Flight attendants on a Delta Air Lines flight used a drinks trolley to block an allegedly unruly passenger from leaving his seat, according to court documents. The incident took place on 18 January during a flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo.
The 64-year-old passenger was said to be stumbling and incoherent on boarding, leading crew to suspect he might be suffering from dementia. During the flight, he reportedly pushed a female flight attendant from row 49 to the rear of the cabin, prompting two male colleagues to intervene.
After the passenger allegedly walked into first class, crew directed him back to his seat and placed the beverage cart across his aisle to prevent him from moving again. The flight made an unscheduled landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, where an FBI agent detained the man.
He was indicted on 20 January on one count of interfering with flight crew and one count of assault. He was arrested three days later. His defence attorney has moved to dismiss the arrest warrant, citing a CT scan that revealed brain tumours which had metastasised, potentially causing his behaviour.
The defence argued it would be “inhumane” to jail a man suffering from a medical condition at the time of the alleged offences. The case is before the U.S. District Court of Alaska.
