A flight from American Airlines that had taken off from Miami bound for Guyana had to return to Miami International Airport on Thursday afternoon, after a passenger allegedly threatened a crew member during the aircraft's ascent.
The incident occurred aboard a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating flight AA339 to Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, according to CBS News Miami, which had access to the radio communications between the crew and air traffic controllers.
According to those recordings, one of the crew members reported that the passenger had lunged at the flight attendants located at the back of the plane while the aircraft was gaining altitude.
"As we ascended, he lunged at the flight attendants who were at the back of the plane," a crew member reported to air traffic control, according to the translation of statements collected by the American network.
The situation led the pilots to interrupt the route to Guyana and return to Miami just a few minutes after takeoff.
During the return maneuver, the plane traced a figure-eight path before landing safely at Miami International Airport.
According to information published this Friday by the American magazine People, the flight took off around 6:11 p.m. and returned to the airport around 7:19 p.m. local time.
One of the aspects that caught the most attention in the communications was the nature of the alleged threat directed at a crew member.
According to a staff member's account to the controllers, the passenger allegedly said, "I'll take care of you when we land in Guyana," in a tone that the crew member described as threatening.
The exact wording was conveyed with some uncertainty by the crew member himself, who indicated that those had been, as he recalled, the words spoken by the passenger.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office responded to the airport after receiving an initial notification about a possible assault on a flight attendant.
However, after examining what occurred, the investigators concluded that it had been a verbal dispute and not a physical assault, according to the information provided to CBS Miami.
This conclusion is important because, although the crew alerted about a potentially threatening situation, the authorities did not confirm that the passenger had struck or physically injured any airline employee.
Once the aircraft returned to the boarding gate, the passenger disembarked without resisting or causing any further incidents.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the crew had reported an incident involving a passenger and that the agency would investigate what happened, according to information published by People.
The FAA maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding behaviors that compromise flight safety or interfere with the work of crews.
Threats and other behaviors that hinder the functions of aviation personnel may lead to investigations and sanctions, although the specific consequences depend on the verified facts in each case.
Although it’s hard to believe, episodes like this occur with different airlines.
In June, a flight from Frontier Airlines traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago had to divert to Miami after a passenger attempted to open an emergency exit and access the pilots' cabin.
According to the police report of that case, the man also assaulted a flight attendant who was traveling off duty and had to be restrained with the help of other passengers and crew members.
Another incident occurred in May, when a passenger from United Airlines was involved in a confrontation with a flight attendant and attempted to access the cockpit during a flight from the Dominican Republic to Newark.
The man had demanded to be allowed off the plane and got into a confrontation with the crew, which compelled other passengers to intervene.
More recently, in September, a passenger caused another incident on an American Airlines flight between Baltimore and Miami after she removed her clothing and engaged in indecent acts in front of other travelers.
On that occasion, the crew alerted the authorities to await the arrival of the plane in Miami, although the pilots were able to complete the route without diverting.
Related videos:
Filed under: