A passenger on Delta Flight 316 from Atlanta to Seattle on Sunday evening caused a major scare by attempting to open the plane’s door mid-flight.
The incident
According to a passenger with the Reddit username “OneofLittleHarmony,” the man was seated in seat 2B and suddenly went berserk, hitting a flight attendant, “attacking the snack basket,” and attempting to open the aircraft door. Thanks to the actions of fellow first-class passengers and flight attendants, the man was restrained and zip-tied. The plane was not diverted and continued to Seattle.
Video of arrest
Matt James, former NCAA football player and lead for “The Bachelor” Season 25, was onboard for the incident. He posted a video on Instagram showing the man being led off the plane in zip ties upon arrival in Seattle, which you can view below.
Why does this keep happening?
As I’ve noted before, unruly passenger behavior has become far more common since Covid hit. We know from FAA data that there was a massive 74% increase in such behavior in 2021.
Still, it’s interesting that the trend continues after Covid. Perhaps that’s just bad luck, or maybe it’s symptomatic of something more concerning, like a broader increase in anti-social behavior.
Whatever the case, thank goodness this man was unsuccessful. This is a developing story, so I’ll keep everyone updated as things change.
2 comments
I wonder how many of these incidents are induced by alcohol, especially in first class, where the free booze seems to flow endlessly. If that is the case, airlines are complicit and should be held accountable. Every single activity in America seems to revolve around alcohol and that is a shame. You can’t wait until after a flight to indulge? This is like infants who need their bottle immediately.
I don’t know whether alcohol was the culprit in this case, but I totally agree that it’s often the cause of these sorts of incidents and should probably be more restricted.