Narrative:

About 1 hour and 10 mins into flight, flight attendant in back of cabin called to report passenger was acting strangely, pacing in aisle and talking. He was also saying that he needed to talk to someone. I asked flight attendant to go ahead and talk to passenger to see what his problem was. After about 5-10 mins, flight attendant called back to say passenger was acting even stranger. Pacing, acting scared, nervous and confused. She said she was attempting to talk passenger back into his seat, but wasn't having any luck. Situation was deteriorating very rapidly. I asked flight attendant to page for a doctor and also identify able-bodied male passenger, who were willing to assist if needed. In the meantime, my first officer was informing ATC of our situation and preparing ATC for possible divert. I also was in contact with my company through my dispatcher. This time when flight attendant called back, said passenger was even worse saying 'I don't want to hurt anyone,' and 'this flight will not make it to mexico city.' at this point, flight attendant felt her options were running out and suggested we land as soon as possible. I instructed her to ask male volunteers to physically seat the passenger, apply handcuffs, and restrain him with a seatbelt. By now, passenger had partially disrobed and was in the aft galley. We declared an emergency with ATC and diverted to ind. Flight landed without further incident. Local, state, and 'feds' took over. Passenger was removed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that the passenger had been acting a little bit strange during boarding, but it was not of any concern to those who observed him. An on board doctor, who helped with the situation, stated that it appeared to be a case of someone who may have missed his medication. At one point, it took up to 8 men to control the individual. The escalation of the incident to a serious level all occurred in a very short time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX ACTING STRANGELY BECOMES NEARLY UNMANAGEABLE. AN EMER IS DECLARED, A DIVERSION TO A NEARBY ARPT ACCOMPLISHED, WHERE PAX IS REMOVED.

Narrative: ABOUT 1 HR AND 10 MINS INTO FLT, FLT ATTENDANT IN BACK OF CABIN CALLED TO RPT PAX WAS ACTING STRANGELY, PACING IN AISLE AND TALKING. HE WAS ALSO SAYING THAT HE NEEDED TO TALK TO SOMEONE. I ASKED FLT ATTENDANT TO GO AHEAD AND TALK TO PAX TO SEE WHAT HIS PROB WAS. AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINS, FLT ATTENDANT CALLED BACK TO SAY PAX WAS ACTING EVEN STRANGER. PACING, ACTING SCARED, NERVOUS AND CONFUSED. SHE SAID SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TALK PAX BACK INTO HIS SEAT, BUT WASN'T HAVING ANY LUCK. SIT WAS DETERIORATING VERY RAPIDLY. I ASKED FLT ATTENDANT TO PAGE FOR A DOCTOR AND ALSO IDENT ABLE-BODIED MALE PAX, WHO WERE WILLING TO ASSIST IF NEEDED. IN THE MEANTIME, MY FO WAS INFORMING ATC OF OUR SIT AND PREPARING ATC FOR POSSIBLE DIVERT. I ALSO WAS IN CONTACT WITH MY COMPANY THROUGH MY DISPATCHER. THIS TIME WHEN FLT ATTENDANT CALLED BACK, SAID PAX WAS EVEN WORSE SAYING 'I DON'T WANT TO HURT ANYONE,' AND 'THIS FLT WILL NOT MAKE IT TO MEXICO CITY.' AT THIS POINT, FLT ATTENDANT FELT HER OPTIONS WERE RUNNING OUT AND SUGGESTED WE LAND ASAP. I INSTRUCTED HER TO ASK MALE VOLUNTEERS TO PHYSICALLY SEAT THE PAX, APPLY HANDCUFFS, AND RESTRAIN HIM WITH A SEATBELT. BY NOW, PAX HAD PARTIALLY DISROBED AND WAS IN THE AFT GALLEY. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND DIVERTED TO IND. FLT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. LCL, STATE, AND 'FEDS' TOOK OVER. PAX WAS REMOVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE PAX HAD BEEN ACTING A LITTLE BIT STRANGE DURING BOARDING, BUT IT WAS NOT OF ANY CONCERN TO THOSE WHO OBSERVED HIM. AN ON BOARD DOCTOR, WHO HELPED WITH THE SIT, STATED THAT IT APPEARED TO BE A CASE OF SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE MISSED HIS MEDICATION. AT ONE POINT, IT TOOK UP TO 8 MEN TO CTL THE INDIVIDUAL. THE ESCALATION OF THE INCIDENT TO A SERIOUS LEVEL ALL OCCURRED IN A VERY SHORT TIME.

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.