Passenger Who Prompted Emergency Landing Was Upset He Couldn't Use First-Class Bathrooms
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A flight that left John F. Kennedy International Airport had to make an emergency landing Thursday after an angry passenger allegedly started making threats.
The Alaska Airlines flight was headed to Los Angeles but had to be diverted to Kansas City, where the unruly traveler was arrested.
As CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported, the man got mad about the line for the bathroom.
"You wrong. By making seven people wait here to use the bathroom, while the whole bathroom up there is empty, it's wrong," he was heard saying on cellphone video.
The coach passenger, decked out in Jets gear, was upset when he couldn't use the empty first-class bathrooms.
"They rather let the bathroom be empty up there and let eight people wait in line to use the bathroom while two bathrooms are empty in the front," he said. "He's going to come to me telling me he'll call the police – call the (expletive) police."
His rant didn't let up. In fact, other travelers said he started making threats.
"He said he was going to kill the pilot, he was going to beat people up," one woman said.
The captain addressed passengers over the loud speaker about the man's midair meltdown, saying "I understand there's a gentleman in the aisle making kind of a fuss."
People cheered as police came on board and took him into custody in Kansas City. The flight eventually landed in Los Angeles – four hours late.
"It was horrible," said one woman.
"I don't know if he was on something or what, but he just went from night to day," another woman added.
The man's name has not been released, and it's unclear what charges he faces.