Narrative:

On jan/xa/00 we were boarding flight mia-dfw. The flight was very full and we eventually needed to start checking bags. The agents came down and began checking the bags as we continued to board both first class and coach. Many passenger were very angry about checking their bags because the closet and overhead bin space had filled up very fast. We made our required announcements about the baggage prior to boarding as well as on the aircraft, yet we unfortunately did not have enough space for everyone's carry-on luggage. About 5 mins before departure, I could hear someone yelling loudly from the boarding door. It was at this time that I had the pleasure of encountering mr X who was very unruly, demanding, and threatening! He was shaking, sweating, swearing and refusing to check his bag! He was cursing about how terrible our airline was and insisting on wanting everyone's name and employee numbers, including the gate agents and entire crew. He put his finger in my face and swore that if I checked his bag, it would be all of our jobs! He was extremely volatile with the #6 flight attendant. I did at this time confide in the captain that things were very hectic and we were struggling with a difficult passenger, but felt the situation was under control! Passenger X finally sat down and continued to complain and yell until after takeoff! He remained relatively quiet during the flight, but interfered with me disarming my doors in the first class galley upon deplaning. Because of his large size and aggressive nature, I felt very intimidated with him standing in front of me. He told me that he had my boss on the phone and that he wanted my name and employee number. I wrote both my name and employee number on a piece of paper, handed it to him and requested the same from him! He refused. I told him that if he did indeed have a representative on the phone, that I would be happy to talk with them, or they were welcome to call on me on my layover. He threw up his hands and stormed passed me, almost knocking me over and yelling about his bag! The reason I feel concern for this passenger is because of his violent and explosive display of emotion towards the agents, myself, my fellow crew members, the other 175+ paying passenger on the airplane. My real reason for taking the time to write this is because I believe he is trying to get something for nothing, and he will take anyone down with him in order to get it! I did inform the captain of the situation while deplaning and he apologized for not removing him before departure. I personally felt we could handle him, and that is why I did not escalate the situation with the captain. He told me he would be available, if I needed backing. I only regret 1 decision I made concerning this situation. I believe we should have removed passenger X from the aircraft before departure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, MIA-DFW. VERBALLY ABUSIVE PAX BOARDED, MAD AT AIRLINE OVER CARRY-ON AND UPGRADE TO FIRST CLASS. THREATENED CREW AND BLOCKED EXIT ON ARR IN DFW.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/00 WE WERE BOARDING FLT MIA-DFW. THE FLT WAS VERY FULL AND WE EVENTUALLY NEEDED TO START CHKING BAGS. THE AGENTS CAME DOWN AND BEGAN CHKING THE BAGS AS WE CONTINUED TO BOARD BOTH FIRST CLASS AND COACH. MANY PAX WERE VERY ANGRY ABOUT CHKING THEIR BAGS BECAUSE THE CLOSET AND OVERHEAD BIN SPACE HAD FILLED UP VERY FAST. WE MADE OUR REQUIRED ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT THE BAGGAGE PRIOR TO BOARDING AS WELL AS ON THE ACFT, YET WE UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR EVERYONE'S CARRY-ON LUGGAGE. ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE DEP, I COULD HEAR SOMEONE YELLING LOUDLY FROM THE BOARDING DOOR. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ENCOUNTERING MR X WHO WAS VERY UNRULY, DEMANDING, AND THREATENING! HE WAS SHAKING, SWEATING, SWEARING AND REFUSING TO CHK HIS BAG! HE WAS CURSING ABOUT HOW TERRIBLE OUR AIRLINE WAS AND INSISTING ON WANTING EVERYONE'S NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBERS, INCLUDING THE GATE AGENTS AND ENTIRE CREW. HE PUT HIS FINGER IN MY FACE AND SWORE THAT IF I CHKED HIS BAG, IT WOULD BE ALL OF OUR JOBS! HE WAS EXTREMELY VOLATILE WITH THE #6 FLT ATTENDANT. I DID AT THIS TIME CONFIDE IN THE CAPT THAT THINGS WERE VERY HECTIC AND WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH A DIFFICULT PAX, BUT FELT THE SIT WAS UNDER CTL! PAX X FINALLY SAT DOWN AND CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN AND YELL UNTIL AFTER TKOF! HE REMAINED RELATIVELY QUIET DURING THE FLT, BUT INTERFERED WITH ME DISARMING MY DOORS IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY UPON DEPLANING. BECAUSE OF HIS LARGE SIZE AND AGGRESSIVE NATURE, I FELT VERY INTIMIDATED WITH HIM STANDING IN FRONT OF ME. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD MY BOSS ON THE PHONE AND THAT HE WANTED MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER. I WROTE BOTH MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER ON A PIECE OF PAPER, HANDED IT TO HIM AND REQUESTED THE SAME FROM HIM! HE REFUSED. I TOLD HIM THAT IF HE DID INDEED HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE, THAT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH THEM, OR THEY WERE WELCOME TO CALL ON ME ON MY LAYOVER. HE THREW UP HIS HANDS AND STORMED PASSED ME, ALMOST KNOCKING ME OVER AND YELLING ABOUT HIS BAG! THE REASON I FEEL CONCERN FOR THIS PAX IS BECAUSE OF HIS VIOLENT AND EXPLOSIVE DISPLAY OF EMOTION TOWARDS THE AGENTS, MYSELF, MY FELLOW CREW MEMBERS, THE OTHER 175+ PAYING PAX ON THE AIRPLANE. MY REAL REASON FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE THIS IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE HE IS TRYING TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING, AND HE WILL TAKE ANYONE DOWN WITH HIM IN ORDER TO GET IT! I DID INFORM THE CAPT OF THE SIT WHILE DEPLANING AND HE APOLOGIZED FOR NOT REMOVING HIM BEFORE DEP. I PERSONALLY FELT WE COULD HANDLE HIM, AND THAT IS WHY I DID NOT ESCALATE THE SIT WITH THE CAPT. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD BE AVAILABLE, IF I NEEDED BACKING. I ONLY REGRET 1 DECISION I MADE CONCERNING THIS SIT. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE REMOVED PAX X FROM THE ACFT BEFORE DEP.

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.