On Jan. 29, a passenger on Thai AirAsia flight 647 became disruptive mid-flight, stripped to his underwear and later jumped from the plane after landing. Witnesses reported a strong smell of alcohol and said he refused crew instructions. Video shows him tumbling on the boarding stairs, leaping into a pickup truck, attempting to crawl underneath it, and being detained after sustaining a leg injury.
Drunk Passenger Strips Mid-Flight, Jumps From Plane After Landing and Tries to Flee
An AirAsia passenger planeBAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty
Passengers on Thai AirAsia flight 647 from Cam Ranh, Vietnam, to Don Mueang, Bangkok, were shaken on Jan. 29 when a man became disruptive mid-flight, stripped down to his navy underwear and later attempted to flee after the aircraft landed. Flight tracking records show the Airbus A320 departed Cam Ranh at 12:19 p.m. local time on a flight scheduled to last just under two hours.
According to eyewitness accounts and footage shared with Viral Press, the passenger grew agitated during the flight, paced the cabin and began tearing off his clothes while demanding to be let off the aircraft. Several passengers reported a strong smell of alcohol. Flight attendants repeatedly instructed him to sit, but their efforts to calm him were unsuccessful.
A Thai AirAsia passenger attempts to crawl underneath a pickup truck on the tarmac.Viral Press
'I have flown hundreds, if not thousands, of times and have never encountered anything like this,' eyewitness Piaporn Chamsrio said, describing the scene as a 'thrilling incident' and praising the crew for working 'incredibly hard.'
After landing, the man forced his way through the open aircraft door onto the boarding stairs and tumbled. Video shows him on the tarmac, leaping into the bed of a nearby pickup truck and then attempting to crawl underneath the vehicle to evade aviation personnel. He sustained a leg injury while trying to flee and was detained by authorities.
Officials at the scene restrained the man and placed him into a vehicle. Thai AirAsia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reports cite Viral Press and on-board eyewitnesses for details and footage of the incident.
Key Details
Date: Jan. 29 | Flight: Thai AirAsia 647 (Cam Ranh to Don Mueang) | Aircraft: Airbus A320 | Departure: ~12:19 p.m. local time
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