Court filings have revealed that flight attendants on a Delta Air Lines flight resorted to using a beverage cart to block a disruptive passenger in his seat, following an incident that led to an unplanned landing in Alaska. The details emerged from a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of Alaska, shedding light on the measures taken by the crew to manage the situation.
Incident Details and Emergency Landing
The event occurred on January 18, 2026, during a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo. According to the court documents, an FBI special agent reported receiving multiple notifications from the Federal Aviation Administration about an "unruly passenger" who was "walking around the aisle of the aircraft" and had become "verbally abusive" towards the crew. This behaviour prompted the flight to divert and make an emergency landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska, which is why the case was filed in an Alaskan court.
Passenger Behaviour and Crew Response
Flight attendants described the passenger, a 64-year-old man, as "stumbling, unable to find his seat and was not speaking coherently" when he boarded in Minneapolis. One attendant speculated that he might be "having symptoms of dementia due to his age." During the flight, the situation escalated when the passenger allegedly stepped out of his seat 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 intervened to separate him, after which he reportedly yelled that he would sue them.
Later, the passenger got up again and began walking into the first-class section. In response, the flight attendants directed him back to his seat and parked a drink cart at the edge of his aisle to prevent him from wandering further. The crew justified this action by stating they believed the passenger "would not comply with the orders of the flight crew and feared another incident would occur in the approximately six hours left in the air."
Legal Proceedings and Medical Considerations
After the unplanned landing, FBI agents boarded the plane in Alaska and detained the man. He was taken to a local medical facility and later indicted on January 20, with his arrest occurring on January 23. He is currently facing one count of interfering with flight crew and one count of assault for shoving an attendant. A detention hearing was held on Monday.
In a motion to dismiss the arrest warrant, the passenger's defense attorney cited FBI statements indicating that a doctor treating the man noted his "CT scan had revealed tumors that had metastasized in his brain, which could have caused the symptoms [the passenger] exhibited on the plane." The motion argued that it would be "extremely inappropriate, unnecessary and inhumane" for the defendant to "be thrown into jail" given his medical condition at the time of the alleged crimes.
Broader Implications and Airline Safety
This incident highlights the challenges flight crews face in managing disruptive passengers, especially when medical issues may be involved. The use of a beverage cart as a makeshift barrier underscores the improvisational measures sometimes necessary to ensure safety onboard. Delta Air Lines has been approached for comment on the matter, but no response has been disclosed in the court documents. As air travel continues to rebound, such cases raise questions about protocols for handling unruly behaviour and the balance between legal accountability and medical compassion.
