FAA Investigating Incident Involving Two Men Fighting on Southwest Airlines Flight to Hawaii

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a fight that broke out on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight to Hawaii on February 12.

The Incident 

Two passengers onboard Southwest Airlines Flight 1288 (WN 1288) from Oakland (OAK) to Lihue (LIH) became disruptive and began to throw punches at one another. This disturbance prompted the cabin crew and passengers surrounding the two unruly passengers to step in and break up the fight before the physical fighting escalated further. According to passengers on the flight, the incident occurred approximately one hour after takeoff. 

Witnesses among the passengers stated that two male passengers in their thirties or forties were engaged in a heated argument that escalated into yelling and punching.

Jim Wieder, a passenger onboard the flight, said shortly after the incident: 

"I heard yelling and screaming and punches. I turned around and saw one man bleeding and then the other man being separated. Frankly, I was a little nervous because we're 35,000 feet and you've got two guys swinging at each other."

During this time, another passenger onboard filmed the confrontation on their phone. In the video, the two men involved in the fight can be seen standing up and talking to each other in raised voices before the physical attacks started. The man in the aisle then repeatedly throws punches at the man he is arguing with, who does not fight back. 

This altercation forced the flight attendants to step in, separating the two men with the help of other bystanders. According to the man who recorded the fight, the bystander who helped de-escalate the fight and calm the angry man in the video deserves praise because of their use of "textbook conflict resolution techniques". 

Aftermath

Despite the incident, WN 1288's pilots decided to continue flying to Lihue (LIH). Local law enforcement detained the two individuals involved in the fight upon landing. It is currently unknown whether any charges have been pressed or will be pressed against them.

The FAA said about the incident on X:

"Our department has zero tolerance for violent or unruly behavior aboard an aircraft. If you act out on an airplane, you can face criminal prosecution [jail time] and fines up to $37,000."

A Southwest Airlines representative released this statement when AeroXplorer reached out for a request for comment:

“Our reports indicate that two Customers became disruptive onboard flight 1288 on Feb. 12 from Oakland to Lihue. We commend our Crew and Customers for their professionalism in defusing this situation. Our number one priority is the Safety and well-being of our Customers and Employees. The flight landed safely at its scheduled destination and local authorities met the aircraft upon arrival”