Narrative:

Passenger was seated in seat xx between 2 women during boarding (original seat was yy). Passenger was extremely loud -- many rows could hear him. Eyes darted as I spoke with him. Passenger was served 2 alcoholic beverages and a full can of coke during beverage service. By now, language was extremely vulgar (still loud) and was told he could have no more alcohol. Meal service was uneventful, however, during pickup, he began yelling obscenities about one of his seat mates (seat zz). He threw his food/tray on floor. His language continued for approximately 1 hour. He changed seats several times. At XA00, he was trying to turn off his seat light by reaching to pull out bulb. I showed him the button to use. He thanked me calmly and in the next breath started the foul language. I told him I would no longer tolerate his inappropriate/foul language. First officer came back to speak with him, then captain. Decision made to return to mia. Observations: not alcohol related, passenger either was on drugs or needed medicine to control his behavior. Nearly fought with male passenger. Several male passenger volunteered to help, if needed. He frightened me by his rapid mood swings. He was argumentative, combative, used 'fuck' with every sentence. Am certain if we had not diverted, one of us would have been assaulted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that police were present on landing and passenger was taken into custody. Reporter and male flight attendant who was very involved in the incident both wrote company reports in-flight and submitted them at their destination. The captain indicated he would file a report on return to the united states. Reporter found out that a case number had been assigned but the passenger was released as no complaint was filed on the spot. The passenger lost his ticket in the turmoil and requested a reissue which was refused. He was not allowed on any company aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 395929: he continued to berate and verbally harass and intimidate the cabin crew until the cockpit came out to intervene, first the first officer, then the captain spoke to the passenger. They agreed that his level of belligerence and abusiveness need not be visited on passenger or crew for 7 1/2 more hours.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT ON A B767-300 HAS UNRULY, VULGAR PAX. FO, THEN CAPT COME TO CABIN TO SPEAK WITH HIM AND CALM HIM, BUT HE GETS WORSE. FLT RETURNS TO MIA AND PAX TURNED OVER TO POLICE.

Narrative: PAX WAS SEATED IN SEAT XX BTWN 2 WOMEN DURING BOARDING (ORIGINAL SEAT WAS YY). PAX WAS EXTREMELY LOUD -- MANY ROWS COULD HEAR HIM. EYES DARTED AS I SPOKE WITH HIM. PAX WAS SERVED 2 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND A FULL CAN OF COKE DURING BEVERAGE SVC. BY NOW, LANGUAGE WAS EXTREMELY VULGAR (STILL LOUD) AND WAS TOLD HE COULD HAVE NO MORE ALCOHOL. MEAL SVC WAS UNEVENTFUL, HOWEVER, DURING PICKUP, HE BEGAN YELLING OBSCENITIES ABOUT ONE OF HIS SEAT MATES (SEAT ZZ). HE THREW HIS FOOD/TRAY ON FLOOR. HIS LANGUAGE CONTINUED FOR APPROX 1 HR. HE CHANGED SEATS SEVERAL TIMES. AT XA00, HE WAS TRYING TO TURN OFF HIS SEAT LIGHT BY REACHING TO PULL OUT BULB. I SHOWED HIM THE BUTTON TO USE. HE THANKED ME CALMLY AND IN THE NEXT BREATH STARTED THE FOUL LANGUAGE. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NO LONGER TOLERATE HIS INAPPROPRIATE/FOUL LANGUAGE. FO CAME BACK TO SPEAK WITH HIM, THEN CAPT. DECISION MADE TO RETURN TO MIA. OBSERVATIONS: NOT ALCOHOL RELATED, PAX EITHER WAS ON DRUGS OR NEEDED MEDICINE TO CTL HIS BEHAVIOR. NEARLY FOUGHT WITH MALE PAX. SEVERAL MALE PAX VOLUNTEERED TO HELP, IF NEEDED. HE FRIGHTENED ME BY HIS RAPID MOOD SWINGS. HE WAS ARGUMENTATIVE, COMBATIVE, USED 'FUCK' WITH EVERY SENTENCE. AM CERTAIN IF WE HAD NOT DIVERTED, ONE OF US WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT POLICE WERE PRESENT ON LNDG AND PAX WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. RPTR AND MALE FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS VERY INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT BOTH WROTE COMPANY RPTS INFLT AND SUBMITTED THEM AT THEIR DEST. THE CAPT INDICATED HE WOULD FILE A RPT ON RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES. RPTR FOUND OUT THAT A CASE NUMBER HAD BEEN ASSIGNED BUT THE PAX WAS RELEASED AS NO COMPLAINT WAS FILED ON THE SPOT. THE PAX LOST HIS TICKET IN THE TURMOIL AND REQUESTED A REISSUE WHICH WAS REFUSED. HE WAS NOT ALLOWED ON ANY COMPANY ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 395929: HE CONTINUED TO BERATE AND VERBALLY HARASS AND INTIMIDATE THE CABIN CREW UNTIL THE COCKPIT CAME OUT TO INTERVENE, FIRST THE FO, THEN THE CAPT SPOKE TO THE PAX. THEY AGREED THAT HIS LEVEL OF BELLIGERENCE AND ABUSIVENESS NEED NOT BE VISITED ON PAX OR CREW FOR 7 1/2 MORE HRS.

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.