Narrative:

During boarding, a passenger would not take his assigned seat, because it would not recline. During taxi, the disgruntled passenger was still causing problems (verbally) with the cabin crew, because his seat would not recline. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the man had a seat in the exit row and in front of the window exit. The fuselage seats do not recline in these rows, so as not to impede an evacuate/evacuation. The man complained about his seat, and was told the reason why it wouldn't recline, but he still created a fuss. He became very aggressive and charged at her, making her fearful. The reporter got the gate agent to get on and explain to him that the flight was full and if he didn't want that seat, he'd have to get off and wait for another flight. The man seemed to settle down after the male agent talked to him, but once the doors were closed, he started harassing the flight attendants all over again. The purser came back and asked if he was willing to open the exit in case of an emergency. He said he would, but he demanded a different seat. The flight attendants asked a few people to switch with him, but no one would do it. Eventually, the captain came out of the cockpit and assessed the situation, decided to taxi back and have the man removed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, CCS-MIA. PAX AGGRESSIVELY, VERBALLY ATTACKED CABIN ATTENDANT OVER EXIT SEAT NOT RECLINING. AGENT TALKED TO HIM. TAXI OUT, MORE VERBAL ABUSE. CAPT RETURNED TO GATE, PAX REMOVED.

Narrative: DURING BOARDING, A PAX WOULD NOT TAKE HIS ASSIGNED SEAT, BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT RECLINE. DURING TAXI, THE DISGRUNTLED PAX WAS STILL CAUSING PROBS (VERBALLY) WITH THE CABIN CREW, BECAUSE HIS SEAT WOULD NOT RECLINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE MAN HAD A SEAT IN THE EXIT ROW AND IN FRONT OF THE WINDOW EXIT. THE FUSELAGE SEATS DO NOT RECLINE IN THESE ROWS, SO AS NOT TO IMPEDE AN EVAC. THE MAN COMPLAINED ABOUT HIS SEAT, AND WAS TOLD THE REASON WHY IT WOULDN'T RECLINE, BUT HE STILL CREATED A FUSS. HE BECAME VERY AGGRESSIVE AND CHARGED AT HER, MAKING HER FEARFUL. THE RPTR GOT THE GATE AGENT TO GET ON AND EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT THE FLT WAS FULL AND IF HE DIDN'T WANT THAT SEAT, HE'D HAVE TO GET OFF AND WAIT FOR ANOTHER FLT. THE MAN SEEMED TO SETTLE DOWN AFTER THE MALE AGENT TALKED TO HIM, BUT ONCE THE DOORS WERE CLOSED, HE STARTED HARASSING THE FLT ATTENDANTS ALL OVER AGAIN. THE PURSER CAME BACK AND ASKED IF HE WAS WILLING TO OPEN THE EXIT IN CASE OF AN EMER. HE SAID HE WOULD, BUT HE DEMANDED A DIFFERENT SEAT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ASKED A FEW PEOPLE TO SWITCH WITH HIM, BUT NO ONE WOULD DO IT. EVENTUALLY, THE CAPT CAME OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND ASSESSED THE SIT, DECIDED TO TAXI BACK AND HAVE THE MAN REMOVED.

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.