Narrative:

A group of approximately 4 men, who from the beginning of their presence on board, set out to antagonize, berate and badger every crew member they came in contact with, including the cockpit crew. I was the sole female crew member in this cabin. This group was not apparently drunk, but I wouldn't discount some other form of substance abuse because their behavior was extreme and abnormal. They did not recognize the relevance of the pilot or the port authority/authorized police when they came on board. I can vouch for the professional manner of my male co-workers, who made every attempt to neutralize this situation by doing everything that is expected of them and more. We had to recruit help from the business class cabin to even finish our service. I had to finally refrain from speaking to this group, because it became a no-win situation in which they would continue to badger me if I stayed to listen to them. They were walking around (2 of them) the cabin, after the captain specifically announced upcoming dangerous turbulence and requested all passenger to strap in. I again reminded one of them, as he passed my jump seat, that it was at his own risk, that he was walking around (barefoot) at such a preannounced moment. The captain had come out twice to talk to this group and threatened to land in caracas and let them out, which I believe would have been the best solution, as having charges pressed against them in nyc didn't seem to phase them in the least bit. My major concern here is the danger passenger like these present to the entire complement of crew and passenger. With a full cabin, they could easily create a dangerous situation. It should be noted that this is a long range (9 1/2 hour average) trip. There were many families with children on board, all concerned by the disturbances and appearance of so many members of the crew, trying to deal with the ongoing problem. Several passenger were relieved to see the port authority/authorized police at jfk, to confirm that there could be some control over people, who have a blatant disregard for the seriousness of passenger respect and safety, as well as respect for the authority/authorized of flight attendants and cockpit members. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the 5 men spoke and understood english very well, and that they understood everything that was said to them by the captain and cabin crew at all times. They just didn't seem normal to her, very anti-authority/authorized. In fact, they thought getting arrested by the new york port authority/authorized police was a big joke. The reporter, again, emphasized that the captain should have landed in caracas, but he was more concerned about getting home on time, probably because he was a commuter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B767-200, GIG-JFK. GROUP OF 4 MEN WERE UNCTLABLE, VERBALLY ABUSIVE, IGNORED SEATBELT SIGN. CAPT LEFT COCKPIT, INTERVENED, THREATENED LNDG IN CARACAS TO REMOVE THEM. JFK POLICE MET FLT.

Narrative: A GROUP OF APPROX 4 MEN, WHO FROM THE BEGINNING OF THEIR PRESENCE ON BOARD, SET OUT TO ANTAGONIZE, BERATE AND BADGER EVERY CREW MEMBER THEY CAME IN CONTACT WITH, INCLUDING THE COCKPIT CREW. I WAS THE SOLE FEMALE CREW MEMBER IN THIS CABIN. THIS GROUP WAS NOT APPARENTLY DRUNK, BUT I WOULDN'T DISCOUNT SOME OTHER FORM OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE BECAUSE THEIR BEHAVIOR WAS EXTREME AND ABNORMAL. THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE RELEVANCE OF THE PLT OR THE PORT AUTH POLICE WHEN THEY CAME ON BOARD. I CAN VOUCH FOR THE PROFESSIONAL MANNER OF MY MALE CO-WORKERS, WHO MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO NEUTRALIZE THIS SIT BY DOING EVERYTHING THAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM AND MORE. WE HAD TO RECRUIT HELP FROM THE BUSINESS CLASS CABIN TO EVEN FINISH OUR SVC. I HAD TO FINALLY REFRAIN FROM SPEAKING TO THIS GROUP, BECAUSE IT BECAME A NO-WIN SIT IN WHICH THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO BADGER ME IF I STAYED TO LISTEN TO THEM. THEY WERE WALKING AROUND (2 OF THEM) THE CABIN, AFTER THE CAPT SPECIFICALLY ANNOUNCED UPCOMING DANGEROUS TURB AND REQUESTED ALL PAX TO STRAP IN. I AGAIN REMINDED ONE OF THEM, AS HE PASSED MY JUMP SEAT, THAT IT WAS AT HIS OWN RISK, THAT HE WAS WALKING AROUND (BAREFOOT) AT SUCH A PREANNOUNCED MOMENT. THE CAPT HAD COME OUT TWICE TO TALK TO THIS GROUP AND THREATENED TO LAND IN CARACAS AND LET THEM OUT, WHICH I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST SOLUTION, AS HAVING CHARGES PRESSED AGAINST THEM IN NYC DIDN'T SEEM TO PHASE THEM IN THE LEAST BIT. MY MAJOR CONCERN HERE IS THE DANGER PAX LIKE THESE PRESENT TO THE ENTIRE COMPLEMENT OF CREW AND PAX. WITH A FULL CABIN, THEY COULD EASILY CREATE A DANGEROUS SIT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS IS A LONG RANGE (9 1/2 HR AVERAGE) TRIP. THERE WERE MANY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ON BOARD, ALL CONCERNED BY THE DISTURBANCES AND APPEARANCE OF SO MANY MEMBERS OF THE CREW, TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE ONGOING PROB. SEVERAL PAX WERE RELIEVED TO SEE THE PORT AUTH POLICE AT JFK, TO CONFIRM THAT THERE COULD BE SOME CTL OVER PEOPLE, WHO HAVE A BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE SERIOUSNESS OF PAX RESPECT AND SAFETY, AS WELL AS RESPECT FOR THE AUTH OF FLT ATTENDANTS AND COCKPIT MEMBERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE 5 MEN SPOKE AND UNDERSTOOD ENGLISH VERY WELL, AND THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID TO THEM BY THE CAPT AND CABIN CREW AT ALL TIMES. THEY JUST DIDN'T SEEM NORMAL TO HER, VERY ANTI-AUTH. IN FACT, THEY THOUGHT GETTING ARRESTED BY THE NEW YORK PORT AUTH POLICE WAS A BIG JOKE. THE RPTR, AGAIN, EMPHASIZED THAT THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE LANDED IN CARACAS, BUT HE WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING HOME ON TIME, PROBABLY BECAUSE HE WAS A COMMUTER.

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.