4 hours Ago By Mia Ping-Chieh Chen
A first-class passenger was physically restrained by crew members aboard an American Airlines flight after attempting to force her way into the cockpit shortly before takeoff from São Paulo, Brazil. The incident occurred on Flight AA950, bound for New York JFK Airport , on the night of Thursday, April 24, and caused a delay of more than two hours. Video of the altercation, shared widely on social media this week, shows the woman confronting the flight crew near the open cockpit door, shouting profanities, and resisting attempts to calm her.
Moments later, she was seen being knocked to the floor and restrained before being escorted back to her seat. The woman, reportedly upset over a delayed departure, was tackled by flight attendants and removed from the aircraft alongside another disruptive passenger. Passenger Confrontation Sparks Chaos According to a report in Aeroin , a flight magazine, the woman's outburst began after she left her seat during taxiing and questioned crew members about the flight delay.
Witnesses said she became confrontational and verbally aggressive, directing profanities at a flight attendant. As a pilot exited the cockpit, the woman moved toward the open door, prompting a flight attendant to intervene physically. Cell phone footage from passengers shows the woman yelling in Portuguese and English, threatening a crew member and stating, "I'll kick you in the balls," before being forced to the ground.
A male passenger then stood up and began yelling at crew members, further escalating the scene. Cabin crew members acted quickly to de-escalate the confrontation and returned the aircraft to the boarding gate. In a statement to Simple Flying, American Airlines said the flight returned to the gate prior to departure due to "a security issue onboard.
" "The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our customers for their understanding," the statement said. Video Captures Violent Struggle And Verbal Abuse The female passenger reportedly hurled insults as she was restrained and led back to her seat before removal. In the video that went viral on the Internet, the cockpit door was open, and the flight crew struggled to close it.
The woman was knocked to the floor by one of the crew members before another member of the crew restrained her. She was then directed back to her seat in the First Class cabin. "You can’ ttouch me, you don’t know who you’re talking to, you’re going to get screwed.
I went to ask why I was late and this [man] threw me out," the woman yelled . Another passenger yelled angrily at the woman, leading the cabin crew to step in and calm him down. The airplane had to return to the gate, and American Airlines confirmed that the aircraft was met by law enforcement.
Both the woman and the male passenger who shouted during the altercation were escorted off the plane by authorities. The aircraft remained on the ground for over two hours before resuming its journey to New York. DEP (Origin) ARR (Destination) STD ATD STA ATA GRU (São Paulo) JFK (New York City) 22:25 00:54 +1 07:00 09:02 The events of 9/11 brought greater security to the cockpits.
Not The First Time The aircraft involved, registered N831AA, is a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, Flightradar24 data shows. This wide-body jet is configured with 30 business class, 21 premium economy, and 234 economy seats. As a popular choice for long-haul international flights, the aircraft was delivered to American Airlines in October 2017, according to Planespotters.
net . The incident is the latest in a growing number of disruptions aboard commercial flights in recent years. In a separate American Airlines case earlier this month, a passenger allegedly tried to storm the cockpit on a flight from New York to Milan following a dispute over meal choices.
It has once again drawn attention to the strict security measures surrounding cockpit access. Following the 9/11 terror attacks, international aviation regulations mandate that cockpit doors remain locked during flight. However, during taxiing and boarding, the cockpit door may temporarily be open to allow ground staff to enter the cockpit and communicate, as it was during this incident.
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