PIREP, B737-300. Unruly, psychotic passenger, subdued by passenger using pilot handcuffs (tie-wraps)...

Attributes
ACN	476494
Time
Date	200006
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw.artcc
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 320
ASRS Report	476494
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct cabin event other non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : ccb #1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Due to an unruly passenger, we diverted into abilene. With passenger assistance, the security kit tie-wraps were used. Abilene is an off-line airport and with all the confusion and ensuing interviews (police, paramedics, fbi), I gave no thought to whether we needed more tie-wraps to depart abi. We eventually went to our destination, sat. There I talked to maintenance control and the tie-wraps were replaced. FYI -- the passenger had a medical condition and his medicine had worn off, causing a psychotic episode. He was taken to a local hospital. Maybe if more than 4 tie-wraps were in the security kit, we would be able to get to a down-line station before having to address this issue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the man was traveling with his 11 yr old son and that he was on some sort of psychotic medication, which all 3 medicines were in his luggage in cargo. He started his bizarre behavior in mid-flight. He was trying to get off the plane and was scratching at the windows in desperate attempt to get off. The lead flight attendant came up to the cockpit with a terrified 'wide eyed look' and begged for the copilot to come out and assist. The reporter was very reluctant to let him go back, because she had just taken her recurrent training and the emphasis was on pilots not leaving a 2-MAN cockpit for passenger disturbances. In the meantime, the man started shoving another flight attendant around. At this point, an off duty policeman stepped in to help. The copilot came back briefly to hand the policeman the tie-wrap restraining kit, which holds 4 tie-wraps and a cutter. The man actually broke 1 tie-wrap and the policeman said that 4 tie-wraps are not enough and recommended that the airlines carry more than 4. It took 5 men to restrain the man for landing. The paramedics and police met the airplane and said that they legally couldn't administer the man's medicine, but his son could. The reporter said no way, she wanted the man sent to a hospital.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIREP, B737-300. UNRULY, PSYCHOTIC PAX, SUBDUED BY PAX USING PLT HANDCUFFS (TIE-WRAPS), INSUFFICIENT NUMBER BOARDED, DIVERT TO ABILENE. PAX REMOVED TO PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL.

Narrative: DUE TO AN UNRULY PAX, WE DIVERTED INTO ABILENE. WITH PAX ASSISTANCE, THE SECURITY KIT TIE-WRAPS WERE USED. ABILENE IS AN OFF-LINE ARPT AND WITH ALL THE CONFUSION AND ENSUING INTERVIEWS (POLICE, PARAMEDICS, FBI), I GAVE NO THOUGHT TO WHETHER WE NEEDED MORE TIE-WRAPS TO DEPART ABI. WE EVENTUALLY WENT TO OUR DEST, SAT. THERE I TALKED TO MAINT CTL AND THE TIE-WRAPS WERE REPLACED. FYI -- THE PAX HAD A MEDICAL CONDITION AND HIS MEDICINE HAD WORN OFF, CAUSING A PSYCHOTIC EPISODE. HE WAS TAKEN TO A LCL HOSPITAL. MAYBE IF MORE THAN 4 TIE-WRAPS WERE IN THE SECURITY KIT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET TO A DOWN-LINE STATION BEFORE HAVING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE MAN WAS TRAVELING WITH HIS 11 YR OLD SON AND THAT HE WAS ON SOME SORT OF PSYCHOTIC MEDICATION, WHICH ALL 3 MEDICINES WERE IN HIS LUGGAGE IN CARGO. HE STARTED HIS BIZARRE BEHAVIOR IN MID-FLT. HE WAS TRYING TO GET OFF THE PLANE AND WAS SCRATCHING AT THE WINDOWS IN DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO GET OFF. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT WITH A TERRIFIED 'WIDE EYED LOOK' AND BEGGED FOR THE COPLT TO COME OUT AND ASSIST. THE RPTR WAS VERY RELUCTANT TO LET HIM GO BACK, BECAUSE SHE HAD JUST TAKEN HER RECURRENT TRAINING AND THE EMPHASIS WAS ON PLTS NOT LEAVING A 2-MAN COCKPIT FOR PAX DISTURBANCES. IN THE MEANTIME, THE MAN STARTED SHOVING ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT AROUND. AT THIS POINT, AN OFF DUTY POLICEMAN STEPPED IN TO HELP. THE COPLT CAME BACK BRIEFLY TO HAND THE POLICEMAN THE TIE-WRAP RESTRAINING KIT, WHICH HOLDS 4 TIE-WRAPS AND A CUTTER. THE MAN ACTUALLY BROKE 1 TIE-WRAP AND THE POLICEMAN SAID THAT 4 TIE-WRAPS ARE NOT ENOUGH AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE AIRLINES CARRY MORE THAN 4. IT TOOK 5 MEN TO RESTRAIN THE MAN FOR LNDG. THE PARAMEDICS AND POLICE MET THE AIRPLANE AND SAID THAT THEY LEGALLY COULDN'T ADMINISTER THE MAN'S MEDICINE, BUT HIS SON COULD. THE RPTR SAID NO WAY, SHE WANTED THE MAN SENT TO A HOSPITAL.

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.

PIREP, B737-300. Unruly, psychotic passenger, subdued by passenger using pilot handcuffs (tie-wraps), insufficient number boarded, divert to abilene. Passenger removed to psychiatric hospital.