Delta passenger describes being bitten on LA-bound flight
Delta flight biting: Passenger explains chaos
A man went berserk on a commercial airline and bit another passenger. It happened on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles. It took several people onboard to finally restrain the unruly passenger.
ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Flight 501 from Atlanta to Los Angeles landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport around 11:45 a.m. on Monday, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance.
Fight on Delta flight 501
What we know:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident involving an unruly passenger on Delta Air Lines Flight 501 from Atlanta to Los Angeles. The Airbus A350 landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday after reports of a disturbance on board.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, an adult male passenger allegedly bit one passenger and hit others, requiring restraint. He was taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation, and medical personnel later assessed an injured passenger.
Delta says it has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and will work with law enforcement.
Passenger describes Delta flight fight
What they're saying:
Ashley Gurney was on the final leg of his four-and-a-half-hour flight. It was quiet until the woman sitting next to him told him a scuffle broke out. "She said there’s a fight in the back," Gurney said. "Someone yelled out ‘we need help.’"
An out-of-control passenger began fighting with other people onboard. "Kicking his legs, swinging his arms around, trying to get up," Gurney said. "He wasn’t coherent."
Gurney is 6 foot 3 inches, weighs 310 pounds, and used to play Australian-rules football. "There’s no one else around and I’m probably the right candidate given who I am to go and help out in that situation," Gurney said.
He hustled to the back. "There were two or three guys holding someone down who had hit a woman and hit a man already," Gurney said.
Passengers and crew tried to place restraints on the guy twice, but he broke through. "I bear hugged him and was holding his arms behind his back to get restraints on and he bit me. I kind of yelled out an expletive," Gurney said.
The unruly passenger bit Gurney on the shoulder. "Fortunately, I had a vest and t-shirt, so through a couple of layers, it didn’t pierce the skin," Gurney said.
Another passenger jumped in. "He saw it happened and grabbed the guys’ head and held it back from biting me again," Gurney said.
Gurney and a couple of other people on board finally subdued the unfriendly flier. "The other guys were there holding onto his feet to keep them still, and i picked him up," Gurney said.
Gurney, who travels about 150 times a year, has never seen anything like this. "This was quite a surprise to says the least," he said.
Gurney says he wasn’t hurt.
What we don't know:
The TSA is not releasing the name of the man.
FOX 5 called the FAA and are awaiting a response.
The Source: Ashley Gurney; LA Fire Department; Delta Air Lines; TSA.