Another week, another alcohol-fueled diversion, this time on Delta Air Lines. But even as she was hauled off the aircraft handcuffed and in a stretcher, the passenger remained deeply unrepentant.
Delta 767-300 Diverts After Drunk Passenger Causes “Threat” Onboard
Delta Flight 1131 from Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) took off on schedule on Thursday afternoon but later diverted to Detroit (DTW) after a passenger became a “threat” onboard, according to Delta. Passengers were not told why the flight was diverting, but police met the aircraft in Detroit. The woman onboard refused to disembark, prompting Delta staff to empty out the aircraft of other passengers before police removed her…handcuffed and on a stretcher.
CBS This Morning Saturday co-host Dana Jacobson was onboard and provided several updates, including video, on Twitter:
Security situation on delta flight jfk to lax. We just diverted to Detroit, nothing else is known. Delta 1131. From my seat haven’t seen or heard anything but a lot of speculation.
— Dana Jacobson (@danajacobson) June 11, 2021
Now 4 officers on board in the back of the plane. People trying to see what’s going on but everyone very calm
— Dana Jacobson (@danajacobson) June 11, 2021
We are being asked to deplane now.
— Dana Jacobson (@danajacobson) June 11, 2021
Passenger telling me it was a drunk passenger in the back of the plane, out of control drinking from a bottle. The woman next to her according to this passenger finally had enough & went to get the flight attendants
— Dana Jacobson (@danajacobson) June 11, 2021
Passenger taken off the plane.. pic.twitter.com/TApt4sbgbh
— Dana Jacobson (@danajacobson) June 11, 2021
Told we will eventually head to NYC tonight. As you might imagine that got a cheer from passengers in the terminal.
— Dana Jacobson (@danajacobson) June 11, 2021
As the passenger was wheeled off in a gurney, she screamed out:
“Did I get physical with anybody on the flight?”
She went on to curse out another passenger who was recording her as she left the gate area.
The unnamed passenger now faces a stiff fine as part of the FAA’s crackdown on in-flight misbehavior.
CONCLUSION
Incidents like this play perfectly into the narrative of flight attendants like Sara Nelson who want alcohol banned onboard. While it is not totally clear what the source of the alcohol was, since Delta does not serve alcohol in large bottles in economy class, it seems likely the passenger brought it onboard herself. No alcohol ban will necessarily dispense with passengers who sneak alcohol into their carry-on bags.
(H/T: Paddle Your Own Kanoo)
“Incidents like this play perfectly into the narrative of flight attendants like Sara Nelson who want alcohol banned onboard.” I hear what you are saying, but it’s not like this never happened pre-pandemic. Sara Nelson’s position is radical. There’s no reason to ban a product that 99.9% of people use responsibly, and provide increased revenue for the business.
This behavior could be put to a stop if we wanted too. We’ve become too tolerant of abhorrent behavior in our society, and this is one of the things you get. First and foremost, make someone who does this pay for costs incurred by the airline and passengers. That alone would put a big dent in this problem. Want to tack on jail time or some other penalty, go for it. Whatever it takes. If not then be prepared to deal with more of this crap.
I have to ask how she got the bottle? She should not have been able to bring it through TSA. She was flying domestically so Duty Free should not have been an option. I don’t remember there being a liquor store in JFK Terminal 4.
Nope, Sara Nelson is still a hack. Tell me, since this happened yesterday, what about the other 1.975 million people that flew on 6/10 with no issues? Is Sara Nelson the type of person who would ban cell phones because they cause car crashes (and this happens hundreds of times a day?)?
@Frank. I am also wondering the same thing. Seems off. If there’s a waiver for Emotional Support Bourbon I am all in.
Can you find out what happened to her? Arrested, taken via protective custody, hospital or jail? How are the authorities following up? All too often we just here these flash bangs of the incident itself, but not exactly how the “system” follows up after that night?
Sara Nelson is an embarrassment to flight attendants everywhere.
Ban for life, put others life’s in danger.
Blacks have as much right to get drunk on a plane as anyone else. Maybe she got a little loud. Pax and FA’s need to learn to just live with it. Black Lives Matter. Peaceful protesters unite!