Delta crew allegedly used beverage carts to block disruptive passenger

According to People, Delta Air Lines flight attendants allegedly used beverage carts to block a disruptive passenger on a Jan. 18 flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo, resulting in an unplanned landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, a criminal complaint says. The complaint describes a so-called "Level 2" disturbance and cites FAA notifications that the passenger was walking the aisle and had become verbally abusive.

An affidavit by FBI special agent Katie Yarborough says she boarded the plane in Anchorage, handcuffed and removed a 64-year-old man after interviews with crew members who said he was "stumbling, unable to find his seat and was not speaking coherently" and at one point used his arm to push a female flight attendant from row 49 to the rear of the cabin.

According to the affidavit, two male flight attendants restrained the passenger and later used beverage carts to block the aisle when he again tried to leave his seat and move toward first class. The crew told investigators they believed he would not comply with orders and feared another incident during the roughly six hours remaining in flight, leading the captain to decide to land as a precaution.

Key Topics

World, Delta Air Lines, Federal Aviation Administration, U.s. District Court, Fbi, Minneapolis