Latest news with #Flight501
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man bitten by unruly passenger on Delta flight says he tried to help restrain him
A passenger who was bitten by another man on a Delta Air Lines flight spoke for the first time about what led to the incident. Ash Gurney was on Delta Flight 501 that left Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Gurney said the flight was 25 minutes from landing at Los Angeles International Airport when the person sitting next to him pointed out something happening toward the back of the plane. 'So, I kind of turned around, I was in the aisle seat. And, basically I could see, you know, people scuffling on the ground. And, someone looked up the aisle and said, 'Help.' So I kind of like took my seatbelt off and, and ran down to help,' Gurney told Channel 2′s ABC affiliate KABC. Gurney said the unruly passenger 'wasn't in control of himself' and that he and several others tried to help restrain him. 'And the first two, the restraints broke, but we got the third one on, and as I put the third one on, I was kind of, had him in a bear hug, and that's when he bit me,' Gurney told KABC. TRENDING STORIES: Delta flight forced to turn back to Atlanta over 'cabin pressurization issue' Ford recalls Bronco, Edge, Explorer, and F-150 vehicles due to engine problem Georgians could be missing out on $33M in tax refunds. Here's how you could get part of it After the plane landed, paramedics took the man, who has not been identified, to a hospital for a psychological evaluation. The Federal Aviation Administration is handling the investigation. A Delta spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News that the airline 'has zero tolerance for unruly behavior' and has 'cooperated with law enforcement on their investigation.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Delta passenger describes being bitten on LA-bound flight
The Brief A man goes berserk on a commercial airline and bites another passenger. It happened Monday morning 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. SEE ALSO: Man allegedly attacks passenger on Delta flight from Atlanta to LA: 'Zero tolerance for unruly behavior' 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. 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.
USA Today
20-03-2025
- USA Today
A man allegedly bit a fellow passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight. FAA is investigating.
A man allegedly bit a fellow passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight. FAA is investigating. Show Caption Hide Caption Air rage is still an issue on planes. Here's how it's being addressed. Air rage and unruly passengers are still a problem. Here's what experts say can be done about disturbances on flights. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY A man onboard a Delta Air Lines flight on Monday allegedly bit another passenger and hit others, according to officials. The incident occurred on Delta Flight 501, which departed from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 10:06 a.m. and was heading to Los Angeles International Airport, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. "Delta Air Lines Flight 501 landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport around 11:45 a.m. local time on Monday, March 17, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance," the Federal Aviation Administration told USA TODAY in an email statement. Get a hold of yourselves: Why air rage on airplanes is every traveler's problem While taxiing to the gate at LAX, the flight crew reported "an adult male patient who had been restrained and may have bitten another" to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), according to LAFD spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz. An ambulance arrived at the scene to transport the man to the hospital for a psychological evaluation, Lantz said. The passenger who was bitten was checked by paramedics at the scene. "Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and will work with law enforcement authorities," said Delta spokesperson Samantha Moore Facteau. The FAA said it is currently investigating the incident and any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crewmembers faces up to $37,000 in civil penalties. In 2024, the FAA has received over 1,800 reports of unruly passengers. So far, in 2025, there have been 311 reports.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man restrained on board Delta flight after staff say he was biting and hitting passengers
A man was taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation after he allegedly bit and hit passengers on board a Delta Airlines flight. Shortly after Delta Flight 501 from Atlanta landed at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday afternoon, staff reported a man was restrained on board for biting a passenger and hitting others, CNN reports. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded, taking the man to a hospital for a psychological evaluation before returning to treat the passenger he injured. The man, whose current state is unknown, could face both civil and criminal penalties. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. 'Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and will work with law enforcement authorities,' Delta spokesperson Samantha Facteau said in a statement. Delta has since been in touch with customers to offer support. The Independent has contacted the Los Angeles Fire Department for more information. There have been 311 reports of unruly passengers so far this year, according to the FAA. Unruly passenger reports hit a record high of nearly 6,000 in 2021, growing 492 percent from the previous year as airline travel bounced back during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 4,000 of these incidents were related to masking, Reuters reported. Those figures leveled out over the next three years, with 2,455 reports in 2022 and just over 2,000 reports in both 2023 and 2024. But unruly passengers are still more common than they were before the pandemic, with the FAA reporting 1,009 unruly passengers in 2019 and 1,161 in 2018. 'The rate of unruly passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do,' the FAA said in a statement on their website. Unruly passengers can face jail time, fines up to $37,000 and travel restrictions. Criminal charges are also possible. 'The FAA has civil authority, allowing it to impose fines,' the FAA states. 'It does not have criminal prosecutorial authority, although passengers who engage in unruly behavior can still be prosecuted on criminal charges.'
The Independent
19-03-2025
- The Independent
Man restrained on board Delta flight after staff say he was biting and hitting passengers
A man was taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation after he allegedly bit and hit passengers on board a Delta Airlines flight. Shortly after Delta Flight 501 from Atlanta landed at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday afternoon, staff reported a man was restrained on board for biting a passenger and hitting others, CNN reports. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded, taking the man to a hospital for a psychological evaluation before returning to treat the passenger he injured. The man, whose current state is unknown, could face both civil and criminal penalties. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. 'Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and will work with law enforcement authorities,' Delta spokesperson Samantha Moore Facteau told CNN. The Independent has contacted the Los Angeles Fire Department and Delta Airlines for more information. There have been 311 reports of unruly passengers so far this year, according to the FAA. Unruly passenger reports hit a record high of nearly 6,000 in 2021, growing 492 percent from the previous year as airline travel bounced back during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 4,000 of these incidents were related to masking, Reuters reported. Those figures leveled out over the next three years, with 2,455 reports in 2022 and just over 2,000 reports in both 2023 and 2024. But unruly passengers are still more common than they were before the pandemic, with the FAA reporting 1,009 unruly passengers in 2019 and 1,161 in 2018. 'The rate of unruly passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do,' the FAA said in a statement on their website. Unruly passengers can face jail time, fines up to $37,000 and travel restrictions. Criminal charges are also possible. 'The FAA has civil authority, allowing it to impose fines,' the FAA states. 'It does not have criminal prosecutorial authority, although passengers who engage in unruly behavior can still be prosecuted on criminal charges.'
