Narrative:

A first class passenger had been told by purser that dvd equipment would be collected 30-45 mins prior to landing, as per our procedure, to allow time for inventory of equipment and other prelndg duties. The passenger had been agitated with the purser and other first class flight attendants in-flight, so the purser requested that I collect the dvd equipment. Upon requesting the equipment, the passenger said he only needed a few more mins (a common comment) to complete his movie, that he was taking notes on it. I apologized and said that our procedure required us to collect it now. He became agitated, complaining it was 30 mins prior to landing -- we had time. I explained that we had other duties to complete as well. He ripped off his headset, jerked the plug from the outlet and threw the equipment in the empty seat beside him. He was gesticulating and mumbling. I heard one obscenity and asked, 'excuse me, what did you say?' he ignored me and continued mumbling, breathing erratically, and fidgeting, agitated in his seat. I said, 'please don't curse at me.' I removed the equipment and apologized for the inconvenience. Based solely on my limited involvement with this passenger, it is my belief that he poses a potential threat to crew safety based on his belligerent, agitated, verbally aggressive behavior. This passenger seems volatile, and based on the experiences of my fellow crew members, I believe he should be denied access to air travel. I truly felt threatened and intimidated, as though he might hit me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that this procedure of giving first class passenger individual dvd players just started recently, because the units that had been built into their seat units were unreliable, breaking all the time. These individual dvd players are expensive, so they have to be inventoried before landing, and locked in a cart and stowed in the galley. With the other system, the passenger could keep playing the movie all the way to the gate, if necessary. This passenger had been very volatile the whole flight, which started with the fact that the airplane hadn't been a B777. When the reporter stepped in to help as a more neutral party, she didn't expect his explosion and was scared and afraid he was going to hit her.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B767, IAD-LAX. FIRST CLASS PAX REFUSED TO GIVE UP DVD PLAYER TO CABIN ATTENDANT BEFORE LNDG. VERBAL ABUSE, THREATS.

Narrative: A FIRST CLASS PAX HAD BEEN TOLD BY PURSER THAT DVD EQUIP WOULD BE COLLECTED 30-45 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG, AS PER OUR PROC, TO ALLOW TIME FOR INVENTORY OF EQUIP AND OTHER PRELNDG DUTIES. THE PAX HAD BEEN AGITATED WITH THE PURSER AND OTHER FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS INFLT, SO THE PURSER REQUESTED THAT I COLLECT THE DVD EQUIP. UPON REQUESTING THE EQUIP, THE PAX SAID HE ONLY NEEDED A FEW MORE MINS (A COMMON COMMENT) TO COMPLETE HIS MOVIE, THAT HE WAS TAKING NOTES ON IT. I APOLOGIZED AND SAID THAT OUR PROC REQUIRED US TO COLLECT IT NOW. HE BECAME AGITATED, COMPLAINING IT WAS 30 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG -- WE HAD TIME. I EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD OTHER DUTIES TO COMPLETE AS WELL. HE RIPPED OFF HIS HEADSET, JERKED THE PLUG FROM THE OUTLET AND THREW THE EQUIP IN THE EMPTY SEAT BESIDE HIM. HE WAS GESTICULATING AND MUMBLING. I HEARD ONE OBSCENITY AND ASKED, 'EXCUSE ME, WHAT DID YOU SAY?' HE IGNORED ME AND CONTINUED MUMBLING, BREATHING ERRATICALLY, AND FIDGETING, AGITATED IN HIS SEAT. I SAID, 'PLEASE DON'T CURSE AT ME.' I REMOVED THE EQUIP AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. BASED SOLELY ON MY LIMITED INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS PAX, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT HE POSES A POTENTIAL THREAT TO CREW SAFETY BASED ON HIS BELLIGERENT, AGITATED, VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. THIS PAX SEEMS VOLATILE, AND BASED ON THE EXPERIENCES OF MY FELLOW CREW MEMBERS, I BELIEVE HE SHOULD BE DENIED ACCESS TO AIR TRAVEL. I TRULY FELT THREATENED AND INTIMIDATED, AS THOUGH HE MIGHT HIT ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS PROC OF GIVING FIRST CLASS PAX INDIVIDUAL DVD PLAYERS JUST STARTED RECENTLY, BECAUSE THE UNITS THAT HAD BEEN BUILT INTO THEIR SEAT UNITS WERE UNRELIABLE, BREAKING ALL THE TIME. THESE INDIVIDUAL DVD PLAYERS ARE EXPENSIVE, SO THEY HAVE TO BE INVENTORIED BEFORE LNDG, AND LOCKED IN A CART AND STOWED IN THE GALLEY. WITH THE OTHER SYS, THE PAX COULD KEEP PLAYING THE MOVIE ALL THE WAY TO THE GATE, IF NECESSARY. THIS PAX HAD BEEN VERY VOLATILE THE WHOLE FLT, WHICH STARTED WITH THE FACT THAT THE AIRPLANE HADN'T BEEN A B777. WHEN THE RPTR STEPPED IN TO HELP AS A MORE NEUTRAL PARTY, SHE DIDN'T EXPECT HIS EXPLOSION AND WAS SCARED AND AFRAID HE WAS GOING TO HIT HER.

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.