Northwest Airlines flight diverted to Billings due to unruly passenger (kicking, biting, & slapping)

AP via Billings Gazette via Drudge ^ | Wednesday, January 6, 2004 | staff

[i_dont_chat]

Reminds me of my favorite true story about flying intoxicated.

A friend of mine was refused boarding on a flight because the Attendant told him he was too drunk to board.

My friend answered with as much dignity as he could muster, "Hold on -- I just want to ride this thing -- I don't want to pilot it!"

They didn't let him on. That was 40 years ago. They used more common sense then, I believe.

[giznort]

A&E has an excellent new "reality" show called "Airline" that's on Monday nights 9:00 p.m. Central. It consists of actual footage of what Southwest Airlines encounters on a daily basis, i.e., drunk passengers swilling beer at the airport bar at 7:30 a.m. and being refused at the boarding call; obnoxious parents trying to bully their way around regulations concerning children flying; passengers who are too smelly to board the plane, to mention a few topics covered last night. This sounds like a story line for this show!

[elli1]

This is the second incident involving a drunk woman flying out of Minnesota & causing a disturbance on an airplane within the last week or so. I don't think they're getting this inebriated w/o having a pretty good head start in the lounge at the airport.

[Vigilanteman]

Some years ago, three Northwest pilots were drinking pretty heavy in a Moorhead, Minnesota bar. When they showed up for their flight at nearby Fargo, N.D. word got out to stop the take-off.

A week or two later, one of the co-pilots for FedEx got soused and used a claw hammer to attack the taxiing pilot of a cargo jet shortly after take-off. Fortunately, the navigator was able to subdue him and the flight landed safely.

The airline joke at the time . . .

Q: What's the difference between a Northwest pilot and a Federal Express pilot?
A: Northwest pilots get hammered before take-off.

[StrictTime]

I have an acquaintance who is a pilot for piss-ant ATA (I don't even know what the initials stand for). This person drinks A LOT. Wonder if this is common in the industry? Seems to me they laugh it off and are more than a little "Animal House" in their attitude.

[joesnuffy]

I think they need to issue animal tranquilizer pneumatic dart guns to the flight attendents...and maybe those large loop poles...and keep some empty cages in the cargo just in case...
They should also make videos of this...nice complement to those "When animals attack" shows..or "When good passengers go bad" .....

[BigSkyFreeper]

it is that magnetic WACKO-POLE that is Montana that causes this behavior....

Could be, all of the wackos are/were out of staters.

[Terridan]

"...One of the reasons every time I travel one item in my backpack carryon is duct tape..."

You know? That was one of the smartest ideas I have heard in a long time. Thanks, and from now on it will be a mandatory carry on for me! I always think to sit on an isle seat, in case something goes wrong and I need to help an attendant or passenger. The tape is an excellent idea.
God Bless You!

[Guillermo]

IIRC, one of the Northworst pilots had 17 rum and cokes, while the other 2 split 6 pitchers of beer...

[xp38]

That's known as the RedGreen rule. :)

[StarCMC]

She must've seen Nancy.