Flight attendant report regarding a passenger who became very disruptive during flight. She was trav...

Narrative:

As I was walking through the coach cabin area to check seatbelts, I was about to walk through the business class galley when I saw another flight attendant, #2. Flight attendant #2 was the business class galley flight attendant. A woman seated in row X was screaming 'policia' -- I don't speak spanish, but I do know policia means police in english. She got up from her seat and went to business class, pulled the curtain back and screamed 'policia.' she very loudly spoke in spanish. She pointed to #2 flight attendant and other flight attendants (including me) stating that we were trying to poison her and we were all 'coke' heads. Another woman was with her. At first, I thought she was the old lady's daughter, but later found out through a spanish speaking flight attendant that she was an assistant in charge of her taking her medication. The assistant told one of our spanish speaking flight attendants that the woman had dementia and would not take her medication. I offered my assistance to #2 flight attendant, but there was nothing I could do. I heard the woman had a walking cane and had very aggressively poked her assistant claiming she was trying to poison her. She also had spat into her assistant's face. I could hear her very clearly in the back of the main cabin area screaming something in spanish. The business class galley, flight attendant #2 was very patient and considerate of her situation. I warned #2 flight attendant that the woman may also try to hurt her. She stated that the woman had already hit her many times. The purser finally paged on the intercom for a physician. About 4 doctors came forward to volunteer. The doctors did not administer any medication but told the purser that the woman was confused and needed to have the cabin interior lights on bright. I was not directly involved in this situation. We landed in dallas and deplaned as normal. I can tell you that from what I saw she was dangerous. The physical hitting, spitting, etc, that went on should not have been acceptable. Flight attendant #2 was in charge of the galley food preparation, video distribution, and overall service in business class. This woman constantly interrupted her duties and threatened her.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A PAX WHO BECAME VERY DISRUPTIVE DURING FLT. SHE WAS TRAVELING WITH AN ASSISTANT WHO WAS TO ASSURE SHE TOOK HER MEDICATION FOR DEMENTIA. PAX WOULD NOT TAKE THE MEDICATIONS.

Narrative: AS I WAS WALKING THROUGH THE COACH CABIN AREA TO CHK SEATBELTS, I WAS ABOUT TO WALK THROUGH THE BUSINESS CLASS GALLEY WHEN I SAW ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT, #2. FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS THE BUSINESS CLASS GALLEY FLT ATTENDANT. A WOMAN SEATED IN ROW X WAS SCREAMING 'POLICIA' -- I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH, BUT I DO KNOW POLICIA MEANS POLICE IN ENGLISH. SHE GOT UP FROM HER SEAT AND WENT TO BUSINESS CLASS, PULLED THE CURTAIN BACK AND SCREAMED 'POLICIA.' SHE VERY LOUDLY SPOKE IN SPANISH. SHE POINTED TO #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS (INCLUDING ME) STATING THAT WE WERE TRYING TO POISON HER AND WE WERE ALL 'COKE' HEADS. ANOTHER WOMAN WAS WITH HER. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT SHE WAS THE OLD LADY'S DAUGHTER, BUT LATER FOUND OUT THROUGH A SPANISH SPEAKING FLT ATTENDANT THAT SHE WAS AN ASSISTANT IN CHARGE OF HER TAKING HER MEDICATION. THE ASSISTANT TOLD ONE OF OUR SPANISH SPEAKING FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THE WOMAN HAD DEMENTIA AND WOULD NOT TAKE HER MEDICATION. I OFFERED MY ASSISTANCE TO #2 FLT ATTENDANT, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. I HEARD THE WOMAN HAD A WALKING CANE AND HAD VERY AGGRESSIVELY POKED HER ASSISTANT CLAIMING SHE WAS TRYING TO POISON HER. SHE ALSO HAD SPAT INTO HER ASSISTANT'S FACE. I COULD HEAR HER VERY CLRLY IN THE BACK OF THE MAIN CABIN AREA SCREAMING SOMETHING IN SPANISH. THE BUSINESS CLASS GALLEY, FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS VERY PATIENT AND CONSIDERATE OF HER SIT. I WARNED #2 FLT ATTENDANT THAT THE WOMAN MAY ALSO TRY TO HURT HER. SHE STATED THAT THE WOMAN HAD ALREADY HIT HER MANY TIMES. THE PURSER FINALLY PAGED ON THE INTERCOM FOR A PHYSICIAN. ABOUT 4 DOCTORS CAME FORWARD TO VOLUNTEER. THE DOCTORS DID NOT ADMINISTER ANY MEDICATION BUT TOLD THE PURSER THAT THE WOMAN WAS CONFUSED AND NEEDED TO HAVE THE CABIN INTERIOR LIGHTS ON BRIGHT. I WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THIS SIT. WE LANDED IN DALLAS AND DEPLANED AS NORMAL. I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM WHAT I SAW SHE WAS DANGEROUS. THE PHYSICAL HITTING, SPITTING, ETC, THAT WENT ON SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACCEPTABLE. FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS IN CHARGE OF THE GALLEY FOOD PREPARATION, VIDEO DISTRIBUTION, AND OVERALL SVC IN BUSINESS CLASS. THIS WOMAN CONSTANTLY INTERRUPTED HER DUTIES AND THREATENED HER.

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.

Attributes
ACN	425165
Time
Date	199812
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : spim
State Reference	FO
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	425156
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Flight attendant report regarding a passenger who became very disruptive during flight. She was traveling with an assistant who was to assure she took her medication for dementia. Passenger would not take the medications.