Narrative:

We were taxiing for our takeoff to sju. I was #4 flight attendant. My duty is to check seatbelts in zone B, r-hand side. I asked passenger involved to bring seat back forward for takeoff, and he replied that it would not stay up, that it kept going back and so I noticed that the seatbelt was not properly placed. It was wrapped around the arm rest and then it was very tight on him, so I tried to properly place it around passenger and the passenger got upset and angry that I asked to bring seat back up and then to fix his seatbelt, so he said something to me. But I said that he didn't have to get upset, that I was just doing my job. So, I continued with my compliance check. #8 flight attendant, an extra, also checked the same cabin that I was checking and he also asked the same passenger to bring his seat back up, and the passenger got more upset with him and apparently exchanged words with #8 flight attendant. So the flight attendant told #1 flight attendant, and he went back and the passenger started cursing out loud and got very upset and started cursing at the lady seated beside him that was traveling with him. #1 flight attendant (purser) went up to captain and told him that the seat back was not staying upright and that the passenger was cursing out loud and seemed very aggressive, so the captain decided to go back to gate and have this passenger removed from the plane. We were at the gate and some passenger were saying that the same passenger was very upset already when he was checking in for the flight and that he was cursing at the lady that was traveling with him outside before we boarded. They also mentioned that the lady said that they were going to sue for being removed from the plane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that #8 flight attendant didn't believe the man that his seat back was broken, so this escalated the man's fury. When the purser came back and assessed the situation, they were almost cleared for takeoff. The purser ran very fast up to the cockpit to tell them about the aggressive passenger. When the man and his 'mother' (the other passenger called her that) deplaned, the man was shouting 'you're going to have to take me out!' it later turned out that the seat back was broken. After they returned to the gate, mechanics came on board and fixed it and the other passenger became upset with the crew for the further delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, A300, JFK-SJU. ON TAXI, PAX REFUSED TO KEEP SEAT BACK UP, BECAME IRATE. CAPT WENT BACK TO GATE TO HAVE THE PAX AND LADY FRIEND REMOVED.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING FOR OUR TKOF TO SJU. I WAS #4 FLT ATTENDANT. MY DUTY IS TO CHK SEATBELTS IN ZONE B, R-HAND SIDE. I ASKED PAX INVOLVED TO BRING SEAT BACK FORWARD FOR TKOF, AND HE REPLIED THAT IT WOULD NOT STAY UP, THAT IT KEPT GOING BACK AND SO I NOTICED THAT THE SEATBELT WAS NOT PROPERLY PLACED. IT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE ARM REST AND THEN IT WAS VERY TIGHT ON HIM, SO I TRIED TO PROPERLY PLACE IT AROUND PAX AND THE PAX GOT UPSET AND ANGRY THAT I ASKED TO BRING SEAT BACK UP AND THEN TO FIX HIS SEATBELT, SO HE SAID SOMETHING TO ME. BUT I SAID THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GET UPSET, THAT I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB. SO, I CONTINUED WITH MY COMPLIANCE CHK. #8 FLT ATTENDANT, AN EXTRA, ALSO CHKED THE SAME CABIN THAT I WAS CHKING AND HE ALSO ASKED THE SAME PAX TO BRING HIS SEAT BACK UP, AND THE PAX GOT MORE UPSET WITH HIM AND APPARENTLY EXCHANGED WORDS WITH #8 FLT ATTENDANT. SO THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD #1 FLT ATTENDANT, AND HE WENT BACK AND THE PAX STARTED CURSING OUT LOUD AND GOT VERY UPSET AND STARTED CURSING AT THE LADY SEATED BESIDE HIM THAT WAS TRAVELING WITH HIM. #1 FLT ATTENDANT (PURSER) WENT UP TO CAPT AND TOLD HIM THAT THE SEAT BACK WAS NOT STAYING UPRIGHT AND THAT THE PAX WAS CURSING OUT LOUD AND SEEMED VERY AGGRESSIVE, SO THE CAPT DECIDED TO GO BACK TO GATE AND HAVE THIS PAX REMOVED FROM THE PLANE. WE WERE AT THE GATE AND SOME PAX WERE SAYING THAT THE SAME PAX WAS VERY UPSET ALREADY WHEN HE WAS CHKING IN FOR THE FLT AND THAT HE WAS CURSING AT THE LADY THAT WAS TRAVELING WITH HIM OUTSIDE BEFORE WE BOARDED. THEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE LADY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SUE FOR BEING REMOVED FROM THE PLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT #8 FLT ATTENDANT DIDN'T BELIEVE THE MAN THAT HIS SEAT BACK WAS BROKEN, SO THIS ESCALATED THE MAN'S FURY. WHEN THE PURSER CAME BACK AND ASSESSED THE SIT, THEY WERE ALMOST CLRED FOR TKOF. THE PURSER RAN VERY FAST UP TO THE COCKPIT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE AGGRESSIVE PAX. WHEN THE MAN AND HIS 'MOTHER' (THE OTHER PAX CALLED HER THAT) DEPLANED, THE MAN WAS SHOUTING 'YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE ME OUT!' IT LATER TURNED OUT THAT THE SEAT BACK WAS BROKEN. AFTER THEY RETURNED TO THE GATE, MECHS CAME ON BOARD AND FIXED IT AND THE OTHER PAX BECAME UPSET WITH THE CREW FOR THE FURTHER DELAY.

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.