An MD80 captain reported that a passenger seemed combative and incoherent, causing the reporter to d...

Attributes
ACN	604457
Time
Date	200401
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : shv.airport
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl single value : 24000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	604457
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness cabin event : passenger misconduct
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

#1 flight attendant advised flight deck of passenger behaving strangely. #1 flight attendant advised cockpit that passenger in lavatory was not responding. Flight attendant and another male passenger opened lavatory and were met by a combative, disoriented, and seemingly incoherent passenger who fell out of lavatory into first class galley. With loud yelling, screaming and banging, flight attendant called cockpit and advised. Declared medical emergency with ATC and diverted to shv. Requested police and EMS to meet aircraft. Passenger seemed to come around, but was finally taken off aircraft by EMS and company security guards.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTED THAT A PAX SEEMED COMBATIVE AND INCOHERENT, CAUSING THE RPTR TO DIVERT TO SHV.

Narrative: #1 FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED FLT DECK OF PAX BEHAVING STRANGELY. #1 FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED COCKPIT THAT PAX IN LAVATORY WAS NOT RESPONDING. FLT ATTENDANT AND ANOTHER MALE PAX OPENED LAVATORY AND WERE MET BY A COMBATIVE, DISORIENTED, AND SEEMINGLY INCOHERENT PAX WHO FELL OUT OF LAVATORY INTO FIRST CLASS GALLEY. WITH LOUD YELLING, SCREAMING AND BANGING, FLT ATTENDANT CALLED COCKPIT AND ADVISED. DECLARED MEDICAL EMER WITH ATC AND DIVERTED TO SHV. REQUESTED POLICE AND EMS TO MEET ACFT. PAX SEEMED TO COME AROUND, BUT WAS FINALLY TAKEN OFF ACFT BY EMS AND COMPANY SECURITY GUARDS.

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 captain reported that a passenger seemed combative and incoherent, causing the reporter to divert to shv.