Pilot report, B757. First class passenger got in loud, verbal fight outside cockpit. Captain had to ...

Attributes
ACN	463370
Time
Date	200002
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zab.artcc
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	463370
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : cab #1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

2 passenger were having a fight in the cabin. A flight attendant called cockpit -- panicked. The captain left the flight deck to deal with the situation. The passenger complied immediately with captain's demands to return to seat. Police met aircraft. Fbi called. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the 2 passenger were sitting in first class on a B757. One had just come in from australia and was extremely tired, so he reclined his seat back to sleep. The man sitting behind him became very agitated and started pushing the seat forward. This eventually led to a verbal fight and almost erupted into a physical fight, right outside the cockpit door, where the lavatories are located. The captain came out of the cockpit and got in the middle of the fight to try to get their attention that he was the captain. They were so blinded by their anger that they couldn't even see him. He said he didn't believe alcohol was a contributing factor. The police detained the 2 passenger for several hours before releasing them. The FAA called the captain at his layover hotel that night to see if he wanted to file charges, which he didn't.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B757. FIRST CLASS PAX GOT IN LOUD, VERBAL FIGHT OUTSIDE COCKPIT. CAPT HAD TO BREAK IT UP. POLICE MET FLT AND DETAINED PAX. NO CHARGES FILED.

Narrative: 2 PAX WERE HAVING A FIGHT IN THE CABIN. A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED COCKPIT -- PANICKED. THE CAPT LEFT THE FLT DECK TO DEAL WITH THE SIT. THE PAX COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY WITH CAPT'S DEMANDS TO RETURN TO SEAT. POLICE MET ACFT. FBI CALLED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE 2 PAX WERE SITTING IN FIRST CLASS ON A B757. ONE HAD JUST COME IN FROM AUSTRALIA AND WAS EXTREMELY TIRED, SO HE RECLINED HIS SEAT BACK TO SLEEP. THE MAN SITTING BEHIND HIM BECAME VERY AGITATED AND STARTED PUSHING THE SEAT FORWARD. THIS EVENTUALLY LED TO A VERBAL FIGHT AND ALMOST ERUPTED INTO A PHYSICAL FIGHT, RIGHT OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT DOOR, WHERE THE LAVATORIES ARE LOCATED. THE CAPT CAME OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND GOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIGHT TO TRY TO GET THEIR ATTN THAT HE WAS THE CAPT. THEY WERE SO BLINDED BY THEIR ANGER THAT THEY COULDN'T EVEN SEE HIM. HE SAID HE DIDN'T BELIEVE ALCOHOL WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE POLICE DETAINED THE 2 PAX FOR SEVERAL HRS BEFORE RELEASING THEM. THE FAA CALLED THE CAPT AT HIS LAYOVER HOTEL THAT NIGHT TO SEE IF HE WANTED TO FILE CHARGES, WHICH HE DIDN'T.

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.

Pilot report, B757. First class passenger got in loud, verbal fight outside cockpit. Captain had to break it up. Police met flight and detained passenger. No charges filed.