A United Airlines flight departing from Miami International Airport and headed for Newark, New Jersey, was violently disrupted this Tuesday when a passenger attacked a flight attendant. The passenger in question bit the flight attendant, yelled profanities, and screamed at passengers, prompting an emergency landing in Orlando, as reported by WSVN.
According to the NY Daily News, the disruption caused a delay of three and a half hours after the aggressive female passenger was seen in a cellphone video biting a male flight attendant multiple times and attempting her escape from being restrained through the use of zip-ties by the flight crew. She also allegedly spit on and threatened other passengers during the incident as the crew worked to de-escalate the volatile situation.
In the heat of the confrontation, the belligerent woman was heard hurling xenophobic comments, telling a passenger to "go back to Russia," and aggressively denying her restraints, yelling "Let go of me, I'm an [expletive] girl. You tryin’ to kill me," as reported in the cellphone footage obtained by TMZ. Post-incident, United Airlines issued a statement, saying, "Our flight attendants worked to de-escalate the situation and protect other customers and after landing in Orlando, law enforcement met the flight, and the passenger was removed," acknowledging the professionalism of their crew in dealing with such disruptive behavior, as mentioned in a report by WSVN.
The flight, identified as United Flight 762, made an unscheduled stop at Orlando International Airport where law enforcement officers awaited the arrival and thereafter escorted the unruly woman off the airplane. Cellphone video shows passengers on the flight clapping once the disruptive woman was taken into custody. The airline confirmed this series of events in a statement yesterday afternoon that recapped the actions taken to ensure the safety of all onboard. No injuries were reported, and the plane resumed its journey to Newark with a replacement crew, as further detailed by United in their official communication.
