An MD80 lands short of destination when the flight attendant reports that a first class passenger is...

Attributes
ACN	510882
Time
Date	200105
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw.artcc
State Reference	TX
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain Thunderstorm Turbulence
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
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 : 9 flight attendant time total : 25 flight attendant time type : 50
ASRS Report	510882
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : cab 1 (#2)
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

We landed at gate xx from miami-dfw. Ran to gate xy late, checked emergency equipment, boarded quickly. Did predep drinks. Passenger closed eyes -- appeared to be sleeping. Captain advised us to stay seated due to WX. He made an announcement. Called 10 mins later, said it's ok to get up. I walked through first class to close the curtain. Passenger 'scream' for me to get him a diet sprite. I said 'I'll be back.' as I turned to walk forward, he screamed louder -- demanding in a threatening tone. I told the captain and tried to stay clear of him. Everyone in first class was staring at me. They looked shocked. I got him the diet sprite and nuts and took them after I delivered 3-4 rows, and he sat up out of the seat and screamed louder 'take this sprite and take these nuts -- you're nuts -- get away from me.' he kept putting his head against the window like he was sleeping them screaming. I told the first officer and captain 'do not come out, I am afraid he might hit me or you.' I couldn't tell where he was coming from. No one had done anything. Passenger looked extremely nervous and I was scared enough I didn't want it to get out of hand. His behavior too erratic and demeaning and irrational and unpredictable. Told the captain and the captain said 'we're landing.' we did in abilene. He made an announcement we would take on more fuel and after landing the police came up the aft stairs and removed him. I was in the galley, too afraid of him to come out. I was told he tried to grab the captain and was screaming in his face on the ground in operations in abilene. Fbi came on, took names, etc, and we were there for 2 hours then left. Passenger #2, passenger #3, and passenger #4 were great witnesses and complimented us on how we handled a 'possible who know what could have happened' situation. All were very glad he was off. Passenger appeared about 62 yrs of age, male. I never smelled alcohol or served him any. He looked strange in his eyes and wondered if he was on drugs, drunk -- mentally unstable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 LANDS SHORT OF DEST WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTS THAT A FIRST CLASS PAX IS ACTING IN AN ODD AND THREATENING MANNER.

Narrative: WE LANDED AT GATE XX FROM MIAMI-DFW. RAN TO GATE XY LATE, CHKED EMER EQUIP, BOARDED QUICKLY. DID PREDEP DRINKS. PAX CLOSED EYES -- APPEARED TO BE SLEEPING. CAPT ADVISED US TO STAY SEATED DUE TO WX. HE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. CALLED 10 MINS LATER, SAID IT'S OK TO GET UP. I WALKED THROUGH FIRST CLASS TO CLOSE THE CURTAIN. PAX 'SCREAM' FOR ME TO GET HIM A DIET SPRITE. I SAID 'I'LL BE BACK.' AS I TURNED TO WALK FORWARD, HE SCREAMED LOUDER -- DEMANDING IN A THREATENING TONE. I TOLD THE CAPT AND TRIED TO STAY CLR OF HIM. EVERYONE IN FIRST CLASS WAS STARING AT ME. THEY LOOKED SHOCKED. I GOT HIM THE DIET SPRITE AND NUTS AND TOOK THEM AFTER I DELIVERED 3-4 ROWS, AND HE SAT UP OUT OF THE SEAT AND SCREAMED LOUDER 'TAKE THIS SPRITE AND TAKE THESE NUTS -- YOU'RE NUTS -- GET AWAY FROM ME.' HE KEPT PUTTING HIS HEAD AGAINST THE WINDOW LIKE HE WAS SLEEPING THEM SCREAMING. I TOLD THE FO AND CAPT 'DO NOT COME OUT, I AM AFRAID HE MIGHT HIT ME OR YOU.' I COULDN'T TELL WHERE HE WAS COMING FROM. NO ONE HAD DONE ANYTHING. PAX LOOKED EXTREMELY NERVOUS AND I WAS SCARED ENOUGH I DIDN'T WANT IT TO GET OUT OF HAND. HIS BEHAVIOR TOO ERRATIC AND DEMEANING AND IRRATIONAL AND UNPREDICTABLE. TOLD THE CAPT AND THE CAPT SAID 'WE'RE LNDG.' WE DID IN ABILENE. HE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT WE WOULD TAKE ON MORE FUEL AND AFTER LNDG THE POLICE CAME UP THE AFT STAIRS AND REMOVED HIM. I WAS IN THE GALLEY, TOO AFRAID OF HIM TO COME OUT. I WAS TOLD HE TRIED TO GRAB THE CAPT AND WAS SCREAMING IN HIS FACE ON THE GND IN OPS IN ABILENE. FBI CAME ON, TOOK NAMES, ETC, AND WE WERE THERE FOR 2 HRS THEN LEFT. PAX #2, PAX #3, AND PAX #4 WERE GREAT WITNESSES AND COMPLIMENTED US ON HOW WE HANDLED A 'POSSIBLE WHO KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED' SIT. ALL WERE VERY GLAD HE WAS OFF. PAX APPEARED ABOUT 62 YRS OF AGE, MALE. I NEVER SMELLED ALCOHOL OR SERVED HIM ANY. HE LOOKED STRANGE IN HIS EYES AND WONDERED IF HE WAS ON DRUGS, DRUNK -- MENTALLY UNSTABLE.

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.

An MD80 lands short of destination when the flight attendant reports that a first class passenger is acting in an odd and threatening manner.