HOUSTON — A Delta Air Lines flight from Houston to Atlanta was temporarily grounded after a passenger caused a disturbance.
KTRK, Channel 2’s ABC affiliate in Houston, reports that police received a call about someone who tried to breach the cockpit on Delta Flight 2557.
Delta later clarified that the passenger “approached crew and customers but did not make contact with or attempt to access the flight deck.”
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Speaking with Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach, passengers said they don’t know why the incident happened.
“He bumps into my shoulder and starts completely wailing on my head,” passenger Josh Lemastus said. “He punched me three times.”
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ABC News confirmed that the flight was in the air for less than 15 minutes before it was diverted back to William P. Hobby Airport. Delta’s flight checker shows the flight is now en route to Atlanta.
“The safety of our customers and crew is paramount and Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior. We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels.”
Police have not identified the suspect.
Another passenger, Amber Ward, told Channel 2 Action News that the suspect just started throwing punches at several people before he tried to go up to the cockpit.
“Before that, he stumbled to the back and started punching everybody,” Ward said about him attacking other passengers. “He tried to go to the cockpit and he wanted to speak to the pilot.”
Ward told Gehlbach that the man “could have really hurt somebody, like bad, could have been bad, just worse than what it was. Thankful that everybody was OK and nobody got harmed too bad.”
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the following statement:
“Delta Air Lines Flight 2557 returned safely to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston around 5:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, February 18, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The flight was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The FAA will investigate.”
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