Hundreds of American Airlines passengers inbound for Italy didn’t enjoy the Mediterranean weather as planned because one dad got a little too grumpy with the airplane accommodations. The aforementioned dad not only threatened the flight crew but also forced the flight to turn back to New York.
The incident supposedly took place on Monday in Flight 198 from JFK Airport in New York to Milan, Italy. The flight was four hours in or halfway through and was over the Atlantic Ocean when the unnamed father lashed out at the flight attendants and tried to barge into the cockpit after his demands were refused.
Apparently, the dad wanted a specific meal, but the flight attendants weren’t able to procure said meal. Additionally, the dad had a baby with him and wanted to sit in the exit row. After the rejection, the dad grew angry, and unfortunately, there were no air marshals to handle the situation properly.
“There was apparently somebody in the back; he was charging at the stewardesses. At some point, he charged past all of our seats and tried to barge into the pilot’s cabin. Apparently, the whole thing started because of a meal choice they didn’t get.
I guess they asked for it ahead of time. They never got exactly what they wanted. They also wanted to sit in an exit row. They had a baby with them, so they told them they couldn’t, and apparently, those two things are what pushed the person over the edge.
The guy was still in the back of the plane unprotected, unrestrained, which was a little bit scary considering we had a plane full of 300 people and there was no air marshal on board, and we’ve got this crazy man in the back,” as told by passenger Michael Scigliano, thanks to CBS News for the transcript.
After the dad lashed out and started knocking on the cockpit, the pilot announced that the plane would be turning around. Meanwhile, the flight attendants, with the help of other passengers, managed to restrain the dad at the back of the plane as it turned around.
Hence, Flight 198, which left JFK Airport in New York at 7 PM, was forced to turn back and spend four more hours returning. By the time the plane landed back in New York, it was already 3 AM in the morning.
Some of the passengers also grew disappointed at the airline for the lack of compensation, considering how some of them were on strict schedules. The flight was then rescheduled 16 hours after the original departure time, and the dad who caused all the commotion was taken in by airport authorities.
Not Much Repercussion for the Disruptive Dad
According to a police source who tipped CBS News, it appears the dad was released without any charges. It’s not clear what other punishments (or lack thereof) the airlines imposed on him, but the disruptive unruly passenger could’ve gotten away with it.
The incident and how it was handled have since been questioned by many online, considering how American Airlines has had several similar cases in the past that have resulted in lawsuits. Some were of the opinion that the unruly father should’ve been put on a no-fly list and banned from any airport ever again, considering how he tried to invade the cockpit.
Others were also siding with the flight attendants who were in the right, since people can’t sit in the exit row with a baby. That’s because passengers in the exit row must be able to assist in the event of an emergency, and having a baby with you will make that impossible.
“Put him on the no-fly list. He tried to get into the cockpit and flung himself at an FA over this,” argues Redditor darkmatterhunter
“Wow. You can’t sit in exit row with a baby. They wouldn’t let me purchase exit row seats with mine,” recalls Redditor here_for_the_tea1
“I think some people fail to understand a couple fundamental truths about air travel. When you fly, you are subject to a set of circumstances enormously beyond your control. Everyone is just trying to get you where you’re going safely,” reminds Redditor TheMainEffort
