A B757 diverts to den when a passenger becomes unstable, trying to get out of the aircraft in-flight...

Attributes
ACN	416211
Time
Date	199809
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1350
ASRS Report	416211
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Passenger wanted to get out of aircraft during climb through about FL300. First officer went back after reaching cruise altitude. His assessment was passenger was a big young male, and was disoriented, with widely dilated pupils. He later got quite sick in the forward lavatory. We coordinated a diversion to denver (we were on a flight scheduled from las- iad). Passenger was removed by paramedics and police. Also, another man was complaining of chest pains and was assisted by paramedics. I was later debriefed by fbi. The agent said that, while the disruptive passenger had never been violent aboard the plane, he got extremely violent at the hospital he had been taken to for evaluation. The decision to divert was based on the potential for the man to get violent and harm himself or others, as well as not wanting the flight attendants to have to babysit him for 3 more hours. When he got sick, that made the decision for us. If there's anything to be learned from this, it's that an irrational (for whatever reason) person may become violent at any time, with no warning. Also, we started our diversion from a point 85 mi west of den, and it was very, very busy in the cockpit. I forgot to turn the seatbelt sign on, not noticing it until arriving at the gate. We accomplished all our checklists and I don't think anything else was omitted. We definitely were rushed, with ZDV and approach trying to get us down. In a similar situation I'd tell them we just need more time to make a normal descent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 DIVERTS TO DEN WHEN A PAX BECOMES UNSTABLE, TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE ACFT INFLT. CREW IS RUSHED AND MISSED THE SEATBELT SIGN ON THE CHKLIST.

Narrative: PAX WANTED TO GET OUT OF ACFT DURING CLB THROUGH ABOUT FL300. FO WENT BACK AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT. HIS ASSESSMENT WAS PAX WAS A BIG YOUNG MALE, AND WAS DISORIENTED, WITH WIDELY DILATED PUPILS. HE LATER GOT QUITE SICK IN THE FORWARD LAVATORY. WE COORDINATED A DIVERSION TO DENVER (WE WERE ON A FLT SCHEDULED FROM LAS- IAD). PAX WAS REMOVED BY PARAMEDICS AND POLICE. ALSO, ANOTHER MAN WAS COMPLAINING OF CHEST PAINS AND WAS ASSISTED BY PARAMEDICS. I WAS LATER DEBRIEFED BY FBI. THE AGENT SAID THAT, WHILE THE DISRUPTIVE PAX HAD NEVER BEEN VIOLENT ABOARD THE PLANE, HE GOT EXTREMELY VIOLENT AT THE HOSPITAL HE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO FOR EVALUATION. THE DECISION TO DIVERT WAS BASED ON THE POTENTIAL FOR THE MAN TO GET VIOLENT AND HARM HIMSELF OR OTHERS, AS WELL AS NOT WANTING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO HAVE TO BABYSIT HIM FOR 3 MORE HRS. WHEN HE GOT SICK, THAT MADE THE DECISION FOR US. IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS, IT'S THAT AN IRRATIONAL (FOR WHATEVER REASON) PERSON MAY BECOME VIOLENT AT ANY TIME, WITH NO WARNING. ALSO, WE STARTED OUR DIVERSION FROM A POINT 85 MI W OF DEN, AND IT WAS VERY, VERY BUSY IN THE COCKPIT. I FORGOT TO TURN THE SEATBELT SIGN ON, NOT NOTICING IT UNTIL ARRIVING AT THE GATE. WE ACCOMPLISHED ALL OUR CHKLISTS AND I DON'T THINK ANYTHING ELSE WAS OMITTED. WE DEFINITELY WERE RUSHED, WITH ZDV AND APCH TRYING TO GET US DOWN. IN A SIMILAR SIT I'D TELL THEM WE JUST NEED MORE TIME TO MAKE A NORMAL DSCNT.

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.

A B757 diverts to den when a passenger becomes unstable, trying to get out of the aircraft in-flight. Crew is rushed and missed the seatbelt sign on the checklist.