A Rough Flight
Friday afternoon turned violent for the crew of an American Airlines flight, as an unruly passenger attacked one of the flight attendants onboard.
The flight in question was operated on an Airbus A321, operating flight AA377 from San Jose Del Cabo (SJD/MMSD) to Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX).
A Request
Roughly thirty minutes after takeoff, passenger Alexander Tung Cuu Le requested to sit in an empty first-class seat but was subsequently denied to do so by the cabin crew. Shortly after this, an eyewitness recalls the unruly passenger whispering "There are 10 killers on the plane." What happened next is recalled by a passenger on the flight:
"...About that time, the female flight attendant heard this (the whisper) and ran back into coach (economy)...then the male flight attendant went back there and confronted the guy."
The Attack
It was when the male flight attendant re-entered the first class cabin that Le sprang up from his seat, walked up to the flight attendant — who had his back turned away from his attacker — and proceeded to punch the flight attendant in the back of the head before running back to sit in an economy seat.
Toward the end of the video, passengers are seen getting up, presumably to restrain the now-hostile passenger. A female flight attendant is also seen retrieving what seems to be a restraint.
ADVERTISEMENT
Soon after Le sat down, multiple passengers apprehended him. He was moved to another row where his hands and legs were tied by flight attendants.
A Peaceful Resolution
After learning about the situation, the pilots of flight 377 decided to continue to Los Angeles, where the Airbus A321 landed on time. After deplaning, the passenger was taken off of the aircraft and arrested by authorities.
American Releases a Statement
Shortly after the incident, American Airlines released an official statement: "The individual will never be allowed to travel with us in the future... we will work closely with law enforcement in their investigation... We thank the crew for their quick action and professionalism to ensure the safety of their fellow team members and customers onboard... Our thoughts are with the injured flight attendant."
ADVERTISEMENT
Aftermath
Le is expected to make his first court appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday, September 29. He currently faces charges of interference with flight crew members and attendants, which carries a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Who Are the Public and Private Stakeholders That Own Airports? » American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and United MileagePlus: The Battle of the Frequent Flyers » How Aircraft Conduct Search and Rescue Operations »
Comments (7)
George Hotaling
Plain and simple! Lifetime ban, on all travel, on any public transportation! Slaps on the wrist, simply do not work! Maybe mandatory jail time so they can think about their stupidity!
Mike P
Give him the full 20 years, and publicize it FAR AND WIDE!
Jack Hughes
The way to end this stuff is the criminal gets the full sentence. No reduced sentence, no probation for first offense. Full 20 in the Fed slammer, general population - let's see how tough he is then.
Haven Rich
Terroristic threat together with a physical assault and battery are felony charges! Glad to see those men 'rise' to handle that criminal passenger, "Let's Roll"! I'm 76 and wouldn't have hesitated to help..
Hatman1793
A momentary loss of composure or an anxious move will now cost this fool his plane privileges.
All airlines share the disruptive, violent passenger list that all airlines now compile. So not only will this schlub never be sold another domestic airline ticket, & never fly anywhere domestically, all international airlines will also bar this person forever from flying into their country.
When the judge hands out his criminal assault conviction, his travel by car, bus or other will be curtailed by most countries he wants to visit as a violent offender.
JOHN McMAHON
I personally know an American Airlines flight attendant. The job is hard enough but combative passengers are way beyond a job. An assault on federally protected employees is intolerable. Every force of federal law must be used to deter any more violence by passengers against the crew.
Chaim
how many times have you experienced a flight attendant abusing his/her power,
Yes this particular instance it was 100% justified but I've seen a lot of times where the staff take advantage of their federal protection, covid rules will prove it,
I myself will always try to book on any European based airlines for international travel as opposed to USA based, since they're better trained when it comes to dealing with passengers
Good luck
Add Your Comment
SHARE
TAGS
NEWS American American Airlines Mexico Los Angeles LAX San Jose del Cabo SJD Airbus A321 Airbus A321 Unruly Passenger Fight Flight AttendantRECENTLY PUBLISHED
The Air Traffic Controller Crisis is Real in America
The aviation industry is enormously complex and requires the skilled labor of thousands of professionals each day to function smoothly. A major sector, though, is facing a pile-up of potentially catastrophic challenges that could threaten the stability of the industry into the future.
NEWS
READ MORE »
How This Man Sold a Fake Airport for $242 Million
In our hyper-computerized society, scammers proliferate nearly every part of modern commerce and the internet. Before the advent of mass access to the internet nearly 30 years ago, one of the biggest scams in history went down. This story is a wild adventure and a cautionary tale involving a Nigerian and Brazilian banker, a fake airport, and two countries. This is how a Nigerian banker sold a fake airport to Brazil.
STORIES
READ MORE »
What Happens If a Passenger Dies Mid-Flight?
While such incidents are extremely rare we can't be unprepared for it. Things can happen, whether we are at ground level or 35,000 feet in the air. That's why the FAA and IATA have set procedures in case such an incident does occur.
INFORMATIONAL
READ MORE »
