. MR A HAD BEEN OBSERVING THE SIT AND ASKED PERMISSION TO COME TO THE COCKPIT AND OFFER HIS ASSISTANCE. HE CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND OFFERED TO GO BACK AND TALK TO THEM. WE AGREED AND GAVE HIM PERMISSION TO REPRESENT US TO THESE PEOPLE. MR A RETURNED IN A COUPLE OF MINS AND INFORMED US THAT 'HE HAD HAD IT WITH THEM,' MEANING THAT THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED HIS ADVICE, AT WHICH TIME I INSTRUCTED MR A TO INFORM THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO 'TAKE IT TO A LEVEL ONE' (DISTURBANCE). CAPT CONTACTED OUR LAX OPS AND REQUESTED THAT THE POLICE MEET THE ACFT AND GAVE A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF OUR SIT. WHEN MR A RETURNED, HE INFORMED US THAT THE PAX SAID THAT THEY HAD GUNS. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE HEARD COMMOTION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COCKPIT DOOR AND WE TOLD MR A TO STAY IN THE COCKPIT AND NOT OPEN THE DOOR. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH LAX APCH CTL AND THEY EXPEDITED OUR ARR. DURING THE LAST 5 MINS OR SO OF THE APCH, WE HEARD THE FLT ATTENDANTS SCREAM OUT IN PAIN AND YELLING 'STOP IT YOU ARE HURTING HER' FOLLOWED BY A LOT OF BANGING AND SCUFFLING. MR A WAS OBSERVING ALL THAT HE COULD BY LOOKING THROUGH THE PEEPHOLE IN THE COCKPIT DOOR AND KEPT US INFORMED OF WHAT HE SAW. THE 2 PAX THEN ATTEMPTED TO GAIN ENTRY INTO THE COCKPIT BY KICKING AT THE DOOR AS WELL AS PULLING ON THE DOORKNOB. THEY SUCCEEDED IN KICKING OUT THE 'BLOWOUT PANEL' AND BENDING THE DOOR. MR A WAS AN ADDITIONAL LINE OF DEFENSE AT THIS POINT AND SUCCEEDED IN BARRICADING THE COCKPIT DOOR AND THUS PREVENTED THEIR ENTRY. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT HE WAS TRYING TO OPEN THE FORWARD GALLEY SVC DOOR, WHICH I KNEW HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO BECAUSE WE WERE STILL PRESSURIZED. WE LANDED ON RWY 25R AND EXITED AT TXWY J AND PROCEEDED TO GATE. FROM THE TIME THAT THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN UNTIL THE FORWARD CABIN ENTRY DOOR WAS OPENED, THE MALE PAX WAS ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE FORWARD GALLEY SVC DOOR. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE AS THE JETWAY WAS APCHING THE ACFT, CAPT OPENED HIS WINDOW AND INFORMED THE LAPD THAT THE PAX WAS LARGE AND PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE. WHEN THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR WAS OPENED BOTH PAX WERE SUBDUED, ARRESTED AND TAKEN AWAY. THE REMAINING PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER DEBRIEFING OUR FLT ATTENDANTS, I LEARNED THAT DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEAT THESE PAX, THEY REFUSED AND THE MALE HAD ACTUALLY TAKEN OUR FIRST FLT ATTENDANT, MS Y, HOSTAGE BY PROCURING BOTH COFFEE POTS IN THE FORWARD GALLEY (ONE IN EACH HAND) TRAPPING HER AND HOLDING BOTH COFFEE POTS UP BY HER FACE FULL OF SCALDING HOT COFFEE SAYING 'THESE ARE MY WEAPONSYOU WILL DO WHAT I SAY.' MS Y WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE COFFEE POTS DOWN BELOW HER FACE LEVEL AT WHICH TIME THE MALE PAX POURED HOT COFFEE OVER MS Y'S HANDS AND ARMS, SERIOUSLY BURNING HER AS WELL AS SPLASHING SOME ON THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. THEN, ALTHOUGH SERIOUSLY BURNED, MS Y ATTEMPTED TO GET EVERYONE IN THEIR SEATS FOR LNDG AND THE 2 PAX REFUSED. THEN MS Y ASKED HIM IF FLT ATTENDANT Z COULD GO BACK TO HER JUMPSEAT SO THAT SHE WOULD BE IN POS SHOULD IT BE NECESSARY TO EVAC THE ACFT. HE REFUSED TO LET MS Z DO SO. AS A RESULT, THE 2 PAX AND MS Y AND MS Z WERE STANDING IN THE FORWARD GALLEY AREA DURING THE APCH, LNDG, AND TAXI. AS A CREW MEMBER ON THIS FLT, I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY REQUEST THAT CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CHARGES BE FILED ON BOTH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS FOR PREVENTING THE FLT ATTENDANTS FROM PERFORMING THEIR DUTY, FOR ASSAULTING THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND FOR CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF ALL 150 PEOPLE ON BOARD THE ACFT. MS Y INFORMED ME THAT IS HER BELIEF (AND I HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT OR DISAGREE) THAT THESE 2 PAX INTENDED FROM THE BEGINNING TO GAIN ENTRY INTO THE COCKPIT. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE OUTCOME ON THIS SIT IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE REMARKABLE JOB DONE BY OUR FLT ATTENDANTS AND MR A IN KEEPING THIS CONFLICT OUT OF THE COCKPIT. THIS SIT WENT FAR BEYOND JUST AN UNRULY BELLIGERENT PAX WHO WANTED TO SCAM A FIRST CLASS SEAT TO WHAT I WOULD MORE CLOSELY DESCRIBE AS A HOSTAGE SIT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS A THANKFULLY SHORT-LIVED ONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE FBI HAS CONTACTED HIM AND THEY WILL BE PROSECUTING IN JANUARY. IT APPEARS THAT THE FAA WILL THEN FOLLOW UP WITH ACTION AS WELL. THE PEOPLE WERE RELEASED ON $50000 BAIL AND ARE FREE AT THIS TIME. RPTR SAID THEY MADE NO DEMANDS WHICH SEEMED STRANGE. THE COUPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS AS WELL AS ASSAULT. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE FLT, THEY BECAME VERY PARANOID AND IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN SOME NARCOTIC AND THAT AFFECTED THEIR BEHAVIOR. THE FLT ATTENDANT HAS RECOVERED AND IS BACK AT WORK AGAIN. THE BURNS WERE VERY SEVERE AND IT IS SURPRISING THAT SHE HAS HEALED SO WELL.

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.