Airline Passenger Allegedly Chokes Woman Because She Reclined Her Seat Onto Him
Air travel can be very stressful for some people, so much so that they decide to choke the hell out of a fellow passenger for the most insignificant of slights. At least, that’s what allegedly happened late Sunday night when a male Southwest Airlines passenger attacked a female passenger who reclined her seat too far back for his liking.
According to NBC Bay Area, a Southwest Flight 2010 from Los Angeles to San Francisco had to return to LAX and make an emergency landing when a man choked a woman for reclining her seat onto him. On the surface, it seems like a case of air rage, but the FBI has been called in to investigate since the incident occurred mid-flight.
“An individual was detained for questioning following the return of a SW aircraft to LAX based on allegations of an assault involving a fellow passenger,” FBI spokesperson Laura Eimillier told NBC Bay Area. “No arrest has been made at this time and the investigation is continuing.”
The “rapidly escalating situation” was so severe that the pilot had to radio in to request an emergency landing back in Los Angeles: “Evidently, we’ve got two passengers who are in a physical altercation, so we need to get turned around.”
A witness who identified herself as Melanie posted a photo on Instagram, though her account has since been made private. She told NBC that as soon as the woman reclined her seat onto the man, he “started choking her. She shouted for help and the crew came to see what happened. The man stayed very calm during the whole situation.”
All passengers were transferred to another flight and eventually made it to San Francisco early Monday morning. The man, however, was escorted off the flight by police.
[h/t NBC Bay Area]
[Image via screengrab]
