Delta flight attendants on a Jan. 18 Minneapolis-to-Tokyo flight reportedly used beverage carts to block a disruptive 64-year-old passenger after he repeatedly left his seat and allegedly shoved a flight attendant. The captain diverted the flight to Anchorage, where FBI agents removed and later arrested the man. He faces charges of interfering with a flight crew and assault; the defense says a hospital CT scan revealed metastatic brain tumors that might explain his behavior, but a motion to quash the arrest warrant was denied.
Delta Flight Attendants Allegedly Used Beverage Carts to Block Unruly Passenger — Flight Diverts to Anchorage
A flight attendant pushed a beverage cart on a plane.Getty
Delta Air Lines flight attendants allegedly used beverage carts to block an unruly passenger from moving down the aisle on a Jan. 18 Minneapolis-to-Tokyo flight, according to a criminal complaint and an FBI affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
What Happened
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, describes the episode as a 'Level 2' disturbance. FAA notifications to investigators said the passenger was 'walking around the aisle of the aircraft' and had become 'verbally abusive' toward crew members, prompting the captain to divert the flight to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport out of caution.
Onboard Accounts
According to the affidavit by FBI Special Agent Katie Yarborough, crew interviews described the man — identified in court records as a 64-year-old — as 'stumbling, unable to find his seat and not speaking coherently' when he boarded in Minneapolis. One crew member told investigators they suspected the passenger might be showing signs of dementia because of his age.
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in AlaskaWu Xiaoling/Xinhua/Getty
At one point, the filing says, the passenger stepped over an armrest and 'used his right arm to forcibly push [a female flight attendant] all the way from row 49 to the rear of the cabin.'
Two male flight attendants reportedly placed their hands on the man’s shoulders to separate him from the alleged victim and escorted him back to his seat. When he rose a second time and moved toward first class, crew members say they 'used their beverage carts to block the aisle so that he could not get up again.' With roughly six hours still scheduled in the air, the captain decided to land the plane in Anchorage to prevent another incident.
Aftermath and Legal Proceedings
FBI agents met the aircraft in Anchorage; Agent Yarborough says she boarded, handcuffed and removed the suspect, who was later indicted on Jan. 20 and arrested on Jan. 23. Court records state the 64-year-old faces one count of interfering with a flight crew and one count of assault against a flight attendant. An initial arraignment and detention hearing were scheduled for Jan. 26.
Delta told PEOPLE that crews had reported a 'potential medical issue involving a customer' and that law enforcement and EMS met the flight; the passenger was transported to a local medical facility. The FBI's Anchorage field office confirmed the incident and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska declined to comment in the materials reviewed by PEOPLE.
A Delta Air Lines planeJoan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty
Defense Claim
In court filings, the defense asked to quash the arrest warrant, citing information that a hospital doctor overheard that the passenger's CT scan showed tumors that had metastasized to his brain. The defense argued those findings could explain the passenger’s behavior and that jailing him would be 'extremely inappropriate, unnecessary and inhumane' given his medical condition. That motion was denied on Jan. 23.
The passenger’s attorney, Gretchen Staft, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Note: This account is based on court documents and statements obtained by PEOPLE; allegations in the complaint have not been proven in court.
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