New York To Chicago Flight Diverted When Woman Allegedly Attacks Flight Attendant
ROMULUS, Mich. (CBSNewYork/CBS Chicago/AP) -- A rowdy passenger on a flight from New York to Chicago was restrained with a belt, necktie and apron after allegedly attacking a flight attendant, authorities said.
United Airlines Flight 3461, operated by Shuttle America, was diverted to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and landed about 8 p.m. Thursday.
Breanna Farquharson, 22, was arrested and charged with assaulting a crew member.
In a court filing, the FBI says Farquharson scratched a flight attendant's lip and pulled a necklace and employee badge off her after she "frantically requested'' to get off the plane, 30 minutes into the flight.
Four passengers restrained the woman when she reportedly began fighting with the flight attendant and others on the plane, Mike Puccinelli of WBBM-TV, CBS2 Chicago reported.
Passenger Matt Goldgraben told Suzanne Le Mignot of WBBM-TV that he heard the woman's expletive-laced screams.
"She said, 'I'm sorry, I'm bipolar, I forgot to take my medication,' and then continued with the yelling and the screaming," Goldgraben said.
Goldgraben said the woman then went after the flight attendant.
"She kind of jumped up at the flight attendant and started screaming at her to get away from her and was clawing at her face and neck and ripping her necklace off. And it just was like slow motion, how it all went down," he said. "It was pretty unbelievable. I'd never had an incident on a plane before."
Bob Fitzsimmons was one of four passengers who restrained the woman. He said he grabbed her leg as she started kicking him, while another man grabbed her arms as she started trying to hit him in the face. Another man also grabbed her legs, while passengers started grabbing things to tie the woman in place, Fitzsimmons said.
"People began to give us belts and scarves, and we tied it up, and those aren't really effective," Fitzsimmons said.
Fitzsimmons' told Chicago's CBS2's Le Mignot that airlines seem to lack proper guidelines on how to handle such situations.
"Once we restrained the individual, we must have realized that there was no sort of protocol as we asked for, 'Are there zip ties? Is there duct tape?'" Fitzsimmons said. "The airline industry has to be thinking about, what are some of the protocols? What is some of the training?"
In response, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson said the union has been asking for training on unruly passengers since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Nelson added, "Crewmembers are often the target of ill intent or spontaneous aggression. We need all of the tools and training necessary."
The plane from LaGuardia Airport had 69 passengers and four crew members. It continued to O'Hare International Airport, arriving about an hour late.
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