Narrative:

A male passenger, about 40 yrs old, became hysterical, seemed to be having a seizure, but then would yell irrational demands to land and he was 'prince of darkness.' the passenger food and drinks were thrown about and call lights went off. I was the first flight attendant there and assumed that the passenger was having a seizure. Afterwards, he seemed confused and demanded to land. The captain was notified of his condition. The passenger was offered oxygen and water and was reseated toward the rear of the plane, in case of a further incident. It was then determined by myself that he had a medical problem, other than seizures. He had not taken his medicine (lithium) for his mental disorder. We made an emergency landing and were met by the fire department and emt. The passenger was bound and taken off by wheelchair and placed in a stretcher for hospital treatment. The flight then continued from tulsa to the final destination of chicago. All passenger, including deadheading crew members, were all very helpful in witness reports. It would be helpful in the future, for some training class to talk a little on passenger who need such medication and the side effects of mood altering drugs. The flight crew was very quick to respond to our request to land without question and were trusting of the flight attendant's decisions. All crew members worked well as a team! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that they had just served meals, when passenger call lights started going off all around this man, who was strapped in his seat and was flailing his arms and legs all over. The food on the food tray went flying everywhere. The reporter restrained his arms, so he wouldn't keep hitting the person sitting next to him. The man had lucid moments and read her name on her name tag, and then calling her by her name, he asked for help, that he needed to land immediately. He said he wanted to burn his grandmother's house down, because she had just died in a small town in illinois and he wanted to land there. The reporter told him that they couldn't do that, but they could land in tulsa. She had him situation across from her jump seat for landing, so she could keep a dialogue going with him, which seemed to have a calming effect. The reporter said that she did notice him as he boarded, as he had his shirt on inside out. The man sitting next to him said that he started going into a seizure after he had talked to his wife, who hung up on him. When the man was wheeled off, he asked the reporter to call his wife and gave her the number. She passed it on to the agent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, DFW-ORD. PAX HAVING SEIZURES, ACTING VERY BIZARRE. DIVERT TO TULSA. PAX TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.

Narrative: A MALE PAX, ABOUT 40 YRS OLD, BECAME HYSTERICAL, SEEMED TO BE HAVING A SEIZURE, BUT THEN WOULD YELL IRRATIONAL DEMANDS TO LAND AND HE WAS 'PRINCE OF DARKNESS.' THE PAX FOOD AND DRINKS WERE THROWN ABOUT AND CALL LIGHTS WENT OFF. I WAS THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT THERE AND ASSUMED THAT THE PAX WAS HAVING A SEIZURE. AFTERWARDS, HE SEEMED CONFUSED AND DEMANDED TO LAND. THE CAPT WAS NOTIFIED OF HIS CONDITION. THE PAX WAS OFFERED OXYGEN AND WATER AND WAS RESEATED TOWARD THE REAR OF THE PLANE, IN CASE OF A FURTHER INCIDENT. IT WAS THEN DETERMINED BY MYSELF THAT HE HAD A MEDICAL PROB, OTHER THAN SEIZURES. HE HAD NOT TAKEN HIS MEDICINE (LITHIUM) FOR HIS MENTAL DISORDER. WE MADE AN EMER LNDG AND WERE MET BY THE FIRE DEPT AND EMT. THE PAX WAS BOUND AND TAKEN OFF BY WHEELCHAIR AND PLACED IN A STRETCHER FOR HOSPITAL TREATMENT. THE FLT THEN CONTINUED FROM TULSA TO THE FINAL DEST OF CHICAGO. ALL PAX, INCLUDING DEADHEADING CREW MEMBERS, WERE ALL VERY HELPFUL IN WITNESS RPTS. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE, FOR SOME TRAINING CLASS TO TALK A LITTLE ON PAX WHO NEED SUCH MEDICATION AND THE SIDE EFFECTS OF MOOD ALTERING DRUGS. THE FLC WAS VERY QUICK TO RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST TO LAND WITHOUT QUESTION AND WERE TRUSTING OF THE FLT ATTENDANT'S DECISIONS. ALL CREW MEMBERS WORKED WELL AS A TEAM! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY HAD JUST SERVED MEALS, WHEN PAX CALL LIGHTS STARTED GOING OFF ALL AROUND THIS MAN, WHO WAS STRAPPED IN HIS SEAT AND WAS FLAILING HIS ARMS AND LEGS ALL OVER. THE FOOD ON THE FOOD TRAY WENT FLYING EVERYWHERE. THE RPTR RESTRAINED HIS ARMS, SO HE WOULDN'T KEEP HITTING THE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO HIM. THE MAN HAD LUCID MOMENTS AND READ HER NAME ON HER NAME TAG, AND THEN CALLING HER BY HER NAME, HE ASKED FOR HELP, THAT HE NEEDED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. HE SAID HE WANTED TO BURN HIS GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE DOWN, BECAUSE SHE HAD JUST DIED IN A SMALL TOWN IN ILLINOIS AND HE WANTED TO LAND THERE. THE RPTR TOLD HIM THAT THEY COULDN'T DO THAT, BUT THEY COULD LAND IN TULSA. SHE HAD HIM SIT ACROSS FROM HER JUMP SEAT FOR LNDG, SO SHE COULD KEEP A DIALOGUE GOING WITH HIM, WHICH SEEMED TO HAVE A CALMING EFFECT. THE RPTR SAID THAT SHE DID NOTICE HIM AS HE BOARDED, AS HE HAD HIS SHIRT ON INSIDE OUT. THE MAN SITTING NEXT TO HIM SAID THAT HE STARTED GOING INTO A SEIZURE AFTER HE HAD TALKED TO HIS WIFE, WHO HUNG UP ON HIM. WHEN THE MAN WAS WHEELED OFF, HE ASKED THE RPTR TO CALL HIS WIFE AND GAVE HER THE NUMBER. SHE PASSED IT ON TO THE AGENT.

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.