Narrative:

Went into holding over lnr VOR for ord due to TRSA at ord. Exhausted hold fuel and decided to divert to msn which was closest airport with good WX. On approach into msn; encountered windshear and had minor flap overspd (flaps 1 degree; 3 KT overspd). On ground in msn; performed required flap check per maintenance direction. After fueling and once we got ATC release; departed again for ord. WX radar failed in-flight. ATC advised level 4 thunderstorms in front of us. Executed immediate 180 degree turn back toward msn where we knew known WX was still good. Consulted maintenance to determine if pulling and resetting circuit breakers may help. Maintenance advised us of location for circuit breaker. Due to the fact that thunderstorms were in area; I used my emergency authority/authorized to pull and reset circuit breakers in-flight. It did not reset the radar -- it was still inoperative. Consulted dispatch if our present position to mke was free of convective WX. They confirmed that it was with mke only reporting light rain. Elected to divert to mke since a mechanic would be available there and maintenance earlier advised no mechanics in msn. Had uneventful approach and landing into mke. Once on the ground they had no gate for us; so we were parked on ramp approximately 500 yards from terminal. With cockpit door open; on conference call with dispatcher and maintenance had irate passenger yell at me; 'I want off this airplane! Why didn't you land in chicago?!' I told him I was doing everything in my power to get the airplane to a gate and then he went to the back of the airplane. About 30 mins later; purser advised me same passenger just confronted her and said 'if I don't get off this airplane I'm going to cause trouble!' to which she replied 'if you do you will be arrested' to which he replied '*&%$ you.' upon learning this; I immediately declared level 1 security threat with dispatch and local mke ground control. Law enforcement dispatched to our aircraft. Law enforcement boarded through airstair at door 1L. The purser and myself briefed law enforcement of situation. He told us based on what we had told him he could arrest individual if we wanted. Since at that time it was apparent we were not going to fly to ord since we had no radar and maintenance advised us they didn't have the part to fix it; the purser and I decided if this gentleman would calm down and behave he could stay on the airplane. Law enforcement went to talk to the individual and then came back and advised us that he thought it would be best to remove the individual from the flight and issue him a ticket. Since he deals with unruly people frequently; I respected his judgement and let him remove the individual from the flight. The passenger was traveling with a wife and 2 young children who also left with him. After this incident; it took company approximately another 3-4 hours before they got busses to us to offload the passenger. Company Z unloaded bags and brought to carousel so passenger could claim. This was an extremely stressful night; the worst I've had in my almost 11 yrs at air carrier X. Company Y was extremely unhelpful and totally unprepared to handle us which made the situation worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW HAS TO DIVERT DUE TO WX AND INOP WX RADAR. PAX BECOMES IRATE AND UNRULY. FLT CREW DECLARES LEVEL 1 THREAT. PAX ARRESTED AND ESCORTED OFF ACFT.

Narrative: WENT INTO HOLDING OVER LNR VOR FOR ORD DUE TO TRSA AT ORD. EXHAUSTED HOLD FUEL AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO MSN WHICH WAS CLOSEST ARPT WITH GOOD WX. ON APCH INTO MSN; ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR AND HAD MINOR FLAP OVERSPD (FLAPS 1 DEG; 3 KT OVERSPD). ON GND IN MSN; PERFORMED REQUIRED FLAP CHK PER MAINT DIRECTION. AFTER FUELING AND ONCE WE GOT ATC RELEASE; DEPARTED AGAIN FOR ORD. WX RADAR FAILED INFLT. ATC ADVISED LEVEL 4 TSTMS IN FRONT OF US. EXECUTED IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN BACK TOWARD MSN WHERE WE KNEW KNOWN WX WAS STILL GOOD. CONSULTED MAINT TO DETERMINE IF PULLING AND RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS MAY HELP. MAINT ADVISED US OF LOCATION FOR CIRCUIT BREAKER. DUE TO THE FACT THAT TSTMS WERE IN AREA; I USED MY EMER AUTH TO PULL AND RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS INFLT. IT DID NOT RESET THE RADAR -- IT WAS STILL INOP. CONSULTED DISPATCH IF OUR PRESENT POS TO MKE WAS FREE OF CONVECTIVE WX. THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS WITH MKE ONLY RPTING LIGHT RAIN. ELECTED TO DIVERT TO MKE SINCE A MECH WOULD BE AVAILABLE THERE AND MAINT EARLIER ADVISED NO MECHS IN MSN. HAD UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG INTO MKE. ONCE ON THE GND THEY HAD NO GATE FOR US; SO WE WERE PARKED ON RAMP APPROX 500 YARDS FROM TERMINAL. WITH COCKPIT DOOR OPEN; ON CONFERENCE CALL WITH DISPATCHER AND MAINT HAD IRATE PAX YELL AT ME; 'I WANT OFF THIS AIRPLANE! WHY DIDN'T YOU LAND IN CHICAGO?!' I TOLD HIM I WAS DOING EVERYTHING IN MY PWR TO GET THE AIRPLANE TO A GATE AND THEN HE WENT TO THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. ABOUT 30 MINS LATER; PURSER ADVISED ME SAME PAX JUST CONFRONTED HER AND SAID 'IF I DON'T GET OFF THIS AIRPLANE I'M GOING TO CAUSE TROUBLE!' TO WHICH SHE REPLIED 'IF YOU DO YOU WILL BE ARRESTED' TO WHICH HE REPLIED '*&%$ YOU.' UPON LEARNING THIS; I IMMEDIATELY DECLARED LEVEL 1 SECURITY THREAT WITH DISPATCH AND LCL MKE GND CTL. LAW ENFORCEMENT DISPATCHED TO OUR ACFT. LAW ENFORCEMENT BOARDED THROUGH AIRSTAIR AT DOOR 1L. THE PURSER AND MYSELF BRIEFED LAW ENFORCEMENT OF SITUATION. HE TOLD US BASED ON WHAT WE HAD TOLD HIM HE COULD ARREST INDIVIDUAL IF WE WANTED. SINCE AT THAT TIME IT WAS APPARENT WE WERE NOT GOING TO FLY TO ORD SINCE WE HAD NO RADAR AND MAINT ADVISED US THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PART TO FIX IT; THE PURSER AND I DECIDED IF THIS GENTLEMAN WOULD CALM DOWN AND BEHAVE HE COULD STAY ON THE AIRPLANE. LAW ENFORCEMENT WENT TO TALK TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEN CAME BACK AND ADVISED US THAT HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST TO REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL FROM THE FLT AND ISSUE HIM A TICKET. SINCE HE DEALS WITH UNRULY PEOPLE FREQUENTLY; I RESPECTED HIS JUDGEMENT AND LET HIM REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL FROM THE FLT. THE PAX WAS TRAVELING WITH A WIFE AND 2 YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ALSO LEFT WITH HIM. AFTER THIS INCIDENT; IT TOOK COMPANY APPROX ANOTHER 3-4 HRS BEFORE THEY GOT BUSSES TO US TO OFFLOAD THE PAX. COMPANY Z UNLOADED BAGS AND BROUGHT TO CAROUSEL SO PAX COULD CLAIM. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY STRESSFUL NIGHT; THE WORST I'VE HAD IN MY ALMOST 11 YRS AT ACR X. COMPANY Y WAS EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL AND TOTALLY UNPREPARED TO HANDLE US WHICH MADE THE SITUATION WORSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.