Narrative:

The flight was oversold and we did leave completely full. The last 20 or so passenger had to check their bags. There was no room left on the aircraft except under seats. Mrs X came on with her husband and infant about 5 mins before departure. I had seen her arguing with the special services agent, and then with flight attendant #3, who was standing on the jetbridge with the gate check tags. After explaining to no avail, #3 flight attendant then turned to me. I went out on the jetbridge and once again explained to her that there was no more space on the aircraft for large bags. She had a stroller and 2 rollerboard suitcases. She told me she needed the 1 rollerboard because she had milk for her baby in it. I told her I would be happy to get a market bag, help her get the milk out and then have the bag checked. She didn't seem to understand because she believed since she had paid for a ticket she was entitled to take her bags on. I told her she may check her bags and get on or wait for another flight. #3 flight attendant ended up helping her get the milk out of her bags. This was all we heard from her until deplaning. #3 flight attendant and I were working first class. We both went back briefly to help pass out forms but had no contact with the couple. During deplaning, the first officer was standing in front of the cockpit door. #3 flight attendant and I were in the first class galley saying good-bye. The couple walked off the aircraft and when mrs X was on the jetbridge she turned around and in spanish said 'I'll kill you, you son of a bitch.' she walked away and then walked back again saying 'you mother fucker, I'll teach you a lesson.' she was yelling these things at the top of her lungs, saying this in front of other passenger and all airline personnel, including security and agents. No company personnel said or did anything. We were walking to the van and everyone was there except #3 flight attendant. We were wondering where he was when he came running out to the van with no luggage. The top 2 buttons on his shirt were ripped off, his tie was undone. He was yelling, 'you guys didn't wait for me, I was just attacked.' he was the last person off the plane and when he walked off he saw mr X who came running after him, ripped his shirt and slapped him. As he was telling us what happened, mr X and a police officer came walking up and mr X pointed to #3 flight attendant. Mr X told the police officer that #3 flight attendant had pushed his wife and she was pregnant. The police officer took #3 flight attendant's company identify off of his shirt and told him he had to come to the police office for a report. Flight attendant #6 in the meantime went back to the gate to get his bags. The captain and I went to the office with #3 flight attendant, the policeman and mr X. Mr X was threatening #3 flight attendant as we walked to the office. We were in the policeman's office for about 30-40 mins. There were 3 police officers, a translator and later a company agent showed up. I was sent back to the van to get #3 flight attendant's passport. He was not allowed to leave -- as of right now he was under arrest. This is what the policeman told him. This whole incident would have never happened had these people's bags been checked earlier by an agent as they should have been. The whole bag situation is completely out of control in miami. I see people who only check bags at other stations (san juan and dallas). Miami is a huge station where people coming through tend to carry extra bags. The security and agents in caracas should have stayed on the jetbridge until all crew members had deplaned as well as passenger. This passenger was a threat to crew members and we should not be subjected to this abuse. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the flight attendant involved was able to tell his story to the police via a translator. He was detained for about 1/2 hour and then released. No charges were filed on either party. About a week later, the flight attendant involved was meeting with company representatives, but reporter does not know what occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN ASSAULT ON A FLT ATTENDANT AFTER LNDG AND WHEN DEPARTING THE JETBRIDGE. THE PAX AND WIFE HAD BEEN DIFFICULT AT THE START OF THE FLT DUE TO HAVING TO CHK BAGGAGE WHEN BOARDING. LEAVING THE ACFT THREATS WERE MADE TO THE FLT ATTENDANT AND THE ASSAULT TOOK PLACE AFTER THAT.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS OVERSOLD AND WE DID LEAVE COMPLETELY FULL. THE LAST 20 OR SO PAX HAD TO CHK THEIR BAGS. THERE WAS NO ROOM LEFT ON THE ACFT EXCEPT UNDER SEATS. MRS X CAME ON WITH HER HUSBAND AND INFANT ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE DEP. I HAD SEEN HER ARGUING WITH THE SPECIAL SVCS AGENT, AND THEN WITH FLT ATTENDANT #3, WHO WAS STANDING ON THE JETBRIDGE WITH THE GATE CHK TAGS. AFTER EXPLAINING TO NO AVAIL, #3 FLT ATTENDANT THEN TURNED TO ME. I WENT OUT ON THE JETBRIDGE AND ONCE AGAIN EXPLAINED TO HER THAT THERE WAS NO MORE SPACE ON THE ACFT FOR LARGE BAGS. SHE HAD A STROLLER AND 2 ROLLERBOARD SUITCASES. SHE TOLD ME SHE NEEDED THE 1 ROLLERBOARD BECAUSE SHE HAD MILK FOR HER BABY IN IT. I TOLD HER I WOULD BE HAPPY TO GET A MARKET BAG, HELP HER GET THE MILK OUT AND THEN HAVE THE BAG CHKED. SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED SINCE SHE HAD PAID FOR A TICKET SHE WAS ENTITLED TO TAKE HER BAGS ON. I TOLD HER SHE MAY CHK HER BAGS AND GET ON OR WAIT FOR ANOTHER FLT. #3 FLT ATTENDANT ENDED UP HELPING HER GET THE MILK OUT OF HER BAGS. THIS WAS ALL WE HEARD FROM HER UNTIL DEPLANING. #3 FLT ATTENDANT AND I WERE WORKING FIRST CLASS. WE BOTH WENT BACK BRIEFLY TO HELP PASS OUT FORMS BUT HAD NO CONTACT WITH THE COUPLE. DURING DEPLANING, THE FO WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE COCKPIT DOOR. #3 FLT ATTENDANT AND I WERE IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY SAYING GOOD-BYE. THE COUPLE WALKED OFF THE ACFT AND WHEN MRS X WAS ON THE JETBRIDGE SHE TURNED AROUND AND IN SPANISH SAID 'I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH.' SHE WALKED AWAY AND THEN WALKED BACK AGAIN SAYING 'YOU MOTHER FUCKER, I'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON.' SHE WAS YELLING THESE THINGS AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS, SAYING THIS IN FRONT OF OTHER PAX AND ALL AIRLINE PERSONNEL, INCLUDING SECURITY AND AGENTS. NO COMPANY PERSONNEL SAID OR DID ANYTHING. WE WERE WALKING TO THE VAN AND EVERYONE WAS THERE EXCEPT #3 FLT ATTENDANT. WE WERE WONDERING WHERE HE WAS WHEN HE CAME RUNNING OUT TO THE VAN WITH NO LUGGAGE. THE TOP 2 BUTTONS ON HIS SHIRT WERE RIPPED OFF, HIS TIE WAS UNDONE. HE WAS YELLING, 'YOU GUYS DIDN'T WAIT FOR ME, I WAS JUST ATTACKED.' HE WAS THE LAST PERSON OFF THE PLANE AND WHEN HE WALKED OFF HE SAW MR X WHO CAME RUNNING AFTER HIM, RIPPED HIS SHIRT AND SLAPPED HIM. AS HE WAS TELLING US WHAT HAPPENED, MR X AND A POLICE OFFICER CAME WALKING UP AND MR X POINTED TO #3 FLT ATTENDANT. MR X TOLD THE POLICE OFFICER THAT #3 FLT ATTENDANT HAD PUSHED HIS WIFE AND SHE WAS PREGNANT. THE POLICE OFFICER TOOK #3 FLT ATTENDANT'S COMPANY IDENT OFF OF HIS SHIRT AND TOLD HIM HE HAD TO COME TO THE POLICE OFFICE FOR A RPT. FLT ATTENDANT #6 IN THE MEANTIME WENT BACK TO THE GATE TO GET HIS BAGS. THE CAPT AND I WENT TO THE OFFICE WITH #3 FLT ATTENDANT, THE POLICEMAN AND MR X. MR X WAS THREATENING #3 FLT ATTENDANT AS WE WALKED TO THE OFFICE. WE WERE IN THE POLICEMAN'S OFFICE FOR ABOUT 30-40 MINS. THERE WERE 3 POLICE OFFICERS, A TRANSLATOR AND LATER A COMPANY AGENT SHOWED UP. I WAS SENT BACK TO THE VAN TO GET #3 FLT ATTENDANT'S PASSPORT. HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE -- AS OF RIGHT NOW HE WAS UNDER ARREST. THIS IS WHAT THE POLICEMAN TOLD HIM. THIS WHOLE INCIDENT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED HAD THESE PEOPLE'S BAGS BEEN CHKED EARLIER BY AN AGENT AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THE WHOLE BAG SIT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CTL IN MIAMI. I SEE PEOPLE WHO ONLY CHK BAGS AT OTHER STATIONS (SAN JUAN AND DALLAS). MIAMI IS A HUGE STATION WHERE PEOPLE COMING THROUGH TEND TO CARRY EXTRA BAGS. THE SECURITY AND AGENTS IN CARACAS SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE JETBRIDGE UNTIL ALL CREW MEMBERS HAD DEPLANED AS WELL AS PAX. THIS PAX WAS A THREAT TO CREW MEMBERS AND WE SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECTED TO THIS ABUSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT INVOLVED WAS ABLE TO TELL HIS STORY TO THE POLICE VIA A TRANSLATOR. HE WAS DETAINED FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR AND THEN RELEASED. NO CHARGES WERE FILED ON EITHER PARTY. ABOUT A WK LATER, THE FLT ATTENDANT INVOLVED WAS MEETING WITH COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES, BUT RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT OCCURRED.

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.