Yet Another Confrontation On Airplane Caught On Camera
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Another flight, another fall out. There has been another caught on camera confrontation on an airplane that has people talking.
This one was between a flight attendant and a mother on board.
It nearly erupted into an all-out brawl between passengers and crew on an American Airlines plane, with shocking cell phone video showing a flight attendant encouraging a man to hit him.
It's the second time this month tensions have reached a boiling point on a plane. This time, an American Airlines flight attendant and a passenger nearly coming to blows.
Cell phone video taken on an American Airlines plane at a San Francisco gate begins with a mother in tears.
What it doesn't show, is that moments before, a flight attendant reportedly yanked a stroller from the woman, nearly hitting her baby.
It's still unclear what exactly happened, but it brought another passenger out of his seat.
"Hey bud, you do that to me and I'll knock you flat."
"Hit me, come on. Bring it on."
"The airlines are the professionals. The passengers are the amateurs at this," said Douglas Kidd, with the National Association For Airline Passengers.
Kidd says a question over a carry-on shouldn't have escalated to an on board wrestling match.
Much like an overbooked United airlines flight earlier this month, when police dragged a passenger out of his seat and off a plane in Chicago.
What's kicking up these confrontations? Kidd blames overcrowded passengers, along with overworked and understaffed crews. A recipe for repeat problems.
"Here, there was complete lack of judgement, lack of common sense, lack of saying, 'Wait a minute, what are we doing here?," Kidd said.
American Airlines opened an investigation, saying: "The actions of our team member captured here do not appear to reflect patience or empathy... We are disappointed by these actions."
Passengers at BWI share their thoughts on the incident Monday.
"People are in a very enclosed space for a long period of time. tensions can run high," said passenger Tracey Braverman/passenger
Most said a little patience on both sides could go a long way.
"If people keep their tempers, everything will work really, really well," said passenger Tekila Gray.
The American Airlines flight attendant is off duty while the airline investigates.
Both passengers - the mother on the American flight, and the man removed the United flight in Chicago - have both hired the same lawyer to represent them.
There have been no lawsuits filed yet.
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