Flight attendant report regarding a passenger who became physically and verbally abusive toward anot...

Attributes
ACN	429663
Time
Date	199902
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny.artcc
State Reference	NY
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 27 flight attendant time total : 27 flight attendant time type : 50
ASRS Report	429663
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct
Independent Detector	other other : cab1
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other Other

Narrative:

Passenger seated in row a had words with passenger in row B. Passenger in row a became verbally and physically abusive to passenger in row B. Passenger in row a had been subdued and was standing at seat xa. She then reached in to insert and withdrew a silverware knife. She held knife in her fist and started towards passenger in row B. I stepped between them and tried to disarm this woman (in row a). Male #3 flight attendant then came to assist with #8 flight attendant. Woman in row a seemed to calm down and then she pushed past both flight attendants and pushed me backwards over seats at row a. Flight attendant #8 went to cockpit and had first officer come back. The first officer subdued the passenger and told her to situation in row D and not to get up or speak to anyone or she would be handcuffed. The port authority/authorized police met the flight and airport security. I don't think there was any way to prevent this type of behavior. Most passenger are not that verbally or physically abusive. I don't think I did anything wrong in stepping between the passenger and trying to get the utensil from her. She could have done serious damage to the other passenger. Maybe we should only have plastic utensils on board aircraft instead of metal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A PAX WHO BECAME PHYSICALLY AND VERBALLY ABUSIVE TOWARD ANOTHER PAX ABOARD AN A300 ACFT AT CRUISE. SHE TOOK A KNIFE FROM THE CART AND STARTED TOWARDS THE OTHER PAX. THE RPTR STEPPED BTWN THE TWO WHILE ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT DISARMED THE ABUSIVE PAX. POLICE AND ARPT SECURITY MET THE ACFT.

Narrative: PAX SEATED IN ROW A HAD WORDS WITH PAX IN ROW B. PAX IN ROW A BECAME VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE TO PAX IN ROW B. PAX IN ROW A HAD BEEN SUBDUED AND WAS STANDING AT SEAT XA. SHE THEN REACHED IN TO INSERT AND WITHDREW A SILVERWARE KNIFE. SHE HELD KNIFE IN HER FIST AND STARTED TOWARDS PAX IN ROW B. I STEPPED BTWN THEM AND TRIED TO DISARM THIS WOMAN (IN ROW A). MALE #3 FLT ATTENDANT THEN CAME TO ASSIST WITH #8 FLT ATTENDANT. WOMAN IN ROW A SEEMED TO CALM DOWN AND THEN SHE PUSHED PAST BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS AND PUSHED ME BACKWARDS OVER SEATS AT ROW A. FLT ATTENDANT #8 WENT TO COCKPIT AND HAD FO COME BACK. THE FO SUBDUED THE PAX AND TOLD HER TO SIT IN ROW D AND NOT TO GET UP OR SPEAK TO ANYONE OR SHE WOULD BE HANDCUFFED. THE PORT AUTH POLICE MET THE FLT AND ARPT SECURITY. I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANY WAY TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR. MOST PAX ARE NOT THAT VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE. I DON'T THINK I DID ANYTHING WRONG IN STEPPING BTWN THE PAX AND TRYING TO GET THE UTENSIL FROM HER. SHE COULD HAVE DONE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE OTHER PAX. MAYBE WE SHOULD ONLY HAVE PLASTIC UTENSILS ON BOARD ACFT INSTEAD OF METAL.

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.