An American passenger bit a ANA flight attendant on a Tokyo to Seattle flight, prompting the flight to return to Tokyo to offload the problematic man.
ANA Flight Returns To Tokyo After Intoxicated American Bites Flight Attendant
The incident occurred on January 16, 2024 on NH118 from Tokyo (HND) to Seattle (SEA) onboard a Boeing 787-8 jet (JA814A) with 159 passengers aboard.
About an hour after takeoff, the US-bound Dreamliner turned around and returned to Tokyo (arriving about 2.5 hours after it took off). Why? A 55-year-old American man purportedly bit a flight attendant.
While “intoxication” seems to be at the root of this problem, the source of that intoxication remains disputed. An ANA spokesperson accused the passenger of being “heavily drunk.” It has not emerged upon what basis that charges was made, but beverage service likely began before the flight turned back to Tokyo.
The man was arrested on arrival at Tokyo Haneda, but tells a different story. He blames the incident on a sleeping pill, insisting that he had no recollection of what happened. He expressly denies biting a flight attendant.
We will wait for more facts to unfold, but both sources of intoxication could be at play. We’ve seen often that alcohol and sleeping pills do not mix. It is conceivable that he popped some sleeping pills, ordered alcohol to accelerate his sleep, and then suffered an adverse reaction.
Even were that to be the case, it should not absolve him of the personal responsibility of recklessly mixing these two drugs…it is hardly a novel occurrence.
With the delay, the crew “timed out” and the flight was delayed 19 hours to give the crew time to rest. It is currently enroute to Seattle.
CONCLUSION
A Seattle-bound ANA flight returned to Tokyo after an intoxicated American passenger onboard bit a flight attendant.
I feel bad for the ANA flight attendant…passengers may be biting at times, but literal bites are not in the job description.
(image: ANA // Hat Tip: One Mile At A Time)
Ambien has been cited as a cause of sleep walking, sleep eating, even sleep driving. Can we add sleep biting to the list?
‘I call the big one Bitey’
Seems like a True Blood episode.