Narrative:

Approximately 1 1/2 hours into the flight, I heard shouting in main cabin. Passenger in question was in an altercation with flight attendant #4, very loud, screaming at the top of his lungs. I stayed in first class because I was worried this might be a diversion. Flight attendant #3 tried to intervene to diffuse situation. Passenger threw a pretty heavy magazine at her. It hit her at the corner of her eye. Captain was informed during this altercation. Passenger was advised if his behavior continued, we would divert and land. Because he physically threatened and assaulted flight attendant #3, the decision was taken to have auths meet the flight. During questioning, it became known that passenger had been assaulted, robbed, beaten in mexico city. All his belongings had been stolen. That may have explained his disheveled appearance. He was dirty and smelly, carried a few plastic grocery bags with a few personal belongings. It was also apparent that he might have been mentally challenged so flight attendant #3 made the decision not to press charges, but passenger has been black listed on our carrier. My personal feeling is that flight attendant #4 may have provoked passenger by making a comment about passenger's smelly feet, loud enough to be overheard by passenger sitting around him. While speaking to several passenger who were willing to be named, we were told that this passenger had caused a commotion in the departure lounge prior to boarding, behaving erratically, speaking to himself, etc. Gate agent apparently ignored this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 PURSER RPTED THAT A PAX BECAME VIOLENT DURING A FLT FROM MIA TO YUL.

Narrative: APPROX 1 1/2 HRS INTO THE FLT, I HEARD SHOUTING IN MAIN CABIN. PAX IN QUESTION WAS IN AN ALTERCATION WITH FLT ATTENDANT #4, VERY LOUD, SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS. I STAYED IN FIRST CLASS BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED THIS MIGHT BE A DIVERSION. FLT ATTENDANT #3 TRIED TO INTERVENE TO DIFFUSE SIT. PAX THREW A PRETTY HVY MAGAZINE AT HER. IT HIT HER AT THE CORNER OF HER EYE. CAPT WAS INFORMED DURING THIS ALTERCATION. PAX WAS ADVISED IF HIS BEHAVIOR CONTINUED, WE WOULD DIVERT AND LAND. BECAUSE HE PHYSICALLY THREATENED AND ASSAULTED FLT ATTENDANT #3, THE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO HAVE AUTHS MEET THE FLT. DURING QUESTIONING, IT BECAME KNOWN THAT PAX HAD BEEN ASSAULTED, ROBBED, BEATEN IN MEXICO CITY. ALL HIS BELONGINGS HAD BEEN STOLEN. THAT MAY HAVE EXPLAINED HIS DISHEVELED APPEARANCE. HE WAS DIRTY AND SMELLY, CARRIED A FEW PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS WITH A FEW PERSONAL BELONGINGS. IT WAS ALSO APPARENT THAT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN MENTALLY CHALLENGED SO FLT ATTENDANT #3 MADE THE DECISION NOT TO PRESS CHARGES, BUT PAX HAS BEEN BLACK LISTED ON OUR CARRIER. MY PERSONAL FEELING IS THAT FLT ATTENDANT #4 MAY HAVE PROVOKED PAX BY MAKING A COMMENT ABOUT PAX'S SMELLY FEET, LOUD ENOUGH TO BE OVERHEARD BY PAX SITTING AROUND HIM. WHILE SPEAKING TO SEVERAL PAX WHO WERE WILLING TO BE NAMED, WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS PAX HAD CAUSED A COMMOTION IN THE DEP LOUNGE PRIOR TO BOARDING, BEHAVING ERRATICALLY, SPEAKING TO HIMSELF, ETC. GATE AGENT APPARENTLY IGNORED THIS.

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.