A passenger on an American Airways flight touring from New York to California bodily assaulted a flight attendant on Wednesday, the airline stated.
Flight 976 was touring from John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana when it made an emergency touchdown at Denver Worldwide Airport.
The aircraft taxied “safely to the gate,” the place legislation enforcement eliminated the passenger, the airline stated. The flight then continued to California. The flight attendant was reportedly taken to a hospital; the airline did not launch particulars on her situation.
Witnesses instructed native media the unnamed passenger punched the flight attendant within the face.
Mackenzie Rose, a passenger on the flight, instructed CBS Los Angeles that the flight attendant was assaulted about midway by means of the journey, when the aircraft was over Ohio.
“I perceive that he truly punched her twice,” Rose instructed the TV station after touchdown in Santa Ana. “I did see her stroll again down the aisle afterwards. She had blood splattered on the surface of her masks.”
“Somebody punched a flight attendant within the nostril, broke her nostril,” Liv Johnson instructed NBCLA. Johnson instructed the TV station she noticed the person being duct taped to his seat earlier than the aircraft was diverted to Denver.
American Airways did not affirm that the passenger punched the flight attendant or that the passenger was restrained with duct tape.
American Airways stated in an announcement the passenger will probably be banned from American Airways flights, and added, “We is not going to be happy till he has been prosecuted to the total extent of the legislation. This conduct should cease.”
“We’re outraged by the experiences of what occurred on board. Acts of violence in opposition to our crew members usually are not tolerated by American Airways,” the Fort Value, Texas-based airline stated.
The FBI and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace in Colorado stated they have been investigating the incident. No arrests had been made as of Thursday, FBI spokesperson Courtney Bernal stated.
“America Lawyer’s Workplace takes severely all issues involving potential threats to the security of airline flights, crew or passengers,” the workplace stated in an announcement.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated it will examine, as properly.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
