Narrative:

While enroute from anc to sea an enraged female passenger assaulted two flight attendants, the first officer, and several passengers. I declared an emergency to ATC and returned to anc, notified security and had the disruptive passenger removed from the airplane. Later, the flight continued to sea. 'Air rage' incidents are becoming an ever increasing problem in the air carrier industry. There is very little, in the way of procedural information to advise crewmembers on how to handle the complexity of these types of situations. I suggest both FAA and air carrier operators form some types of procedural guidelines to aid in 'air rage' incidents. Such as, restrain devices, sequential checklists of items that must be accomplished for abnormal operation, such as passenger handling, security, medical equipment and personnel, fbi, company contacts, paperwork, catering, NTSB, etc. I would also like to make particular note of ATC handling during the above incident. I notified ATC that I had a situation occurring aboard my aircraft that may necessitate an immediate diversion to a 'suitable alternate airport.' the ATC controller said standby, and continued to talk to other aircraft on another frequency. Seconds went by with no response. I declared an emergency and requested clearance direct to anc. The controller did not acknowledge my emergency in any way, instead he continued talking to other aircraft on another frequency. This particular controller did not provide any assistance or concern regarding our emergency situation. I was on my own. In all my years of flying, I have never encountered this lack of concern from ATC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that three different times, flight attendants came to the cockpit apprising them of the volatility of the situation, and each time he tried to get the controller's help, but the controller appeared to show no concern for the urgency of the situation. Finally, he took matters in his own hands and declared an emergency. Even then, it still appeared, that the controller wasn't too interested in his problem. The reporter claims the controller never really provided any type of assistance or acknowledgement for the emergency. He declared the emergency only after he had been told that, not only had two flight attendants been 'slugged' by this woman, she was now attacking elderly passengers by hitting them in the face with a full can of beer. The flight attendants needed one of the pilots to come back, immediately, to help. The reporter sent the first officer and a pilot jump seater back to help. According to what the flight attendants told him later, the fracas started when the woman and her male companion were arguing loudly and a flight attendant asked them to keep the noise down, then the woman slugged her. When the first officer was trying to subdue her, she bit him on the hand and arm, breaking the skin. The small woman was extremely strong. It took four male passengers and the jump seater to subdue her, using their own belts to tie her up. Immediately on arrival in anchorage, the police came on board and arrested the woman and her male companion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX INTERFERES WITH FLT CREW. RETURN WAS MADE TO DEP STATION, WITH EMERGENCY DECLARED. ATC HANDLING WAS LESS THEN ADEQUATE.

Narrative: WHILE ENROUTE FROM ANC TO SEA AN ENRAGED FEMALE PAX ASSAULTED TWO FLT ATTENDANTS, THE FIRST OFFICER, AND SEVERAL PAXS. I DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO ATC AND RETURNED TO ANC, NOTIFIED SECURITY AND HAD THE DISRUPTIVE PAX REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE. LATER, THE FLT CONTINUED TO SEA. 'AIR RAGE' INCIDENTS ARE BECOMING AN EVER INCREASING PROB IN THE ACR INDUSTRY. THERE IS VERY LITTLE, IN THE WAY OF PROCEDURAL INFO TO ADVISE CREWMEMBERS ON HOW TO HANDLE THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS. I SUGGEST BOTH FAA AND ACR OPERATORS FORM SOME TYPES OF PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES TO AID IN 'AIR RAGE' INCIDENTS. SUCH AS, RESTRAIN DEVICES, SEQUENTIAL CHECKLISTS OF ITEMS THAT MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR ABNORMAL OPERATION, SUCH AS PAX HANDLING, SECURITY, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL, FBI, COMPANY CONTACTS, PAPERWORK, CATERING, NTSB, ETC. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE PARTICULAR NOTE OF ATC HANDLING DURING THE ABOVE INCIDENT. I NOTIFIED ATC THAT I HAD A SIT OCCURRING ABOARD MY ACFT THAT MAY NECESSITATE AN IMMEDIATE DIVERSION TO A 'SUITABLE ALTERNATE ARPT.' THE ATC CTLR SAID STANDBY, AND CONTINUED TO TALK TO OTHER ACFT ON ANOTHER FREQUENCY. SECONDS WENT BY WITH NO RESPONSE. I DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTED CLRNC DIRECT TO ANC. THE CTLR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY EMERGENCY IN ANY WAY, INSTEAD HE CONTINUED TALKING TO OTHER ACFT ON ANOTHER FREQUENCY. THIS PARTICULAR CTLR DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE OR CONCERN REGARDING OUR EMERGENCY SIT. I WAS ON MY OWN. IN ALL MY YEARS OF FLYING, I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS LACK OF CONCERN FROM ATC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THREE DIFFERENT TIMES, FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO THE COCKPIT APPRISING THEM OF THE VOLATILITY OF THE SIT, AND EACH TIME HE TRIED TO GET THE CTLR'S HELP, BUT THE CTLR APPEARED TO SHOW NO CONCERN FOR THE URGENCY OF THE SIT. FINALLY, HE TOOK MATTERS IN HIS OWN HANDS AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. EVEN THEN, IT STILL APPEARED, THAT THE CONTROLLER WASN'T TOO INTERESTED IN HIS PROB. THE RPTR CLAIMS THE CTLR NEVER REALLY PROVIDED ANY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR THE EMERGENCY. HE DECLARED THE EMERGENCY ONLY AFTER HE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT, NOT ONLY HAD TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BEEN 'SLUGGED' BY THIS WOMAN, SHE WAS NOW ATTACKING ELDERLY PAXS BY HITTING THEM IN THE FACE WITH A FULL CAN OF BEER. THE FLT ATTENDANTS NEEDED ONE OF THE PLTS TO COME BACK, IMMEDIATELY, TO HELP. THE RPTR SENT THE FIRST OFFICER AND A PLT JUMP SEATER BACK TO HELP. ACCORDING TO WHAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD HIM LATER, THE FRACAS STARTED WHEN THE WOMAN AND HER MALE COMPANION WERE ARGUING LOUDLY AND A FLT ATTENDANT ASKED THEM TO KEEP THE NOISE DOWN, THEN THE WOMAN SLUGGED HER. WHEN THE FIRST OFFICER WAS TRYING TO SUBDUE HER, SHE BIT HIM ON THE HAND AND ARM, BREAKING THE SKIN. THE SMALL WOMAN WAS EXTREMELY STRONG. IT TOOK FOUR MALE PAXS AND THE JUMP SEATER TO SUBDUE HER, USING THEIR OWN BELTS TO TIE HER UP. IMMEDIATELY ON ARRIVAL IN ANCHORAGE, THE POLICE CAME ON BOARD AND ARRESTED THE WOMAN AND HER MALE COMPANION.

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.