Multiple cabin attendant report, DC10, hnl-sfo. Woman denied meal choice and went berserk, scratched...

Attributes
ACN	469563
Time
Date	200003
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa.artcc
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 7
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 16 flight attendant time total : 16 flight attendant time type : 0.05
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 33 flight attendant time total : 33
ASRS Report	468564
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : cab #1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

A passenger didn't like the meal choice left for her. Her husband was fine with his. They were both same, the passenger became abusive and out of control -- yelling, screaming, ranting. Her husband could not control her actions or calm her down. Her manner and speech were of a person under the influence of alcohol/drugs. However, she had not been served alcohol and her husband said she wasn't on any medication. She was offered an optional meal that another passenger didn't want. She grabbed my forearm (after I set down other meal) and had a vice-like grip on me, sinking her nails into my forearm. Her nails cut, scratched and bruised my arm. The entire time, she was yelling at her husband and pushing away his arms, hands, and him. She was trying to grab his meal and tray, while he wanted to eat it and her own as well, she was red in the face, sweating and had a maniacal look to her and her mannerisms. By now we had to reseat the couple next to them. She was yelling and pushing them now. Her husband could not control her, she was like a child who doesn't want to stay in her seat and behave and is having a tantrum. Her speech was slurred and incoherent. This went on for about 1/2 hour to 45 mins. I thought we might have to restrain her. She finally regained control and was quiet for rest of flight. Captain and first officer were aware of situation and police and airline personnel met the flight. Husband downplayed her condition as to being tired and her age (68?). She claimed she didn't remember anything and that nothing happened. My concern is her husband's lack/denial of her mental condition. He didn't (not couldn't) answer police question of whether she 'should' be on medication. His lack of control, ie, being able to handle her at these times. We couldn't make an emergency landing to remove her, hence the possible need to restrain her (or both), if we had to. Supplemental information from acn 468564: she said 'my husband is a doctor and so am I.' I smelled alcohol on her breath when she was telling me that her husband was annoyed with her.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, DC10, HNL-SFO. WOMAN DENIED MEAL CHOICE AND WENT BERSERK, SCRATCHED CABIN ATTENDANT'S ARM. HUSBAND COULDN'T CTL HER. POLICE MET FLT.

Narrative: A PAX DIDN'T LIKE THE MEAL CHOICE LEFT FOR HER. HER HUSBAND WAS FINE WITH HIS. THEY WERE BOTH SAME, THE PAX BECAME ABUSIVE AND OUT OF CTL -- YELLING, SCREAMING, RANTING. HER HUSBAND COULD NOT CTL HER ACTIONS OR CALM HER DOWN. HER MANNER AND SPEECH WERE OF A PERSON UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL/DRUGS. HOWEVER, SHE HAD NOT BEEN SERVED ALCOHOL AND HER HUSBAND SAID SHE WASN'T ON ANY MEDICATION. SHE WAS OFFERED AN OPTIONAL MEAL THAT ANOTHER PAX DIDN'T WANT. SHE GRABBED MY FOREARM (AFTER I SET DOWN OTHER MEAL) AND HAD A VICE-LIKE GRIP ON ME, SINKING HER NAILS INTO MY FOREARM. HER NAILS CUT, SCRATCHED AND BRUISED MY ARM. THE ENTIRE TIME, SHE WAS YELLING AT HER HUSBAND AND PUSHING AWAY HIS ARMS, HANDS, AND HIM. SHE WAS TRYING TO GRAB HIS MEAL AND TRAY, WHILE HE WANTED TO EAT IT AND HER OWN AS WELL, SHE WAS RED IN THE FACE, SWEATING AND HAD A MANIACAL LOOK TO HER AND HER MANNERISMS. BY NOW WE HAD TO RESEAT THE COUPLE NEXT TO THEM. SHE WAS YELLING AND PUSHING THEM NOW. HER HUSBAND COULD NOT CTL HER, SHE WAS LIKE A CHILD WHO DOESN'T WANT TO STAY IN HER SEAT AND BEHAVE AND IS HAVING A TANTRUM. HER SPEECH WAS SLURRED AND INCOHERENT. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR TO 45 MINS. I THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE TO RESTRAIN HER. SHE FINALLY REGAINED CTL AND WAS QUIET FOR REST OF FLT. CAPT AND FO WERE AWARE OF SIT AND POLICE AND AIRLINE PERSONNEL MET THE FLT. HUSBAND DOWNPLAYED HER CONDITION AS TO BEING TIRED AND HER AGE (68?). SHE CLAIMED SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING AND THAT NOTHING HAPPENED. MY CONCERN IS HER HUSBAND'S LACK/DENIAL OF HER MENTAL CONDITION. HE DIDN'T (NOT COULDN'T) ANSWER POLICE QUESTION OF WHETHER SHE 'SHOULD' BE ON MEDICATION. HIS LACK OF CTL, IE, BEING ABLE TO HANDLE HER AT THESE TIMES. WE COULDN'T MAKE AN EMER LNDG TO REMOVE HER, HENCE THE POSSIBLE NEED TO RESTRAIN HER (OR BOTH), IF WE HAD TO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 468564: SHE SAID 'MY HUSBAND IS A DOCTOR AND SO AM I.' I SMELLED ALCOHOL ON HER BREATH WHEN SHE WAS TELLING ME THAT HER HUSBAND WAS ANNOYED WITH 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.

Multiple cabin attendant report, DC10, hnl-sfo. Woman denied meal choice and went berserk, scratched cabin attendant's arm. Husband couldn't control her. Police met flight.