Narrative:

I was working first class as flight attendant #1 on an S80 aircraft. Passenger load 13/108. Approximately XA00 I was in the first class aisle serving dessert. I was at row a ready to serve. The service was completely over in main cabin, no carts or flight attendants in the aisle. The curtain was pulled closed between first class and main cabin. 2 larger built ladies came barreling through the curtain, ran up to me (in the aisle) and one said, 'get out of my way!' I looked at them puzzled and they proceeded to shout at me to get out of their way, they were going to the first class bathroom. They both got in my face yelling and completely preventing me from serving my passenger. The curtain dividing first class and main cabin was 1/4 open on the r-hand side and I could see clearly to the rear of coach -- no one was waiting for the lavatories and no one was in the aisle. I politely asked the 2 ladies to please use the lavatories in the back, as I was still serving my first class passenger their meal service. They refused and shouted, 'they always use the first class bathrooms' and for me 'to get out of their way' at this point, I started to turn around to go back to the galley and get out of their way, when one of the lady passenger later idented as ms Y hit me on my upper body, right shoulder area, and shoved me with such force backwards into a seat. I said, shocked, 'you hit me.' and she replied, 'yes, I told you to get out of my way.' ms Y then proceeded to the first class lavatory and went in and slammed the door. The second lady passenger, traveling with ms Y, later idented as ms X, kept up the verbal assault on me. Ms X then shoved by me and stood outside the first class lavatory. Ms X started yelling at flight attendant Z, who was seated on the first class flight attendant jump seat. I got myself together in the aisle and then went to the first class galley and tried to calm ms X down and explain (as flight attendant Z was trying to do) that first class passenger had complained about the 'traffic through their cabin' and the fact they couldn't get in the first class lavatories for the coach passenger. I further explained that we had only 2 crew members in the cockpit and this was the only lavatory they could use and when one was out of the cockpit, only one was left to fly the aircraft, so, it was important they were in and out fast. At that very moment, captain opened the cockpit door to use the lavatory. He heard ms X yelling, so he then stayed in the cockpit and closed the door, rather quickly. Ms X kept her verbal attack up on flight attendant Z and myself. She refused to calm down and get herself under control, as we requested. At this point, I went to the cockpit and informed the captain of the passenger assault. Captain and I discussed should we land now? And our general course of action. I told captain I'd feel comfortable following flight attendant instructions with regards to passenger misconduct. He said fine, take the 'notice' form to the passenger and give them his name and ask them to please read the form. The belief behind this form, is that upon reading the strongly worded facts, that the passenger will realize that the situation is a very serious situation and calm down. I discreetly approached seats (no one was in seat, apparently mr X was in the back of the aircraft) and I quietly gave the 2 lady passenger each a form along with the captain's name and asked them to please read this form, as the captain requested. Ms Y grabbed the form from my hand, wadded it up and threw the form on the floor. Ms X folded it and rammed it in the seatback pocket. Ms Y said 'she didn't care what the captain requested, she wasn't reading anything.' I replied, 'I was sorry she wouldn't cooperate and do as the captain asked, that she left the crew no other choice but to have the auths meet our flight and speak with them.' I then returned to the cockpit and the decision was made to request the police meet the flight and remove the 2 passenger. During the remainder of the flight, several first class passenger came to me and gave me their business cards and said they would be witnesses. They said they were shocked and upset over what happened to me. Prior to landing, the captain made a PA and asked all the passenger to remain seated when the aircraft reached the gate, while the auths came on. Upon landing and reaching the gate, 2 policemen came on board to seats a and B and escorted them off the aircraft. During deplaning, mr X (husband of one of the women) came to me (as I stood at the front door of the aircraft saying good-bye to our passenger) and got so in my face his spittle hit me in the face and shouted at me 'how long does air carrier keep the passenger manifesto?' I replied, 'I didn't know, to please ask the agents or the police.' he kept shouting at me and the police came on board and escorted him away from me and with them. Captain and I went with another police officer to the airport police office. I then filed a report with the police. The police told me, 1 copy goes to the FAA for their federal prosecution and 1 to the district attorney's office for criminal prosecution. As a professional flight attendant for many yrs, I feel very strongly that a passenger assault cannot -- even for 1 second -- be tolerated, otherwise no flight or crew member is safe. My right shoulder and right arm hurt very badly, with pain radiating up my neck and down my right arm, on the morning of may/xa/99. I had bruises on my right arm from being hit. On may/xb/99, at the recommendation of air carrier medical, I went to the emergency room and saw a doctor who put my arm in a sling, gave me 2 prescriptions and ordered physical therapy. Doctor put me off work for 1 week. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is very upset with the FAA and fbi for the way they are handling, or not handling, the case. She talked to the fbi agent assigned to her case, and they have decided not to press charges. The police had investigated and the district attorney was going to prosecute the woman, but the fbi ordered her to drop the local charges, because if the fbi was involved, the woman couldn't be prosecuted twice, so she dropped the case with the police and believed the fbi, that they were going to prosecute the woman. She said the fbi agents interrogated her for 2 1/2 hours, like the criminal, not the victim. Because the police didn't 'mirandize' the woman, the fbi chose not to prosecute, even though the woman admitted to the captain and the police that she had hit the reporter. The reporter is still off work with the shoulder injury and will be having surgery soon. She feels that all the FARS that the FAA spouts as protection for flcs from assault by passenger are just empty threats, and they have no intention of enforcing regulations, by prosecution, to protect flcs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, S80, DFW-OAK, PAX ASSAULTED PURSER, PAX ARRESTED BY POLICE. FBI INVESTIGATED, NO PROSECUTION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING FIRST CLASS AS FLT ATTENDANT #1 ON AN S80 ACFT. PAX LOAD 13/108. APPROX XA00 I WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS AISLE SERVING DESSERT. I WAS AT ROW A READY TO SERVE. THE SVC WAS COMPLETELY OVER IN MAIN CABIN, NO CARTS OR FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AISLE. THE CURTAIN WAS PULLED CLOSED BTWN FIRST CLASS AND MAIN CABIN. 2 LARGER BUILT LADIES CAME BARRELING THROUGH THE CURTAIN, RAN UP TO ME (IN THE AISLE) AND ONE SAID, 'GET OUT OF MY WAY!' I LOOKED AT THEM PUZZLED AND THEY PROCEEDED TO SHOUT AT ME TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY, THEY WERE GOING TO THE FIRST CLASS BATHROOM. THEY BOTH GOT IN MY FACE YELLING AND COMPLETELY PREVENTING ME FROM SERVING MY PAX. THE CURTAIN DIVIDING FIRST CLASS AND MAIN CABIN WAS 1/4 OPEN ON THE R-HAND SIDE AND I COULD SEE CLRLY TO THE REAR OF COACH -- NO ONE WAS WAITING FOR THE LAVATORIES AND NO ONE WAS IN THE AISLE. I POLITELY ASKED THE 2 LADIES TO PLEASE USE THE LAVATORIES IN THE BACK, AS I WAS STILL SERVING MY FIRST CLASS PAX THEIR MEAL SVC. THEY REFUSED AND SHOUTED, 'THEY ALWAYS USE THE FIRST CLASS BATHROOMS' AND FOR ME 'TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY' AT THIS POINT, I STARTED TO TURN AROUND TO GO BACK TO THE GALLEY AND GET OUT OF THEIR WAY, WHEN ONE OF THE LADY PAX LATER IDENTED AS MS Y HIT ME ON MY UPPER BODY, R SHOULDER AREA, AND SHOVED ME WITH SUCH FORCE BACKWARDS INTO A SEAT. I SAID, SHOCKED, 'YOU HIT ME.' AND SHE REPLIED, 'YES, I TOLD YOU TO GET OUT OF MY WAY.' MS Y THEN PROCEEDED TO THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY AND WENT IN AND SLAMMED THE DOOR. THE SECOND LADY PAX, TRAVELING WITH MS Y, LATER IDENTED AS MS X, KEPT UP THE VERBAL ASSAULT ON ME. MS X THEN SHOVED BY ME AND STOOD OUTSIDE THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. MS X STARTED YELLING AT FLT ATTENDANT Z, WHO WAS SEATED ON THE FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT. I GOT MYSELF TOGETHER IN THE AISLE AND THEN WENT TO THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY AND TRIED TO CALM MS X DOWN AND EXPLAIN (AS FLT ATTENDANT Z WAS TRYING TO DO) THAT FIRST CLASS PAX HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE 'TFC THROUGH THEIR CABIN' AND THE FACT THEY COULDN'T GET IN THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORIES FOR THE COACH PAX. I FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD ONLY 2 CREW MEMBERS IN THE COCKPIT AND THIS WAS THE ONLY LAVATORY THEY COULD USE AND WHEN ONE WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT, ONLY ONE WAS LEFT TO FLY THE ACFT, SO, IT WAS IMPORTANT THEY WERE IN AND OUT FAST. AT THAT VERY MOMENT, CAPT OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR TO USE THE LAVATORY. HE HEARD MS X YELLING, SO HE THEN STAYED IN THE COCKPIT AND CLOSED THE DOOR, RATHER QUICKLY. MS X KEPT HER VERBAL ATTACK UP ON FLT ATTENDANT Z AND MYSELF. SHE REFUSED TO CALM DOWN AND GET HERSELF UNDER CTL, AS WE REQUESTED. AT THIS POINT, I WENT TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE PAX ASSAULT. CAPT AND I DISCUSSED SHOULD WE LAND NOW? AND OUR GENERAL COURSE OF ACTION. I TOLD CAPT I'D FEEL COMFORTABLE FOLLOWING FLT ATTENDANT INSTRUCTIONS WITH REGARDS TO PAX MISCONDUCT. HE SAID FINE, TAKE THE 'NOTICE' FORM TO THE PAX AND GIVE THEM HIS NAME AND ASK THEM TO PLEASE READ THE FORM. THE BELIEF BEHIND THIS FORM, IS THAT UPON READING THE STRONGLY WORDED FACTS, THAT THE PAX WILL REALIZE THAT THE SIT IS A VERY SERIOUS SIT AND CALM DOWN. I DISCREETLY APCHED SEATS (NO ONE WAS IN SEAT, APPARENTLY MR X WAS IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT) AND I QUIETLY GAVE THE 2 LADY PAX EACH A FORM ALONG WITH THE CAPT'S NAME AND ASKED THEM TO PLEASE READ THIS FORM, AS THE CAPT REQUESTED. MS Y GRABBED THE FORM FROM MY HAND, WADDED IT UP AND THREW THE FORM ON THE FLOOR. MS X FOLDED IT AND RAMMED IT IN THE SEATBACK POCKET. MS Y SAID 'SHE DIDN'T CARE WHAT THE CAPT REQUESTED, SHE WASN'T READING ANYTHING.' I REPLIED, 'I WAS SORRY SHE WOULDN'T COOPERATE AND DO AS THE CAPT ASKED, THAT SHE LEFT THE CREW NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THE AUTHS MEET OUR FLT AND SPEAK WITH THEM.' I THEN RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REQUEST THE POLICE MEET THE FLT AND REMOVE THE 2 PAX. DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT, SEVERAL FIRST CLASS PAX CAME TO ME AND GAVE ME THEIR BUSINESS CARDS AND SAID THEY WOULD BE WITNESSES. THEY SAID THEY WERE SHOCKED AND UPSET OVER WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. PRIOR TO LNDG, THE CAPT MADE A PA AND ASKED ALL THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED WHEN THE ACFT REACHED THE GATE, WHILE THE AUTHS CAME ON. UPON LNDG AND REACHING THE GATE, 2 POLICEMEN CAME ON BOARD TO SEATS A AND B AND ESCORTED THEM OFF THE ACFT. DURING DEPLANING, MR X (HUSBAND OF ONE OF THE WOMEN) CAME TO ME (AS I STOOD AT THE FRONT DOOR OF THE ACFT SAYING GOOD-BYE TO OUR PAX) AND GOT SO IN MY FACE HIS SPITTLE HIT ME IN THE FACE AND SHOUTED AT ME 'HOW LONG DOES ACR KEEP THE PAX MANIFESTO?' I REPLIED, 'I DIDN'T KNOW, TO PLEASE ASK THE AGENTS OR THE POLICE.' HE KEPT SHOUTING AT ME AND THE POLICE CAME ON BOARD AND ESCORTED HIM AWAY FROM ME AND WITH THEM. CAPT AND I WENT WITH ANOTHER POLICE OFFICER TO THE ARPT POLICE OFFICE. I THEN FILED A RPT WITH THE POLICE. THE POLICE TOLD ME, 1 COPY GOES TO THE FAA FOR THEIR FEDERAL PROSECUTION AND 1 TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. AS A PROFESSIONAL FLT ATTENDANT FOR MANY YRS, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT A PAX ASSAULT CANNOT -- EVEN FOR 1 SECOND -- BE TOLERATED, OTHERWISE NO FLT OR CREW MEMBER IS SAFE. MY R SHOULDER AND R ARM HURT VERY BADLY, WITH PAIN RADIATING UP MY NECK AND DOWN MY R ARM, ON THE MORNING OF MAY/XA/99. I HAD BRUISES ON MY R ARM FROM BEING HIT. ON MAY/XB/99, AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF ACR MEDICAL, I WENT TO THE EMER ROOM AND SAW A DOCTOR WHO PUT MY ARM IN A SLING, GAVE ME 2 PRESCRIPTIONS AND ORDERED PHYSICAL THERAPY. DOCTOR PUT ME OFF WORK FOR 1 WK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS VERY UPSET WITH THE FAA AND FBI FOR THE WAY THEY ARE HANDLING, OR NOT HANDLING, THE CASE. SHE TALKED TO THE FBI AGENT ASSIGNED TO HER CASE, AND THEY HAVE DECIDED NOT TO PRESS CHARGES. THE POLICE HAD INVESTIGATED AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WAS GOING TO PROSECUTE THE WOMAN, BUT THE FBI ORDERED HER TO DROP THE LCL CHARGES, BECAUSE IF THE FBI WAS INVOLVED, THE WOMAN COULDN'T BE PROSECUTED TWICE, SO SHE DROPPED THE CASE WITH THE POLICE AND BELIEVED THE FBI, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PROSECUTE THE WOMAN. SHE SAID THE FBI AGENTS INTERROGATED HER FOR 2 1/2 HRS, LIKE THE CRIMINAL, NOT THE VICTIM. BECAUSE THE POLICE DIDN'T 'MIRANDIZE' THE WOMAN, THE FBI CHOSE NOT TO PROSECUTE, EVEN THOUGH THE WOMAN ADMITTED TO THE CAPT AND THE POLICE THAT SHE HAD HIT THE RPTR. THE RPTR IS STILL OFF WORK WITH THE SHOULDER INJURY AND WILL BE HAVING SURGERY SOON. SHE FEELS THAT ALL THE FARS THAT THE FAA SPOUTS AS PROTECTION FOR FLCS FROM ASSAULT BY PAX ARE JUST EMPTY THREATS, AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF ENFORCING REGS, BY PROSECUTION, TO PROTECT FLCS.

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.