Narrative:

Male passenger became violent and physically struck 1 passenger and 1 flight (cockpit) crew member. He was subdued and restrained with issue plastic handcuffs (wire ties) from which he released himself (or broke) in about 30 mins. He was in good behavior for the remainder of the flight and was arrested upon landing. Our SOP was followed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback to captain revealed that passenger had been obnoxious, walking around the cabin with a wine bottle and annoying his seat partner, even trying to 'kiss' the gentleman. Passenger had been served 'several' drinks prior to this. It was later determined that passenger had also taken a doctor prescribed sleeping or relaxing pill. Reporter stated that this was an event that occurred during the 'blue moon' or full moon period and started around duluth and went on as long as aircraft was proceeding into the hudson bay area. After the cabin disturbance started, the PIC sent his relief pilot back, captain 'J' who had been an x-orderly at a mental hospital. He appeared to have calmed the passenger down. Later, as the relief pilot was in first officer's seat and first officer went to rest, the passenger started up again so the flight engineer/so, a retired captain, went back to speak with him. The passenger was a golfer, en route to africa for tournament playoff. As so looked away, passenger hit so in chin, knocking him back. 4 other passenger jumped passenger and plastic cuffs were placed on him. He was placed in flight attendant rest area, with door closed. Within 30 mins he was out, having either slipped or broken his cuffs. Reporter states that the new cuffs are different from old ones and recommends training in the use of these cuffs, as just reading the directions is inadequate. Suggests perhaps using 2 cuffs, overlapping them in a nonstandard loop/teardrop pattern. Passenger seemed calmer but captain 'J' was sent back and sat with passenger from hudson bay to lhr, with cyqx considered as alternate airport if necessary. Officials detained passenger at lhr and shipped him back to jfk 'sap' with 2 escorts where he was arrested and allowed 1 phone call. He promptly called air carrier's reservations for flight back to lhr to make connections for africa! Reporter sent incident report to air carrier. FAA seems clued in. Passenger sent letter to air carrier explaining about pill and his actions. Captain also recommends that any crew's experiencing events like this, should have a 'designated' bouncer and to not send the PIC back in any case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNRULY, VIOLENT PAX HANDCUFFED WHEN HE ATTACKED FLC MEMBER INFLT.

Narrative: MALE PAX BECAME VIOLENT AND PHYSICALLY STRUCK 1 PAX AND 1 FLT (COCKPIT) CREW MEMBER. HE WAS SUBDUED AND RESTRAINED WITH ISSUE PLASTIC HANDCUFFS (WIRE TIES) FROM WHICH HE RELEASED HIMSELF (OR BROKE) IN ABOUT 30 MINS. HE WAS IN GOOD BEHAVIOR FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT AND WAS ARRESTED UPON LNDG. OUR SOP WAS FOLLOWED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK TO CAPT REVEALED THAT PAX HAD BEEN OBNOXIOUS, WALKING AROUND THE CABIN WITH A WINE BOTTLE AND ANNOYING HIS SEAT PARTNER, EVEN TRYING TO 'KISS' THE GENTLEMAN. PAX HAD BEEN SERVED 'SEVERAL' DRINKS PRIOR TO THIS. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT PAX HAD ALSO TAKEN A DOCTOR PRESCRIBED SLEEPING OR RELAXING PILL. RPTR STATED THAT THIS WAS AN EVENT THAT OCCURRED DURING THE 'BLUE MOON' OR FULL MOON PERIOD AND STARTED AROUND DULUTH AND WENT ON AS LONG AS ACFT WAS PROCEEDING INTO THE HUDSON BAY AREA. AFTER THE CABIN DISTURBANCE STARTED, THE PIC SENT HIS RELIEF PLT BACK, CAPT 'J' WHO HAD BEEN AN X-ORDERLY AT A MENTAL HOSPITAL. HE APPEARED TO HAVE CALMED THE PAX DOWN. LATER, AS THE RELIEF PLT WAS IN FO'S SEAT AND FO WENT TO REST, THE PAX STARTED UP AGAIN SO THE FE/SO, A RETIRED CAPT, WENT BACK TO SPEAK WITH HIM. THE PAX WAS A GOLFER, ENRTE TO AFRICA FOR TOURNAMENT PLAYOFF. AS SO LOOKED AWAY, PAX HIT SO IN CHIN, KNOCKING HIM BACK. 4 OTHER PAX JUMPED PAX AND PLASTIC CUFFS WERE PLACED ON HIM. HE WAS PLACED IN FLT ATTENDANT REST AREA, WITH DOOR CLOSED. WITHIN 30 MINS HE WAS OUT, HAVING EITHER SLIPPED OR BROKEN HIS CUFFS. RPTR STATES THAT THE NEW CUFFS ARE DIFFERENT FROM OLD ONES AND RECOMMENDS TRAINING IN THE USE OF THESE CUFFS, AS JUST READING THE DIRECTIONS IS INADEQUATE. SUGGESTS PERHAPS USING 2 CUFFS, OVERLAPPING THEM IN A NONSTANDARD LOOP/TEARDROP PATTERN. PAX SEEMED CALMER BUT CAPT 'J' WAS SENT BACK AND SAT WITH PAX FROM HUDSON BAY TO LHR, WITH CYQX CONSIDERED AS ALTERNATE ARPT IF NECESSARY. OFFICIALS DETAINED PAX AT LHR AND SHIPPED HIM BACK TO JFK 'SAP' WITH 2 ESCORTS WHERE HE WAS ARRESTED AND ALLOWED 1 PHONE CALL. HE PROMPTLY CALLED ACR'S RESERVATIONS FOR FLT BACK TO LHR TO MAKE CONNECTIONS FOR AFRICA! RPTR SENT INCIDENT RPT TO ACR. FAA SEEMS CLUED IN. PAX SENT LETTER TO ACR EXPLAINING ABOUT PILL AND HIS ACTIONS. CAPT ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT ANY CREW'S EXPERIENCING EVENTS LIKE THIS, SHOULD HAVE A 'DESIGNATED' BOUNCER AND TO NOT SEND THE PIC BACK IN ANY CASE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.